The lineup of heel horses at the 2026 American Rodeo is stacked with some of team roping’s elite talents, including three-time AQHA/PRCA Heel Horse of the Year Kadabra King and reigning AQHA/PRCA Heel Horse of the Year Cut Off My Spots.

How to Watch the 2026 American Rodeo

The event—which kicks off Friday, May 22, in Globe Life Field with the Semifinals featuring the 15 teams that came through the West, East and Central regionals.

The field is diverse when it comes to pedigree, with no sire represented twice across the entire lineup. Three horses—Buddy Hawkins’ X, Cole Walker’s Bandito and Michael Calmelat Jr.’s Chico— are grade or unregistered, meaning roughly 15% of the field competes without a documented pedigree. 

The cutting horse influence is strong. Metallic Cat sired JC Flake’s Playinmetallicafuel and High Brow Cat shows up as the dam’s sire of Kaden Profili’s Liken It Tuff—whose dam, Catlike Kit, reinforces that cat breeding runs deep on both sides.

Playin Stylis is the only bloodline to appear twice in the same column, surfacing as the dam’s sire for both Kyler Kanady’s Playin Cowhorse and JC Flake’s Playinmetallicafuel.