Sixteen Old West sale graduates chase $1.375 million in graduate-only money at the rope horse futurity’s pre-futurity finals June 20, 2026—and these 16 horses have already amassed $380,100 in their first six months of competition.
Every entry that ran through an official Old West Horse Sale is chasing two things at once: a share of the $375,000-added Guaranteed Sale Graduate Side Pot and, for a first-place finish, a piece of the $1 million bonus.
The Old West Rope Horse Futurity runs June 14-20 at the Wasatch County Event Complex. The pre-futurity classes—heading, heeling and breakaway, all for horses 4 and under—run early in the week, with finals and the payout staged Saturday night.
The names on the pre-futurity list read like a who’s who of rope horse breeding. Reliance Ranches, Taylor Farms, Dasco Cattle Co., Tres Amigos and the Reyzin Royals Partnership all have graduates entered, with riders including Kaleb Driggers, Rhen Richard, Trevor Brazile, Tate Kirchenschlager, Andy Holcomb, Joseph Harrison, Kollin VonAhn and breakaway standout Cheyanne McCartney. The pedigrees behind them span every corner of the Quarter Horse industry—running-bred, cutting and cow horse royalty, and reining’s deepest sire lines.
How the money works
Old West built two separate, stacking incentives for horses that sell through its ring. They are easy to confuse, so here is the distinction that matters to buyers and readers alike:
The Road to the Million bonus is the headline number. An eligible sale graduate that wins first place in the 4-and-under pre-futurity main pot—in heading, heeling or breakaway—at Heber City earns a shot at $1 million. It is offered only at the Heber City event. There is no extra entry fee; buying the horse through the sale is what makes it eligible. If more than one graduate wins a discipline title, the bonus is split pro-rata based on entry volume.
The Guaranteed Sale Graduate Side Pot is the safety net—and it is substantial. Heber City has $375,000 added to it. It pays five places deep in each discipline, independently, and it pays on top of whatever a horse earns in the main futurity pot. A horse does not have to win to cash; it only has to qualify for the short round and be the highest-placing sale graduate in line. As Old West puts it, a graduate that finishes third overall can still collect the side pot’s first-place check if it is the top graduate in that run.
Two rules decide who collects: the horse must have gone through an official Old West Horse Sale, and it must qualify for the short round. Notably, a horse does not have to have sold—one that passed out (no sale) and went home with its consignor remains a sale graduate and stays eligible.
Eligibility attaches to the horse, not the rider, so an owner can put any roper on it. No ground money is paid, and if fewer than five graduates qualify, the payout simply stops at the last one standing. Any ownership transfer after the sale has to be approved in writing by Old West to keep eligibility intact. The main futurity pot sits separate from all of it—funded by entry fees, paying back 80 percent, and open to every horse in the class regardless of where it was bought.
The proof is already on the board
At Old West’s Gamble at Guthrie in April, Reyzin Royals—ridden by McCartney in the breakaway and VonAhn in the heeling—banked $85,652 across seven runs and won the sale-graduate side pot in both disciplines ($40,000 each). Runnnin Winners banked $20,916, including a $15,000 sale-graduate sidepot check for Rhen Richard. All told, the 16 graduates entered here have already earned roughly $380,100—and that is before Heber. The full per-horse breakdown is below.
The Horses: Pedigrees & Analysis
Pre-Futurity Heading
Kiri — 2022 bay mare | Owner: Reliance Ranches | Rider: Billie Jack Saebens
Pedigree: Tres Seis x Jess A Diva Chick, by Apollitical Jess.
Analysis: A pure running-bred carried into the heading pen. Tres Seis (SI-97, $856,901) is a Golden State Futurity winner and one of the race horse industry’s most influential sires; broodmare sire Apollitical Jess is an elite racing supersire.
Woody To My Jessie — 2022 sorrel mare | Owner: Mike Van Egdom | Heading: Kaleb Driggers
Pedigree: Woody Be Tuff x Metallic Jessie, by Metallic Cat.
Analysis: The most versatile graduate in the group, pointed at the bonus from three pens—Kaleb Driggers heads on her, Trey Yates on heels her and Danielle Wray rides her in the breakaway. J.D. Yates developed the mare and rode her to the pre-futurity heading championship at the ARHFA Red Bud Spectacular (899.20 composite; a division-best $20,160 at the event), but a June 5 shoulder surgery hands off the team-roping ends to Driggers and Trey Yates at Old West. By $16-million sire Woody Be Tuff and out of the Metallic Cat mare Metallic Jessie—Woody Be Tuff’s signature cross—she was bred by Redgie Probst. See the heeling and breakaway sections for her work on those ends.
Runnnin Winners — 2022 black mare | Owner: Taylor Farms | Rider: Rhen Richard
Pedigree: Winners Version x Runnning Corona, by Corona Cartel.
Analysis: A true speed pedigree top and bottom. Winners Version (SI-103) is a $9 million sire across the racing, barrels and roping; Corona Cartel on the bottom stacks elite running blood. She has already produced, placing in the heading average at Guthrie for $5,916 under Richard.
One More Queen — 2022 bay mare | Owner: Trey Hurst | Rider: Tate Kirchenschlager
Pedigree: One Time Honor x Inseperable Queen, by Inseperable.
Analysis: A proven-cross play. One Time Honor, a son of $24-million cutting and roping sire One Time Pepto, is quietly siring a wave of competitive rope-futurity horses. One Time Honor has produced top futurity horses like One Time Pick ridden by Billie Jack Saebens, A Relentless Buzz ridden by Trevor Brazile, Nestle Time ridden by Kaleb Driggers and Relentless Honor ridden by Miles Baker. She’s won $26,160 so far in 2026.
Bayside Shine — 2022 bay stallion | Owner: Dasco Cattle Co. | Rider: Tate Kirchenschlager
Pedigree: Shining Spark x Carrera Cat, by Metallic Cat.
Analysis: Shining Spark is the first $4 million NRHA sire and the all-time leading reined cow horse sire; crossed on $167K performer Carrera Cat by Metallic Cat mare, this is a Western performance cross s at the top of the pedigree market.
DMC Reysin Em Wright — 2022 bay gelding | Owner: Jake Cooper
Pedigree: Reys Of Pep x Wright On Rachel, by Lenas Wright On.
Analysis: An owner-stallion story. Reys Of Pep (by Dual Rey) is one of the winningest rope-futurity studs in history and was bought by Jake Cooper himself in 2023; the dam is Peppys Stylish Lena. Reys Of Pep himself with the 2023 ARHFA Head Horse of the Year and won the first Old West Futurity Non-Pro heading with Cooper’s wife, Halie. This is the first Reys Of Pep to hit the show pen, with jam-up results and $34,093 in earnings so far. Plus, Cooper is eligible for the Intermediate Heading on this horse, too, opening the door for even more money in Utah.
A&C Racing and Roping’s heading string. A&C brings five more head horses, all ridden by Rhen Richard except Miss Valentina (Kaden Richard) — a block assembled at the 2025 Heber sale and saturated with Winners Version blood (sire of two, broodmare sire of two more).
Reys Version — 2022 mare | Owner: A&C Racing and Roping | Rider: Rhen Richard
Pedigree: Reys Smokin Dually x Heavys Version, by Winners Version.
Analysis: The top earner of A&C’s heading string at $42,276—2nd in both the Old West Guthrie heading sale-graduate sidepot ($25,000) and the pre-futurity average ($15,776). Reys Smokin Dually over a Winners Version mare doubles the run-cow cross the Richards are known for.
Dual Versions — 2022 stallion | Owner: A&C Racing and Roping | Rider: Rhen Richard
Pedigree: Reys Smokin Dually x Versions Runnninggal, by Winners Version.
Analysis: Same sort of cross as Reys Version — Reys Smokin Dually over a Winners Version mare. $10,700 so far from pre-futurity heading at the Old West Guthrie and AZ Sun Circuit.
Reysmidnighteagle — 2022 stallion | Owner: A&C Racing and Roping | Rider: Rhen Richard
Pedigree: Reys Smokin Dually x Brooksmidnighteagle, by One Dashing Eagle.
Analysis: One of A&C’s marquee prospects, by the proven rope-futurity sire Reys Smokin Dually.
Winners Fire — 2022 gelding | Owner: A&C Racing and Roping | Rider: Rhen Richard
Pedigree: Winners Version x Radiant Fire, by Walk Thru Fire.
Analysis: A son of the late sire Winners Version, out of a Walk Thru Fire mare—speed on speed. No money on the board yet.
Miss Valentina — 2022 mare | Owner: A&C Racing and Roping | Rider: Kaden Richard
Pedigree: Winners Version x Cops Most Wanted, by Ex Marks The Cop.
Analysis: Another Winners Version foal, with Kaden Richard taking the reins. No earnings yet.
Pre-Futurity Heeling
Woody To My Jessie — 2022 sorrel mare | Owner: Mike Van Egdom | Heeling: Trey Yates
Pedigree: Woody Be Tuff x Metallic Jessie, by Metallic Cat.
Analysis: The same Red Bud heading champion (see Heading) on the other end, and the rare horse pointed at the bonus from both boxes. Trey Yates heeled her to 8th in the pre-futurity heeling finals at the Red Bud Spectacular, the result that put her heel credentials on record, and he keeps the heel ride at Old West after his dad, J.D. Yates’s, shoulder surgery. She came to the Yates program green, heeled on before she was ever headed, and J.D. liked what he saw when Trey heeled on her: “She wants to score, and she wants to run.” Her Woody Be Tuff-over-Metallic Cat cross is as much cow as cutting, which travels to the heel side; QData already credits her with a pre-futurity heeling check from the AZ Sun Circuit. Entered all three disciplines — heading, heeling and breakaway—she carries three separate shots at the $375,000 side pot and the $1 million bonus.
Corona Makes Me Purr — 2022 brown gelding | Owner: Tres Amigos | Rider: Andy Holcomb
Pedigree: Cat Man Do x Brooks Corona Gal, by Corona Cartel.
Analysis: A cutting-bred heel horse with a jolt of running blood. Sire Cat Man Do (by High Brow Cat) has become a legitimate heel-horse sire—his get include Cat Man San, the high-money rope-horse stallion of 2023. The Corona Cartel bottom adds rare speed for a cutting-based pedigree. Placed 20th in the Guthrie pre-futurity heeling.
Imgunnabspecial — 2022 sorrel gelding | Owner: A&C Racing & Roping / 3 String Cattle | Rider: Joseph Harrison
Pedigree: Gunners Special Nite x Twistin On Line, by Shine On Line.
Analysis: One of two graduates here by Gunners Special Nite, an $8 million reining sire by Gunner and the first stallion to sire both a heading and a heeling Open high-call horse at the ARHFA World Championship. Bred by Tom McCutcheon, who stands the sire. Reached the top-20 round at Guthrie under Harrison.
Ozzys Crazy Train — 2022 chestnut gelding | Owner: A&C Racing & Roping / 3 String Cattle | Rider: Joseph Harrison
Pedigree: Stevie Rey Von x SDP Got Fancy Genes, by RC Fancy Step.
Analysis: Premium provenance—bred by Fults Ranch and by Stevie Rey Von, the 2015 NCHA Open Futurity Champion owned by Theorem Ranch, a horse that has blown past $27 million in progeny earnings and is producing top rope horses like Pride And Joyy. The RC Fancy Step dam adds a deep reining cross. Made the top-20 at Guthrie.
Reyzin Royals — 2022 bay mare | Owner: Reyzin Royals Partnership | Heeling: Kollin VonAhn
Pedigree: Reyzin The Cash x Queen Cisco, by Peptoboonsmal.
Analysis: The group’s most accomplished graduate and a multi-discipline threat—entered in heeling (with VonAhn) and breakaway (with McCartney). Sire Reyzin The Cash (by Dual Rey) is an NRCHA Million Dollar Sire now standing at the 6666 Ranch; the Peptoboonsmal-bred dam is a proven rope-horse producer. Bred by Utah State University. She is the group’s leading earner at $85,652—winning the Guthrie graduate side pot in both breakaway and heeling ($40,000 each).
This Star Is Special — 2022 dun mare | Owner: Jerad Wittwer | Rider: Trevor Brazile
Pedigree: Gunners Special Nite x Stars And Sparks, by A Sparkling Vintage.
Analysis: Reining on reining. The second Gunners Special Nite graduate here, out of a mare by A Sparkling Vintage — a $2 million NRHA sire by Shining Spark. The cross is already on the board: a full sibling, Stars In The Nite, made the top-20 in the Guthrie pre-futurity heeling. She’s coming off a big win in Oklahoma City at the Red Bud.
Pre-Futurity Breakaway
Both breakaway graduates double up from other disciplines, a reminder that under Old West rules eligibility follows the horse — so a versatile mare can chase the side pot in two or three pens in the same week. Breakaway entries are limited to women competitors.
- Reyzin Royals (Reyzin The Cash x Queen Cisco) — Cheyanne McCartney. Already a Guthrie breakaway side-pot winner; see heeling above.
- Woody To My Jessie (Woody Be Tuff x Metallic Jessie) — Danielle Wray. Her third discipline of the week; see heading and heeling above.
| Horse | Sire | Dam | Dam Sire | Sex/Yr | Earned to Date† |
| Kiri | Tres Seis | Jess A Diva Chick | Apollitical Jess | Mare ’22 | $5,224 |
| Woody To My Jessie | Woody Be Tuff | Metallic Jessie | Metallic Cat | Mare ’22 | $22,160 |
| Runnnin Winners | Winners Version | Runnning Corona | Corona Cartel | Mare ’22 | $20,916 |
| One More Queen | One Time Honor | Inseperable Queen | Inseperable | Mare ’22 | $26,160 |
| Bayside Shine | Shining Spark | Carrera Cat | Metallic Cat | Stud ’22 | $0 (7 pts) |
| DMC Reysin Em Wright | Reys Of Pep | Wright On Rachel | Lenas Wright On | Geld ’22 | $34,093 |
| Corona Makes Me Purr | Cat Man Do | Brooks Corona Gal | Corona Cartel | Stud ’22 | $12,000 |
| Imgunnabspecial | Gunners Special Nite | Twistin On Line | Shine On Line | Geld ’22 | $16,500 |
| Ozzys Crazy Train | Stevie Rey Von | SDP Got Fancy Genes | RC Fancy Step | Stud ’22 | $31,395 |
| Reyzin Royals | Reyzin The Cash | Queen Cisco | Peptoboonsmal | Mare ’22 | $85,652 |
| This Star Is Special | Gunners Special Nite | Stars And Sparks | A Sparkling Vintage | Mare ’22 | $49,598 |
| Reys Version | Reys Smokin Dually | Heavys Version | Winners Version | Mare ’22 | $42,276 |
| Dual Versions | Reys Smokin Dually | Versions Runnninggal | Winners Version | Stud ’22 | $10,700 |
| Reysmidnighteagle | Reys Smokin Dually | Brooksmidnighteagle | One Dashing Eagle | Stud ’22 | $13,400 |
| Winners Fire | Winners Version | Radiant Fire | Walk Thru Fire | Geld ’22 | $0 |
| Miss Valentina | Winners Version | Cops Most Wanted | Ex Marks The Cop | Mare ’22 | $10,050 |