Clyde Bolejack had a big week at the American Rope Horse Futurity Association (ARHFA) World Show, bringing home two world championships, more than $52,000 and the trailer for high-money-earning limited/intermediate roper.

The Nov. 1 finals day was special—the biggest Bolejack has had in his career thus far—and more than welcomed after the year he and girlfriend Sierra Branson have had.

“Right after the finals last year is when everything happened,” he said of the tragic passing of their son, Grayson Colt. “We had two choices, either keep going or we give up.”

“I had a goal going into the finals to have at least one horse back in every short round; that was my main goal. Of course, I wanted to win and do good, but if I didn’t win any money, that was at least my goal.”

“It’s a really good feeling,” Bolejack said of pulling the trailer he won back to the house. “I definitely couldn’t run an operation the way it’s getting run without Sierra and everybody in our corner and the sponsors and customers we have. We kind of jumped off in it headfirst, just us two. It’s just crazy to me—a good crazy.”

What a Day

Bolejack started with a world championship in the Limited Pre-Futurity Heading with Catty Reyz. The 2021 sorrel gelding by Catty Hawk out of Haida Rey by Dual Rey is owned by Justin Terry and was bred by Ray E. Smith. Catty Reyz, “Bentley,” came to their program when Terry began searching for a head horse for himself. He and Bolejack found Bentley in one of Nate Ballerino’s Riata Buckle sales, and the rest was history.

“He had kind of been roped on, but definitely not much out of the box or anything,” Bolejack said of Bentley. “He was plenty broke, so we just threw him to it. I think within that first week, I was pretty much turning steers on him. I had four months of actual training on him.”

The team’s 226.71-point score in the final round won them $16,104. Bentley and Bolejack also placed third in the Intermediate Pre-Futurity Heading and eighth in the Open Pre-Futurity Heading for a combined $30,073 payday.

Playing Tuff was Bolejack’s next world champion, winning the Intermediate Futurity Heeling. “Judy,” the 2019 sorrel mare by Mr Playinstylish out of My Boots Are Tuff, is owned by Hard Way Land and Livestock LLC and was bred by Kit and Charlie Moncrief. She came to Bolejack right before the Old West Futurity in Utah, and after not having any luck there, the goal became to do well on her before she aged out.

“She was the one I wanted to do the most good on,” he said of Judy. “Her and one more I had are aging out, and I said, I really want to do good on them. I just knew if I did my job, she was going to perform. She never ever really messes up.”

Bolejack and Judy’s final run of 224.28 points put them ahead of the pack for $19,565.

The winner of the trailer had two more horses earn money Nov. 1.

Miss Soda Doll is a 2020 brown mare by Wimpys Royal King out of Reminic Smart Chick, owned by Cambree Kendrick and bred by Gerold Arnold. She finished fifth in the Intermediate Futurity Heading for $5,360 and eighth in the Open Futurity Heading for another $3,549.

Dun Jonezing, a 2021 gelding by Travelin Jonez out of Legends Opal Rose, is owned by Bill Porter and was bred by Bobby Harrison. Dun Jonezing and Bolejack took the final hole in the Open Pre-Futurity Heeling finals for $4,509.