Clyde Bolejack and Catty Reyz made it two straight world championship victories in Amarillo, Texas, Oct. 17, winning the Intermediate Futurity Heading at the Old West World Championships with a 900.26 on four head and earning $14,261 for the championship, one year after claiming the Limited Pre-Futurity Heading title at the American Rope Horse Futurity Association (ARHFA) World Championship.
The Lipan, Texas, man and Catty Reyz also picked up $4,700 for seventh in the Open Futurity Heading and $1,000 in Round 2, bringing the gelding’s total earnings for the week to $19,961.
Catty Reyz, by Catty Hawk out of Haida Rey, was bred by Ray E. Smith and is owned by Justin Terry. He has been in Bolejack’s program since the summer of 2025, when Terry purchased him through an online sale while on a fishing trip.
For Bolejack, the win came down to trusting a horse that has proven himself time and again.
“I had a little bit of a lead, not much, but I just wanted to make sure I got out of the barrier, and the horse pretty much does the rest,” Bolejack said. “As long as I do my part, he does his job every time.”
Bolejack and Catty Reyz entered the Intermediate finals at the high-callback spot with a 675.16 on three head, holding a 2.72-point lead over Braden Pirrung and NXT Big Deal. Their 225.10 in the finals secured the championship by 3.34 points over Pirrung, who finished second with an 896.92 for $11,205.
Jake Cooper and Fury Of Honor followed in third with an 891.47 for $8,659.
The finals steer wasn’t behaving like a willing participant, but Bolejack wasn’t concerned about Catty Reyz handling the situation.
“The steer was kind of fighting the chute, but that horse, he always scores,” Bolejack said. “I was like, well, I’m just going to sit here, and maybe they’ll give me extra points right here.”
That patience had helped the pair throughout the week, particularly in the long rounds when the cattle weren’t leaving as sharply as they did later in the competition.
Bolejack and Catty Reyz opened with a 222.65, then had a 228.29 in Round 2, finishing second in the round for $1,000. Their 224.22 in the third round secured the high-call position heading into the Intermediate finals.
“I think that’s where that horse really shined because, like I said, I can see the whole start and make sure I get out every time,” Bolejack said. “With Shay (Carroll) on the back end, I mean, all you got to do is turn him, and he’ll heel them.”
The gelding’s consistency has been a major part of his success since coming into Bolejack’s program, though the story of how he got there wasn’t exactly conventional.
Bolejack first spotted Catty Reyz in an online sale offered by Nate Ballerino. Terry was looking for a prospect, and he caught their attention, but Terry was away on a fishing trip when the bidding was scheduled to take place.
“We seen him, and the guy that owns him, he was looking for one, and but he was on a fishing trip in the middle of nowhere,” Bolejack said. “And he’s like, ‘Well, if I have service, I’ll be able to bid on him.'”
With no guarantee Terry would have phone service, Bolejack didn’t think much more about the sale until Terry called him later.
“He called me that evening, and he said, ‘Hey, I bought that horse,'” Bolejack said.
That purchase came in the summer of 2025, giving Bolejack only five months of heading on Catty Reyz before the ARHFA World Championship that fall.
It proved to be plenty of time.
Bolejack and Catty Reyz won the 2025 ARHFA Limited Pre-Futurity Heading with a 900.33 on four head for $16,104, beginning the streak that continued in Amarillo this October at the Old West.
“I don’t know if he likes this cold weather up here or what, but it works,” Bolejack said.
For Bolejack, getting to watch that horse go from a young prospect into a two-time world champion has been rewarding, but so has the confidence Terry has placed in his program.
“Just all the work, you could just see it pay off,” Bolejack said. “It makes us feel good because Justin, the guy that owns him, he actually bought one out of the sale last night and surprised all of us.”
That confidence means as much to Bolejack as the opportunity to win another check.
“That almost feels better than knowing that you got a shot for that much money next year,” Bolejack said. “Just knowing that somebody trusts your program that much and will stick your neck out and spend the money to buy one.”
Bolejack’s success extended beyond Catty Reyz, too. With $41,153 in total earnings across the week, Bolejack finished seventh among all money-earning riders at the Old West World Championships.
As the rope horse futurity industry continues to grow, Bolejack believes the roping has gotten tougher, with more accomplished horsemen and better horses entering each year.
“The horsepower’s so tough,” Bolejack said. “You get somebody that can catch consistently, and I mean, it can be a knife fight.”
But for Bolejack and Catty Reyz, the work has continued to pay off. Two years, two different divisions and two world championships in Amarillo have made the gelding a standout in Bolejack’s program.
“I’m just glad we’re on the receiving end of it,” Bolejack said.