David Zito and Clayton Williams took home $145,900 for the 2025 Riata #9.5 Championship win Sept. 28, riding Senoritas Holly Time and Boontastik.
The Colorado and Texas team roped four head in 38.21 to take the win, marking Zito’s first big win. The owner of an oil and gas company, Zito has only been a part of the team roping industry for a short time, just learning how to saddle and ride three years ago. Zito bought the 2016 mare by Hickory Holly Time from Shank Edwards in 2024 after having some show horses from the same sire and admiring their athleticism.
Unofficial Riata Championship Results
“She was easy for me,” Zito said. “I’ve only been roping and riding horses for three years right now, so I needed something easy. But what’s neat about her is she can be user-friendly, but if I need more out of her, she’s there for me.”
Today, Zito’s involvement in the rope horse industry extends even further as he owns 1957 Quarter Horses with Taylor Thompson in Colorado. In March of 2024, Zito purchased WSR Hesa Dunofa Lena. “Rooster,” who stands at the Lazy E, has over $500,000 in earnings and carried Dakota Kirchenschlager, Cesar de la Cruz, Russell Cardoza and Patrick Smith to NFR qualifications and major rodeo wins. What all started as a hobby to enjoy with his wife Miranda and son, Hudson, has grown exponentially.
“I used to play a lot of golf, and we were just looking for a different hobby,” Zito said. “Didn’t really want a country club kid life for my son (11-year-old Hudson). So, we thought of something that I could involve the family in more, and now we’ve got two stallions that stand here at the Lazy E, and we’re deep into it. It’s just kind of progressed rapidly, but it’s been a pretty fun ride, I’d say that.”
On the heel side, Williams’ 2021 gelding by Bet Hesa Boon has been in his barn since his 2-year-old year and was started by his wife Paris.
“We bought him mainly because he was cow horse incentive, but he wasn’t going to make the cow horse deal and that was the year that Tyler Merrill made the World’s Greatest finals on Bet Hesa Boon,” Williams explained. “So, that’s kind of why we bought him because he was so cool. And then we just went to heeling on him. He’s a good horse, he’s been entered here in every roping from the open until now. He’s got a lot of run, he’s very athletic. And I feel like we could take him tomorrow and go to 10 more jackpots and he’d stay put together. That’s one thing I like about him is he’s got so much motor and so much run, but the wheels don’t ever fall off the bus.”
Zito and Williams were highcall in the short round, and Zito was looking for redemption after waving it off his steer at 15th callback. Lucky for them, they drew just what they hoped for.
“My horse operates better on faster cattle, so when I saw that that steer ran, I was like, yep, this is our wheelhouse,” Williams said with a laugh. “And I kind of got right behind him for a swing and I wanted to throw it, but I took an extra swing and I was like, I’m good with second.”
Williams also picked up $8,000 for the 7-&-Under Incentive. The life-changing money the Riata Championships offers team ropers is something Williams believes is helping the industry as a whole.
“You can go win so much more money here than you ever can at a cow horse show,” Williams said. “Like a cutting horse deal, they pay. But I feel like the rope horse industry is such a growing industry right now. Like the horses, 10 years ago you couldn’t breed a team roping horse, so you took the reject out of whatever. Now, we’re breeding cow to run to get a team roping horse.”
