Emojii and Billie Jack Saebens have found themselves at the top of the ARHFA World Show 4 & Under Pre-Futurity heeling short round.
Emojii, the 4-year-old son of Hashtags out of CF Tuff Lucinderella, by Woody Be Tuff, is owned by High Country Services LLC. and was bred by the JH Nail Ranch. He and Saebens are leading the pack with a score of 687.71 on three head and have already added to Emojii’s lifetime earnings this week with a win in Round 3 worth $2,000.
Saebens and the stud have already seen success this year, winning the Royal Crown 4 & Under back in February, where they took home more than $25,000.
“We won the Royal Crown in Buckeye on him and placed at a few others,” Saebens said. “Oscar Morales owns him, and last year, around December, he sent him to me. He had been roped on quite a bit, then I got him and rode him and had some luck on him through the spring. He is pretty dang trained. There are probably horses that are stronger in certain areas than him, but you literally put your hand down and kick—it’s pretty darn simple.”
The team is leading the short round by just 0.11 points. The cattle conditions throughout the day played a part for most, but they were immune, according to Saebens.
“The set in the first round were bigger and slower-handling in the turn, so I feel like you have to take a little bit more time in the turn. But honestly, we drew a good cow that handled normal. We drew good the first round for the cattle.”
As far as Saebens knows, the plan is to keep Emojii a stud and keep roping.
It also deserves mention that Saebens is high callback in the 4 & Under Pre-Futurity heading on One Time Pick, a Flag Ranch-bred son of One Time Honor, giving the Oklahoma man a chance at thousands in Saturday’s short round.
