Up-and-coming rope horse trainer Mike Kunzler gathered the 2024 ARHFA Heading Limited Championship on Briena “Bri” Wells’ gelding Celtic Tuff, worth $7,500 for a score of 692.07 on three head in Fort Worth’s John Justin Arena.

Roping against one of the most consistent groups of futurity head horses ever put together, Kunzler and Celtic Tuff narrowly missed the Open Finals by 0.58 of a point, but he’ll enter the Intermediate finals Friday, Oct. 18 at high call.

“This horse is consistent,” Kunzler, 25, originally from Park Valley, Utah, said. “He lets me compete against guys that rope a lot better than me. When he has a choice to [short you] or let you do good, he always chooses to do good. Today, I think I could have scored better on my first steer and that would have helped my score.”

In Celtic Tuff’s blood

Bred by the iconic Center Ranch, sired by Woody Be Tuff and out of High Brow Cat daughter Sucha Smartlookn Cat (a full sister to WR This Cats Smart), all of Celtic Tuff’s siblings have been cow horses. It’s only fitting that one of his biggest career wins comes with the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity unfolding in the background of the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

“I’ve rode a couple of Woody Be Tuffs, and I really like them,” Kunzler, who now lives in Whitesboro, Texas, said.

Now 6 years old, Celtic Tuff has been in Kunzler’s string for three years. The ARHFA World Championship is his last kick at the roping futurity game—and he’s garnered $78,932 in QData earnings doing it—but his owner Wells plans to jackpot on him going forward.

Kunzler trained for J.D. Yates and Dakota Kirchenschlager before going out on his own. Now, he rents stalls from Kirchenschlager and the pair practice together every day. Kunzler said that being his own boss has its challenges, but aims to keep between eight and 12 horses in training to continue building his business.

2024 ARHFA Heading Limited Results