From the third high-callback position, Joesph Harrison and Nu One Time Blues won the Equinety Platinum Medal Futurity Heeling ‘Platinum’ division with a composite of 1,173.63 on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

For the effort, Nu One Time Blues earned $9,270. The 4-year-old stallion was shown by $1-million rider Matt Koch in the 2022 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity where he finished No. 10 out of hundreds of entries and earned more than $20,000. He was then purchased by Premier Rope Horses LLC and received some rope training from Clay Smith and Jess Morgan before Harrison took over the reins.

“He’s a sweet horse,” Harrison said. “He’s super quiet and good-minded. When I got him, he was so broke and right between your legs and bridle reins, which makes it easier for me. I’ve only had him at my place for three months and this this is the second place I’ve gotten to take him.”

Nu One Time Blues stepped up to the plate at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, advancing to the short go in the No. 3 position where the two competitors ahead of him fumbled, missing their heel shots (one of which was Harrison on gelding Copperton, the preliminary heeling champion.)

From cow horse to rope horse

When Harrison received Nu One Time Blues, he knew the stallion had an excellent foundation.

“He was pretty green to the whole roping thing when I got him,” Harrison said. “I just started him like I would any other horse, easy in the box, easy on the ranch. I try not blow their skirt up where it’s hard to get back down. We roped the lead steer a lot. Slow work, roping the Smarty and I can keep the head horses from getting hot and mad at me.”

“I want these horses to last. I realize that there is an agenda on some of these horses, but at the same time for me, I want that horse to be a good horse for a long time and for somebody to be able to win on it at the end of its career too.”

Harrison thanked the owners at Premier Rope Horses for the opportunity to ride Nu Blues One Time.

Complete Results for the Platinum Medal Futurity Heeling