Coleby Payne accepted the bronze for the 2025 Heel Horse of the Year Award Dec. 3 for Cut Off My Spots, his bay 16-year-old gelding, but on Dec. 4, he’ll ride into the box at the Thomas & Mack on the three-time Horse of the Year, Kadabra King.
Payne’s next door neighbor—reigning and three-time World Champion Wesley Thorp—will be aboard Cut Off My Spots (Coon), even though Kadabra King (Turbo) is the horse he won the PRCA world title on last year.
Payne owns both horses, after buying Kadabra King from two-time World Champion Patrick Smith in the winter of 2025. Kadabra King is also the horse Smith owns the NFR aggregate title aboard, which he set in 2023 with Tanner Tomlinson.
Kadabra King is team roping’s all-time leading money earner in QData, with $644,408 in documented earnings from just the last three years since the service began accepting rodeo earnings in their tracking.
Why They Swapped Heel Horses
The switch wasn’t planned. Thorp had arranged to ride Turbo at the Finals when Payne bought him earlier in the year. But Payne said that early practices before the Finals changed everything.
“Since the first NFR practice I had on Turbo, he just felt better to me, but I wasn’t thinking much about it,” Payne said. “My plan at home was to ride Coon, and after two or three practices he felt good. Everything felt sharp. But Turbo kept feeling better.”
Thorp had been planning all along to ride Turbo, the horse he looked so comfortable on last year. But when Payne started roping behind Clay Smith on the stallion SEVS Judgement Day, Smith’s 2025 NFR mount, things clicked with Turbo. The head-and-heel matchup forced a new conversation.
“My neighbor across the street owns the two best heel horses in the world,” Thorp said. “The plan was for me to ride Turbo and him to ride Coon, because that’s what worked last year. They changed some head-horse stuff, he rode Turbo behind SEVS Judgement Day, and that felt better to him.”
The two agreed to pivot. Payne would come back to Turbo and Thorp would get on Coon.
Why Thorp Is Confident on Cut Off My Spots
Thorp didn’t climb on Coon until three weeks before the Finals, but the adjustment was fast.
“By the end of the first day it felt super comfortable,” Thorp said. “Every day felt better. I kept figuring out what I could do and where I could put him. I was trying to get him farther around them and make sure I can trust him. He’s so fast I can get a good go, but I can also push him up around them and heel them wherever I want.”
Thorp starts in the middle of the box on Coon. With his speed, Thorp said he could start all the way back, but Round 1 always comes with a sharp start from the steers.
“I start in the middle so I can get a push from behind and keep him stable,” Thorp said. “Marty Yates will probably be in the box with me. Ty Harris was in the box with me last year, standing to the left to keep the horse from putting a hip out. You want someone behind and to the side to keep them from leaning back.”
Why Payne Isn’t Worried About Letting a Competitor Ride His Horse
Even though Thorp is a three-time world champ and direct competition, Payne said handing over Coon wasn’t a concern.
“For one, it’s a good business decision having both horses out there,” Payne said. “The guys who get on them seem to win almost every time. And Wesley and I are good friends. I wish them the best. If I do my job, I shouldn’t be worried about anyone else.”
Payne is also confident in how both horses fit their riders in the short setup of the Thomas & Mack.
“Coon is faster getting down the arena, and Turbo closes the gap faster than any horse I’ve ever ridden,” he said. “One jump you think you’re too far away, then boom, the steer is in your lap. And Turbo’s finish is unreal. As soon as you put it on the horn, you’re getting a flag fast.”
No Backup Horses, No Second Guessing
The pair brought only these two horses to Las Vegas.
“This is what we’ve got,” Payne said. “If something doesn’t feel right on one of those horses, then we’ve got a problem.”
But neither man expects a problem. Thorp trusts Coon. Payne trusts Turbo. And both say the Finals demand taking the aggressive route.
“There are fourteen other great teams out here, and everyone’s going at them,” Payne said. “You don’t want to be catching and not getting paid. It’s worth a little risk for the reward.”
