In just its third year, the Riata is now the Ariat World Series of Team Roping’s largest qualifier, and when it concludes its Sept. 25-29, $3.5 million event at the Lazy E in Guthrie, Oklahoma, it will be one of the top three largest ropings in the world. 

Is my horse Riata eligible? Find out! If your horse is by any of these stallions, OR by a past stallion and has been paid into the Riata program, you CAN enter. Entries must be postmarked by Aug. 31, 2024, but horse changes are open until the day before each roping.  

The Riata Revolution

Riata began as a vision to bring together team ropers—who make up the largest recreational market in the horse industry—and the breeding business. In just three short years, Riata has doubled in size, all while maintaining entry fees that are a fraction of its competitors’. This accessibility has not only democratized the sport but also expanded interest in breeding to Riata sires—fueling the growth of the rope horse business. 

“I truly think we are on the road to something great,” co-founder Denny Gentry said. “I really don’t think I was expecting Riata to have much impact for four or five years. I clearly wanted to build one of the biggest ropings in the world, and I understood that once that was done and ‘regular’ ropers started buying colts and riding Riatas, the stallion owners would be ecstatic. Within 36 months we have offered the full spectrum of divisions to ropers of all numbers, and it took me six years to do that with the World Series.” 

The 2024 Riata

Moved to Sept. 25-29 to give ropers more time between the event and the Ariat WSTR Finale, the Riata kicks off with its Pro Futurity with $200,000 in added money, plus $50,000 in guaranteed payout to the 4-year-old incentive on a $1,000-per-roper fee. The Pro Futurity is scheduled as early in the week as possible to allow PRCA cowboys at the end of their regular season to fit both the Riata Open and Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s Cinch Governor’s Cup that starts Sept. 26. 

“The Open brings more people in, and young kids want to be those guys,” said Monty McNair, breeding manager at the Lazy E Ranch. “Just like me, 95% of your ropers are lower-numbered ropers, and they’re the ones with the jobs with the money that can afford to be breeding mares. Without the lower number guys, it’s nothing. But they need to see those Open guys riding whatever horses they’re riding, sired by Riata stallions, bringing attention to those stallions. If the Open boys are going to ride them, someone wants to breed to them. When those guys get their hands on them, that gets into people’s brains they want to breed to that horse. And that’s what stallion owners want.” 

New in 2024, only Riata horses can compete in the Pro Futurity, eliminating proxy horses in that division alone. 

“It’s the only futurity we have, and the 4-year-old incentive more than covers the young horses, so proxy is unnecessary,” Gentry said. 

Every roping will have $200,000 in added money with a $50,000 futurity incentive, with the age on that incentive bumping to 5-and-under in the #14.5 and #12.5 All-Ages to 6-and-under from the #10.5 down to the new #8.5. Proxy horses in those divisions will be eligible for equal payoff, minus a 20% commission—a change from previous years when the Riata horse received all the added money. 

“We have dropped the requirement that both horses meet the incentive age requirement in the futurity incentives,” Gentry said. “Instead, the futurity incentive money will be split evenly between head horses and heel horses, and positions paid based on their respective rankings.”

Ladies Only

Riata will reintroduce its breakaway roping as a $250,000-guaranteed event, combining Riata, Pink and Ruby Buckle horses on a three-head average with two full rounds and a short, splitting the short round in half, with one short round featuring the fastest half of the two-head times, and the other featuring the bottom slowest half. 

A #5.5-and-under Cowgirls Steer Stopping will join the Riata lineup in 2024 with $40,000 guaranteed on a $500 fee. 

“We are putting the big money up for the breakaway, but that steer stopping has got us twice as many phone calls,” Gentry said. “We might be on to something with it. We’re excited to see how that develops.”

NEW! 
For the 2024 season and beyond, the 10% Breeder Bonus changes to Nominator Bonus. The 10% Nominator Bonus is paid to the first person or entity that nominates a Riata-eligible offspring.

The junior roping age cap has been lowered to 16 years as of Sept. 15, 2024.

Riata has dropped the requirement that both horses meet the incentive age requirement in the futurity incentives. Instead, the futurity incentive money will be split evenly between head horses and heel horses, and positions paid based on their respective rankings.

—TRJ—