The only two-time American Rope Horse Futurity Association Heeling World Champion Sevens Star Glo—piloted in the team roping by Cade Rice—leads the race for the World Show’s prestigious AQHA Superhorse title in 2023.

With just days remaining in the AQHA Superhorse competition in Oklahoma City, Sevens Star Glo has an 8-point lead on the pack (with numbers updated Nov. 9) after a win in the Senior Heading with his long-time trainer, Cade Rice.

What is the AQHA Super Horse? (Courtesy AQHA)

For a horse to be crowned an AQHA Superhorse, it must be nationally qualified, and entered and showing in three classes in three categories. Horses that meet these criteria will automatically be eligible to compete for the highest honor at the AQHA World Show.

• Superhorse contenders who place in the top 10 of each class will be awarded two sets of points. 
• Horses placing in the top 10 in a class will receive 10 points for first place and so forth down the line through 10th place. 
• Additional points awarded are based on the number of entries shown in the class according to the points chart list in Rule SHW261, the point distribution system used to calculate AQHA points found in the AQHA Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations. 

By CSR Dual Glo out of Sevens Tootsie Time by Hes Dun Time and owned by Marshall and Lezlie Wier, Sevens Star Glo won the AQHA’s Senior Heading World title (worth $19,254.51 against 69 horses) just two weeks after winning his second consecutive American Rope Horse Futurity Association Heeling World Championship—worth 19 points in the AQHA Superhorse competition.

In order for Sevens Star Glo to be in Superhorse contention, he also showed in the Senior Pole Bending under Bethanie Shofner, finishing sixth out of 12 to pick up another 6 points today. Sevens Star Glo also placed fifth in the Performance Halter Stallions with Buddy Laney earlier in the show, getting another 4 points.

“If he can win the Superhorse, I mean, it would be everything that horse is capable of,” Rice said. “We had misfortune in the breakaway, tie-down and the heeling, but for him to come back and win the heading, do good in the halter—set up for inspection and trot and walk in the right places—that’s saying a lot. Logan Harkey marked a 229.5 on him in the calf roping after just having him a limited time, and then Bethanie had him on the poles a whole five days. That says a lot about how that horse has matured, his versatility, his mindset and his trainability. To do what he’s done, it’s such a blessing.”

The AQHA World Show ends November 15, and the Superhorse competition could come down to the last day. Sevens Star Glo has a commanding lead with 29 points, but the majority of the horses in the race still have to go through most of their strongest events. Last year’s AQHA Superhorse was gelding Hez Blazin Trouble, who won the title with 44 points. In the Highpoint Performance Horses’ string and owned by Bonnie Sheren, Hez Blazin Trouble still has to show in the Senior Trail, Senior Hunter Under Saddle and Senior Western Riding. Last year, Hez Blazin Trouble won the world champion titles in Senior Western Riding and Performance Halter Geldings, the reserve world champion title in Senior Trail and was a finalist in senior hunter under saddle. Charlie Cole, owner and trainer at Highpoint Performance Horses (the official stallion barn of the Ariat World Series of Team Roping, that stands horses like Slick By Design, Winners Version and HP Dash Ta Fiesta), will be in the saddle for Hez Blazin Trouble, who already has 9 points from his title in the Performance Halter Geldings.

The AQHA Superhorse receives a Blue Ribbon Tack Show Saddle, a Bronze by Lisa Perry, a rose bouquet and a $2,000 Equibrand gift certificate. Second place receives $10,000, and third gets $2,500.

The last rope horse to win the AQHA Superhorse title was BFR Igniting Sparks, a 2009 palomino stallion by Shining Spark out of Sliden Wright By by Smart Little Lena. Awarded since 1978, the Superhorse title has gone to a horse from the roping events 17 times. The Pitzer Ranch’s Jim Brinkman won the first AQHA Superhorse title in 1978 on Vickie Lee Pine, a 1974 bay mare by Two Eyed Jack out of Poco Coed by Poco Pine.