SJR Diamond Bond and Rhen Richard put in work in Waco, Texas at the Royal Crown. 

Richard rode SJR Diamond Bond to victory in the Royal Crown 4 & Under Heading and helped the gelding earn a totaled $13,804 in the class.

Richard—who boasts two NFR qualifications in both the tie-down roping and heading— set the bar in round one with a 136.76-point run that was worth $1,500. He topped both the third round and short go, adding $1,500 more to his earnings en route to the aggregate win, which paid out $8,140 to Richard’s A and C Racing and Roping as the owner, $1,332 to San Juan Ranch as the breeder, and $1,332 to the owners of CD Diamond. The 2018 gelding is by CD Diamond and out of Arc Its Go Time, by One Time Pepto.

“SJR Diamond Bond is a horse we bought as a yearling at the Snaffle Bit Sale. He’s super talented and a real pretty mover. I think the judges just want to score him well, so it’s pretty much just me staying out of our own way and beat ourselves,” Richard said. “He’s by CD Diamond and I’ve ridden a handful of those. They’re good horses, but they’re kind of tough mentally. We’ve been sure to use him a lot on the ranch, and he’s developing into a cool litel horse.” 

Despite bringing nine horses to the Royal Crown, Richard feels that switching between multiple horses is simple due to his training program. 

“Most of the horses that we have, we started from scratch, so we’ve put what we want into them,” Richard said. “We look for certain things—confirmation wise– and I feel like all of them move similarly, so it’s not a huge transition. I think it goes back to the foundation. You put what you want into the horse.” 

Having only begun roping training this winter, the 4-year-old never let his greenness never showed through during the high-pressure futurity. Richard noted that the Royal Crown marks SJR Diamond Bond’s second futurity, and second win, as Richard won the Buckeye 4-year-old Royal Crown Futurity as well this spring on SJR Diamond Bond. 

Richard enlisted two-time NFR Qualifier Cole Davison—who won the Royal Crown 4 & Under Heeling immediately afterwards—to clean up the feet. Waco was overall profitable for Richard, who also took the Zesterra 6 & Under Open win on Monday, May 9 on One Smart Pistola, and among other placings, boasted a short go qualification in the Royal Crown 4 & Under Heeling, as well. 

Royal Crown 4 & Under: Heading

Aggregate

1. Rhen Richard on SJR Diamond Bond, 543.17 points on four head, worth $8,140 owner, $1,332 stallion, $1,332 breeder
2. Tate Kirchenschlager on Meradas First Diver, 543 points on four head, worth $5,500 owner, $900 stallion, and $900 breeder
3. Trevor Brazile on Big Time Movie Star, 538.94 points on four head, worth $3,740 owner, $612 stallion, and $612 breeder
4. Kaden Richard on Carters Won Time Out, 526.58 points on four head, worth $2,640 owner, $432 stallion, and $432 breeder
5. Casey Hicks on Test My Metal, 521.05 points on four head, worth $1,980 owner, $324 stallion, and $324 breeder

Round 1

1. Rhen Richard on SJR Diamond Bond, 136.76 points, worth $1,500
2. Tate Kirchenschlager on Meradas First Diver, 135.31 points, worth $1,000
3. Kaden Richard on Summer Colada, 135.31 points, worth $500

Round 2

1. Tate Kirchenschlager on Meradas First Diver, 138.41 points, worth $1,500
2. Billie Jack Saebens on SJR Diamond Billy, 134.61 points, worth $1,000
3. Shay Carroll on SS GoldieRocks, 134.5 points, worth $500

Round 3

1. Rhen Richard on SJR Diamond Bond, 136.87 points on four head, worth $1,500
2. Kaden Richard on Summer Colada, 136.24 points on four head, worth $1,000
3. Dakota Kirchenschlager on BigTimeInBricktown, 135.32 points on four head, worth $500

Short Go

1. Rhen Richard on SJR Diamond Bond, 138.44 points on four head
2. Trevor Brazile on Big Time Movie Star, 138.41 points on four head
3. Tate Kirchenschlager on Meradas First Diver, 135.22 points on four head