Editor’s note: We look forward to our interview with Joseph Harrison on his win aboard Dual Patron. However, Harrison had to leave immediately following his run to win the ARHFA heeling title to get to his Circuit Finals. 

On a day filled with flashy performance by hard-stopping, slicked off horses and their jockeys at the 2018 American Rope Horse Futurity Heeling Championship, Chad Masters’ and Clay Smith’s showing over 78 and 112 steers, respectively, was the underrated feat of the day.

As a helper, Masters spun 73 of 78 of the steers he ran October 19, in an effort that ended in Joseph Harrison and Dual Patron (2013 stallion by Dual Spark out of Look At Her Glo by CD O Cody) winning the $20,000 payday and futurity title. Smith caught 108 of the 112 he ran, including the second-place check with Trey Yates and Lillys Bugatti (a 2012 mare by A Shiner Named Sioux out of RS Lillys Starlight by Grays Starlight).

“I brought five horses, but I rode two of them a lot,” Masters said. “My younger sorrel Twinkie and Dufur Quarter Horses’ Joe got most of the runs. Joe got most of them. He’s a 9-year-old, and we started roping on him a year-and-a-half ago, and he took most of the runs today.”

Smith estimates he runs 100 steers every time he helps at a horse show, and that it’s harder on his horses than it is on him.

“This kind of crams it all into a shorter time, and it makes it pretty tough,” Smith said. “It’s harder on the horses. I brought six and rode all six, and I borrowed one. I had a roan that I rode and a buckskin I rode that got most of them. I jackpot on them and take them to these deals to help.”