Hickory Holly Time
DT Horses
Scottsdale, Arizona
DTHorses.com; 480-471-4348
Stud Fee: $2,750
Considering that Dean Tuftin has already produced Brady Minor’s 2014-15 PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year “Rey” and Billie Jack Saeben’s 2019 PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year “Sugar,” plus several other world-class horses, it’s good to know the experienced cow horse breeder plans to focus more on making head and heel horses.
“I’m 100% committed to producing rope horses,” said Tuftin, a native Canadian who heeled at the 2007 NFR for Speed Williams. “The cow horse thing is taking care of itself. We’re going to spend a ton of time on the rope horse program. I think it’s super cool how the futurities are taking off. That’s been a long time coming and exceeded even my dream when we started at Fort Worth.”
Tuftin, whose team roping horses have racked up multiple AQHA world championships, partnered in 2017 with Jay Wadhams to launch the first American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Championship. Four years later, entries have soared from 220 to 486.
“This coming year will be a really exciting time for young rope horses,” said Tuftin, 51. “I’ve got seven trainers here in Scottsdale riding 50–60 colts daily. I still have a lot of cow-horse prospects and always will, but my big push now is into rope horses.”
His ace in the hole is the red roan Hickory Holly Time, now 11. The stallion earned more than a quarter-million dollars himself as a reined cow horse, including the NRCHA Open Derby title and won the 2018 World’s Greatest Horseman competition for Kelby Phillips. His progeny annually earn paychecks at the world’s richest cow horse competitions, but Tuftin is excited to bring those genetics to the rodeo world.
“He has such speed and such a stride, and has good bone and feet,” Tuftin said. “His colts are so good-minded that the 3-year-olds ride like 6-year-olds.”
And oh, those DT mares. Tuftin also stands a son of Hickory Holly Time—a reserve Snaffle Bit Futurity champ himself—called Nineteen Ten. He’s out of Lil Miss Shiney Chex, whose own dam racked up heading and heeling accolades and whose progeny have earned more than $630,000. She’s a full sister to Shiners Lena Chex—the sire of both Sugar and 2018 ARHFA Open Heading champion DT Air Jordan (ridden by J.D. Yates).
Read: JD Yates and DT Air Jordan Win Second Consecutive World Champion ARHFA Title in Fort Worth
“She reads steers really good,” Saebens said of Sugar a couple of years ago when he lent her to Tyler Worley at the 2019 NFR. “I told him he can put his hand down and go old school—rope like you did when you were a kid.”
Tuftin is excited to make more young rope horses for futurities, both to give them their due and to showcase rope-horse trainers who’ve long gone unrecognized. Shop among DT prospects or enjoy a $250 credit on the stud fee if you’re a returning customer.
SIRE: One Time Pepto
DAM: Hickory’s Holly Cee by Doc’s Hickory
