With $2.5 million set to payout at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma Nov. 2 to 5, 2023, the Riata Buckle will rattle the AQHA’s QData Leaderboards, changing up the top-earning rope horses of 2023 and all-time for a second-straight year.
Watch all the Riata action all weekend on Roping.com.
Here are team roping’s current 2023 top earning horses in QData, before Riata Buckle starts Nov. 2:
(SCROLL LEFT AND RIGHT TO SEE THE FULL CHARTS)
| HORSE | YEAR FOALED | SEX | MONEY WON | SIRE | DAM | DAM’S SIRE | BREEDER | OWNER | HEADING EARNINGS | HEELING EARNINGS | |
| 1 | JUICED UP CAT | 2014 | G | $126,620 | JAZARELL CAT | JUICED UP JORDIE | SHORT OF SANTANA | EVERETT N GOODWIN JR | WESLEY THORP | $0 | $80,371 |
| 2 | KADABRA KING | 2010 | G | $120,721 | ABRAKADABRACRE | QUIXOTE JESSIE | HOLIDOC | WAYNE C OR CAROLANN HODGES | PATRICK & CHRISTI SMITH | $0 | $68,212 |
| 3 | WSR HESA ALIVE | 2004 | S | $113,414 | HESA SONOFA DUN | SMOKES ALIVE | SMOKIN 45 | WESTERN STATES RANCHES | WESTERN STATES RANCHES | $112,175 | $0 |
| 4 | MR JOES SHADOW BAR | 2011 | G | $112,347 | MR JOES BAR SONG | PRINCESS HAILSTONE | NICK EYED CODY | RANDY AND TREVA SMYSER | DARREN OR CLINT SUMMERS | $79,757 | $0 |
| 5 | STEP N SMALL TOWN | 2017 | G | $93,133 | WIMPYS ROYAL KING | SMALL TOWN BLONDYS | VON STARLIGHT | GEROLD OR MAUREEN ARNOLD | RELENTLESS REMUDA LLC | $93,133 | $0 |
| 6 | RUF N WOUND UP | 2017 | S | $79,842 | NOT RUF AT ALL | SHES ALL WOUND UP | SKEETS PEPPY | VAUGHN C ZIMMERMAN | RELENTLESS REMUDA LLC | $0 | $79,842 |
| 7 | CASH IN ON HAIL | 2009 | G | $72,302 | SHINE LIKE HAIL | MISS GOLD COMMAND 88 | CENTURION COMMAND | CARRIE D RHODES | BRANDON AND KIMBER BEERS | $69,420 | $0 |
| 8 | BAMA FURY | 2019 | G | $71,520 | BAMACAT | POPS ZOOMIN FURY | FURYOFTHEWIND | FLAG RANCH LLC | RELENTLESS REMUDA LLC | $71,520 | $0 |
| 9 | NU ONE TIME BLUES | 2019 | S | $67,232 | ONE TIME PEPTO | NU BAY BE BLUE | NU CASH | RYAN O SELLERS | PREMIER ROPE HORSES LLC | $0 | $67,232 |
| 10 | SEVENS STAR GLO | 2017 | S | $66,920 | CSR DUAL GLO | SEVENS TOOTSIE TIME | HES DUN HIS TIME | MARSHALL S WIER | MARSHALL S WIER | $0 | $66,920 |
So what? Who are these top rope horses?
The top of this list is littered with ProRodeo horses in the Top-Tier Reporting program, which tracks and reports on horses for ropers to AQHA and EquiStat. Juiced Up Cat is the ARHFA World Champ that Wesley Thorp rode most of the 2023 rodeo season, and Kadabra King is Patrick Smith’s two-time Horse of the Year. WSR Hesa Alive is Clint Summers’ Transmission, the horse Kaleb Driggers won The American on earlier this year, and Mr Joes Shadow Bar is Summers’ Head Horse of the Year for 2023. (Note: The Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls isn’t in these earnings yet, and that will put Logan Medlin’s TRR Freckles Holidoc further up the list, too.)
But the show horses—many ridden and owned by the Relentless Remuda—make up most of the rest of the top 10 (and truly, the top 50 on the rest of the leaderboard). But with $650,000 in guaranteed payout in three of the Riata ropings, $325,000 in the #14.5 and $175,000 in the Open, there’s no telling what horses can jump up into the earnings listings.
Roping’s Top Earners of All-Time
| MONEY EARNER | YEAR FOALED | SEX | TOTAL EARNINGS | SIRE | DAM | DAM’S SIRE | BREEDER | OWNER | HEADING EARNINGS | HEELING EARNINGS | |
| 1 | KADABRA KING | 2010 | G | $315,449 | ABRAKADABRACRE | QUIXOTE JESSIE | HOLIDOC | WAYNE C OR CAROLANN HODGES | PATRICK & CHRISTI SMITH | $0 | $262,940 |
| 2 | JUICED UP CAT | 2014 | G | $153,620 | JAZARELL CAT | JUICED UP JORDIE | SHORT OF SANTANA | EVERETT N GOODWIN JR | WESLEY THORP | $0 | $107,371 |
| 3 | ROMANCING THE CHICS | 2006 | G | $131,185 | CHIC PLEASE | RS LILLY STARLIGHT | GRAYS STARLIGHT | KURT AND ANGIE HARRIS | JOYCE F TISDALL | $20,727 | $110,458 |
| 4 | APACHE BLUE BOY | 1995 | S | $114,891 | BLUE BOY DOC | APACHE KING MISS | BOSTON APACHE 75 | GREG AND/OR SANDY FRICK | JOHN ROW ESTATE | $60,063 | $49,400 |
| 5 | WSR HESA ALIVE | 2004 | S | $113,414 | HESA SONOFA DUN | SMOKES ALIVE | SMOKIN 45 | WESTERN STATES RANCHES | WESTERN STATES RANCHES | $112,175 | $0 |
| 6 | MR JOES SHADOW BAR | 2011 | G | $113,387 | MR JOES BAR SONG | PRINCESS HAILSTONE | NICK EYED CODY | RANDY AND TREVA SMYSER | DARREN OR CLINT SUMMERS | $80,797 | $0 |
| 7 | REYS OF PEP | 2017 | S | $112,533 | DUAL REY | PEPPYS STYLISH LENA | DOCS STYLISH OAK | DOTTIE ST CLAIR HILL | JAKE COOPER | $55,710 | $56,823 |
| 8 | FINE VINTAGE CASH | 2016 | M | $110,861 | ONE FINE VINTAGE | MISS CATTY CASH | NU CASH | ROBERTSON RANCHES | MONTY AND CHRIS AVERY | $0 | $107,676 |
| 9 | SIXES POSSE | 2005 | G | $110,292 | PLAYGUN | CEDAR STYLE | MR SUN O LENA | BURNETT RANCHES LTD | JADE CORKILL | $0 | $110,292 |
| 10 | BIG TIME MOVIE STAR (P) | 2018 | M | $110,231 | SHADY LIL STARLIGHT | A MASTERS HOBBY (P) | A MASTER PLAN (P) | N/A | N/A | $43,267 | $66,964 |
Roping’s top sires of 2023 so far
| SIRE | YEAR FOALD | EARNERS | TOTAL | HEADING | HEELING | |
| 1 | WOODY BE TUFF | 2001 | 15 | $209,090 | $135,361 | $68,053 |
| 2 | METALLIC CAT | 2005 | 20 | $185,243 | $69,630 | $111,300 |
| 3 | NOT RUF AT ALL | 2010 | 4 | $173,564 | $7,011 | $166,553 |
| 4 | HICKORY HOLLY TIME | 2010 | 19 | $149,773 | $25,345 | $123,327 |
| 5 | JAZARELL CAT | 2005 | 1 | $126,620 | $0 | $80,371 |
| 6 | ONE FINE VINTAGE | 2009 | 6 | $123,871 | $35,246 | $80,580 |
| 7 | ABRAKADABRACRE | 1998 | 1 | $120,721 | $0 | $68,212 |
| 8 | HESA SONOFA DUN | 1993 | 2 | $117,992 | $112,175 | $0 |
| 9 | MR JOES BAR SONG | 2004 | 1 | $112,347 | $79,757 | $0 |
| 10 | BAMACAT | 2009 | 8 | $109,896 | $94,182 | $15,614 |
Roping’s top sires of all-time
| SIRE | YEAR FOALED | MONEY EARNERS | TOTAL EARNINGS | AVERAGE EARNINGS | HEADING EARNINGS | HEELING EARNINGS | |
| 1 | METALLIC CAT | 2005 | 65 | $646,492 | $9,946 | $317,196 | $323,287 |
| 2 | HICKORY HOLLY TIME | 2010 | 33 | $464,121 | $14,064 | $135,339 | $327,682 |
| 3 | SHINING SPARK | 1989 | 65 | $453,243 | $6,973 | $210,761 | $229,759 |
| 4 | WOODY BE TUFF | 2001 | 24 | $449,559 | $18,732 | $202,615 | $174,434 |
| 5 | DUAL SPARK | 2004 | 25 | $361,559 | $14,462 | $102,277 | $253,593 |
| 6 | ABRAKADABRACRE | 1998 | 1 | $315,449 | $315,449 | $0 | $262,940 |
| 7 | PLAYGUN | 1992 | 30 | $289,874 | $9,662 | $131,515 | $149,001 |
| 8 | CAT ICHI | 2000 | 15 | $273,234 | $18,216 | $229,272 | $37,482 |
| 9 | BET HESA CAT | 2006 | 31 | $270,263 | $8,718 | $102,967 | $159,855 |
| 10 | DUAL REY | 1994 | 25 | $257,161 | $10,286 | $99,239 | $147,439 |
Roping’s top dams of 2023 so far
| DAM | YEAR FOALED | SIRE | MONEY EARNERS | EARNINGS | 2023 AVERAGE EARNINGS | NUMBER OF SIRES | HEADING EARNINGS | HEELING EARNINGS | BEST CROSS | |
| 1 | JUICED UP JORDIE | 2001 | SHORT OF SANTANA | 1 | $126,620 | $126,620 | 1 | $0 | $80,371 | JAZARELL CAT |
| 2 | QUIXOTE JESSIE | 1991 | HOLIDOC | 1 | $120,721 | $120,721 | 1 | $0 | $68,212 | ABRAKADABRACRE |
| 3 | SMOKES ALIVE | 1991 | SMOKIN 45 | 1 | $113,414 | $113,414 | 1 | $112,175 | $0 | HESA SONOFA DUN |
| 4 | PRINCESS HAILSTONE | 2003 | NICK EYED CODY | 1 | $112,347 | $112,347 | 1 | $79,757 | $0 | MR JOES BAR SONG |
| 5 | DT SUGAR CHEX WHIZ | 2010 | SHINERS LENA CHEX | 4 | $93,864 | $23,466 | 3 | $27,610 | $66,255 | HICKORY HOLLY TIME |
| 6 | SMALL TOWN BLONDYS | 2010 | VON STARLIGHT | 1 | $93,132 | $93,132 | 1 | $93,133 | $0 | WIMPYS ROYAL KING |
| 7 | MISS CATTY CASH | 2002 | NU CASH | 3 | $87,246 | $29,082 | 2 | $19,145 | $64,916 | ONE FINE VINTAGE |
| 8 | SHES ALL WOUND UP | 2009 | SKEETS PEPPY | 1 | $79,842 | $79,842 | 1 | $0 | $79,842 | NOT RUF AT ALL |
| 9 | MISS GOLD COMMAND 88 | 1988 | CENTURION COMMAND | 1 | $72,302 | $72,302 | 1 | $69,420 | $0 | SHINE LIKE HAIL |
| 10 | POPS ZOOMIN FURY | 2015 | FURYOFTHEWIND SI 96 | 1 | $71,520 | $71,520 | 1 | $71,520 | $0 | BAMACAT |
Roping’s top dams of all-time?
| MARE | YEAR FOALED | SIRE | MONEY EARNERS | EARNINGS | ALL-TIME AVERAGE EARNINGS | ALL-TIME NUMBER OF SIRES | BEST CROSS | |
| 1 | QUIXOTE JESSIE | 1991 | HOLIDOC | 1 | $315,449 | $315,449 | 1 | ABRAKADABRACRE |
| 2 | JACKS ROYAL GINGER | 2003 | ZAN PARR JACK | 4 | $220,466 | $55,116 | 3 | CAT ICHI |
| 3 | LOOK AT HER GLO | 2003 | CD O CODY | 5 | $209,050 | $41,810 | 3 | DUAL SPARK |
| 4 | DT SUGAR CHEX WHIZ | 2010 | SHINERS LENA CHEX | 5 | $185,197 | $37,039 | 3 | HICKORY HOLLY TIME |
| 5 | RS LILLY STARLIGHT | 1999 | GRAYS STARLIGHT | 5 | $167,822 | $33,564 | 5 | CHIC PLEASE |
| 6 | MISS CATTY CASH | 2002 | NU CASH | 3 | $163,740 | $54,580 | 2 | ONE FINE VINTAGE |
| 7 | LENAS OAKLING | 1997 | DOC’S OAK | 2 | $153,715 | $76,858 | 1 | STARLIGHTS GYPSY |
| 8 | JUICED UP JORDIE | 2001 | SHORT OF SANTANA | 1 | $153,620 | $153,620 | 1 | JAZARELL CAT |
| 9 | TUCKERS VINTAGE | 2003 | HOLLYWOOD VINTAGE | 2 | $147,608 | $73,804 | 1 | SHOW ME THE BUCKLES |
| 10 | CEE DEE ROYAL TEE | 2003 | CD ROYAL | 3 | $142,490 | $47,497 | 1 | WOODY BE TUFF |
