SJR Diamond Salsa and Cole Davison topped the first-ever Equinety Platinum Medal Rope Horse Sale, consigned by Carlos da Silva. 

Re-Watch the 2023 Equinety Platinum Medal Rope Horse Sale

The 5-year-old sorrel mare brought $65,000, selling to Steve and Monica Zimirak. The mare, who’s first show outing was this weekend with Davison, will continue her career in the two-time NFR heeler’s care and training. 

California’s San Juan Ranch raised the mare by CD Diamond out of Cat Scan by High Brow Cat, and World’s Greatest Horseman Corey Cushing started her in the cow horse. de Silva bought her when she was 3, taking it slow on her and riding outside to keep her cool, calm, collected and confident.

“Carlos spent a lot of time mentally on her, getting her mature,” Davison, 34, said. “I’ve rode her quite a bit. Junior (Nogueira) headed on her, and she’s just always taking the heat. Mentally, she can really handle it.” 

da Silva let the mare grow up, starting her slowly on the head side and riding her outside, too.

“That horse, I went to San Juan and Angela called me and said she had a horse that made her think of me,” da Silva said. “She took longer to get mature, but I saw so much potential on her. I took the time that I had to, and when I sent her to Cole, he saw what he needed.”

Davison cracked the mare out on the help side in Rock Springs, Wyoming, at the 2023 Royal Crown in early August, a new method he’s experimenting with to season his young futurity horses before exposing them to the pressure of competition themselves. 

“I’ve gotten to where I want to help on them before I show them,” Davison said. “It helps me get a little more feel for them. When you show them that young and green, you can’t correct them. You have to hide some stuff. If I ride them now until I feel like I can help on them, then if I can, we’ll show them.” TRJ