DF N Fena, a 2022 black mare bred by Dixon Flowers Quarter Horses, sits high call for Billie Jack Saebens going into the ARHFA Old West Heeling Pre-Futurity finals on June 20, topping the progressive rounds ahead of a stacked field with a 675.47.

She got there the way she’s gotten everywhere this year—by being almost boringly consistent.

“She’s been the easiest horse ever, honestly,” Saebens said. “Through the three-year-old year, it was always … I’d get my three-year-olds up and I’d ride them for a month and be like, right, do it for a month and give them another break. Well, I’d ride her for a week and be like, ‘Sure, just give her a break,’ because she literally just understood.”

That understanding has cashed. DF N Fena has earned $62,759 and nine AQHA heeling points, with a win record this season that reads first, first, second, third, fifth across the open futurity rounds—a first at the ARHFA Arizona Sun Circuit worth $16,370, a first at the Royal Crown Buckeye, a second at the Royal Crown in Oklahoma City and a third at the ARHFA Old West in Guthrie.

The breeding behind her is royal. DF N Fena is by Bet Hesa Cat, the 2006 red roan son of leading cutting sire High Brow Cat and out of the celebrated NCHA mare Bet Yer Blue Boons—a daughter of Royal Blue Boon, one of the most decorated producers in the industry. Her dam, DT American Honey, is a 2011 Shiners Lena Chex mare, stacking Shining Spark and a double cross of Smart Little Lena underneath, raised by Dean Tuftin and shown in AQHA competition by J.D. Yates.

Saebens knows the dam side firsthand. He rodeoed on DT American Honey before an injury cut her competitive run short, and DF N Fena is the second foal he’s had out of her.

“That mare was great, man,” Saebens said. “She was really good, won a bunch of the shows, and I felt like was going to do good in the rodeo dea”ls. This mare, she’s a mixture of Sugar and Kevin—not just because she’s black, but because she’s so easy.”

Saebens started Fena, sold her to Brett Telford in the fall of her 3-year-old year—she’s now registered under Telford’s under Southwest Performance Horses—and Saebens never lost the ride. If anything, he’s spent the 4-year-old season trying not to get in her way.

“I feel like on her and some other horses, maintaining … it’s going to sound kind of silly, I think maintaining is peaking, you know what I mean?” Saebens said. “Because sometimes as a 4-year-old, or any of them, if you try to go faster than what they’re ready for, you’re going backwards. Clearly she’s good enough to win anywhere. So if I can just maintain that as she makes her, she’ll just get better on her own. I don’t really think there’s anything that I’m going to do.”

The first round in Heber City tested the plan. The ground was a tick wet, and Saebens roped to the conditions rather than to the mare’s ceiling.

“The first round—probably a little bit of my fault—the steers were pretty fresh when we started,” Saebens said. “Not complaining about the ground, but it was kind of wet … so she didn’t just drag her butt like she can. And I kind of rode the turn pretty conservative and just caught. And then as the day went on, the ground dried up a little bit, the steers got better where I could … I trusted to stick her up there and just push around the turn.”

With nearly a week between the round and the finals, the prep is no prep at all. Several of Saebens’ horses want work to stay sharp. DF N Fenca wants the opposite.

“Just get her out and ride her,” Saebens said. “There’s some of the horses I have that I would stay after—I feel like they’ll open up a lot—but honestly, she’s a little bit better as she’s fresher. I’m just going to keep her happy and just ease around.”

The finals run June 20 in Heber City.

Pre-Futurity Heeling Short Round