Cade Rice and Sevens Star Glo are the American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Champions for the second consecutive year, banking $34,000 for a composite score of 938.89 on four head, bringing the stallion’s lifetime earnings to $106,453 in his three years of futurity competition.
Full Results from the 2023 American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Championships
Again with the help of 2020 PRCA World Champion Colby Lovell, Rice came into the short round high call on the 2017 son of CSR Dual Glo out of the Hes Dun His Time mare Sevens Tootsie Time. Backing into the box after tough runs by Joseph Harrison and 4-year-old stallion Nu One Time Blues and Dakota Kirchenschlager on Kaleb Driggers’ 6-year-old stallion Metallic Payday, Rice had to let his hair down (figuratively) to show the stallion at full tilt.
“I looked at Lovell, and Lovell looked at me, and we just shook our heads and rode into the box,” Rice, 34, of Lipan, Texas, said. “Whenever that steer set up, my horse just scored right there and that steer set up, and I just drove him to him and he got on it. And it was—I didn’t know what to do. I knew I won it. I’ve made some amazing runs on him before, but that’s the best run I’ve ever made, and that’s the last futurity he’s ever going to. And I didn’t know whether to throw my hat, so I threw my rope instead.”
That rope-throw had a lot to do with a massive release of pressure Rice had been feeling showing up on the reigning champ for the week.
“Everybody is watching that horse, everybody knows that horse, and everyone says, ‘How’s it going to go this year?'” Rice said. “And you know anything can happen. It’s team roping. My heart was pumping 100 miles an hour all four runs.”
Rice and Sevens Star Glo will shoot for the AQHA Superhorse title at this November’s AQHA World Show, after making an appearance in the heeling at the Riata Buckle, too.
“I really believe the rope horse deal is finally catching up, as it should have been a long time ago, with the reiners, with the cow horses, with the cutters. I think we’re going to have a rope horse bloodline going. This is for rope horses. I think Jay Wadhams has put on a hell of an event, and people want to showcase their products.”
