Steve Orth had a banner day at the American Rope Horse Futurity Association’s Cornhusker Classic Open Heeling Futurity, winning first with The Spook Dun Time and second with Dual Oak E, worth $10,455 on those two horses for their day’s work.

This is the third futurity title for Orth in 2022, as he won the Scottsdale Sun Circuit ARHFA heeling on Dual Oak E in March and the Royal Crown in Waco on Titos Special Nite.

Orth also won fifth at the Cornhusker Classic on Forst Ranch LLC’s Seven S Dulcita, worth another $2,238 for a score of 915.65.

“I was high back on Dual Oak E, but we just got by the last one,” Orth, 51, of Guthrie, Oklahoma, said. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. Both of those horses worked good every time.”

Orth scored a 924.47 on The Spook Dun Time, while he was a 922.4 on Dual Oak E. Both horses are owned by Oklahoma’s Bubba and Sara Hudson.

“I’ve known Steve forever, but he started training our horses in December of last year,” owner Sara Hudson said. “I’ve known them for years, and I know the work ethic and the talent behind him. He’s not a show-boat trainer. If he says he’s going to ride your horse and show your horse, he is. He will tell you if they’re going to make the cut or if they won’t. When we got into the rope horse futurity thing, we didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. We own a construction company, and we stay plenty busy with that as it is.”

The Spook Dun Time

The Spook Dun Time is reining-bred by Shine N Spook out of the Hollywood Dun It mare Ice Cold Dunit, giving him the slide Orth likes in a heel horse prospect.

“He’s one of my favorites,” Orth said. “I’ve had really good luck with Hollywood Dun It on the mare’s side. They’ve got so much stop and bend in the knee, and they keep their shoulders up. They’re good to be around, and this one has good size. That horse has a lot of confidence, and Sara and Bubba’s kids ride him around. He’s an old soul. He’s just smart.”

The horse came from Rick Clark Reining Horses in Kentucky, and the Hudsons bought him at the Shawnee horse sale last spring.

“My kids fell in love with him from the beginning,” Sara said. “Bubba started him on the Smarty, and he’s a natural.”

Dual Oak E

Dual Oak E, who’s already won big in 2022, is by two-time NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman Champion Olena Oak and out of the mare Jason Rey Of Light.

“He’s got a ton of cow,” Orth said. “I have to ride him a lot, because the fresher he gets, the more he cows away from one.”