Taylor Thompson, Sheza Irish Treasure Win Royal Crown Intermediate Heading

treasure, that is what you are

Taylor Thompson Claims Royal Crown Intermediate Heading on Sheza Irish Treasure

Taylor Thompson rode Sheza Irish Treasure to the 2025 Royal Crown Buckeye Intermediate Heading title.

Taylor Thompson and Sheza Irish Treasure, owned by T Squared Performance Horses, topped the 2025 Royal Crown Intermediate Heading field Feb. 7, with a 597.08 after four rounds of competition.

Thompson and the 2018 mare, sired by Irish Pay out of Sheza Treasure Chex by San Tivio Chex, picked up the average win for $12,168, plus $1,915 for sire Irish Pay’s owner Lainee Shearer and $820 for the breeder, Lacy Hebbert. The mare Thompson calls “Money” joined his lineup in 2024, ready to roll.

Watch the 2025 Royal Crown on Roping.com

“She’s probably one of the easiest horses I’ve rode,” Thompson said. “She’s the same every trip and solid. She’s real laid back, scores really good and then she runs up in there every time and finishes really good. She faces strong and good, too.”

With the help of three-time NFR heeler Dakota Kirchenschlager, Thompson and Sheza Irish Treasure won second in Round 1 of the Royal Crown in Buckeye, Arizona, with a 148.95 for $1,000. A 148.31 put them third in Round 2, and their 147.96 in Round 3 punched their ticket to the short round. They finished the race with a 151.86 for second in the short round. All in all, Thompson and Sheza Irish Treasure pocketed $15,903.

“The steers are big and strong, and she’s physical when she needs to be,” Thompson said. “And she scores so good right there. She breaks flat every time and she runs really hard and flat to them but then really gathers up right in the corner. She also faces really, really well. [In the corner] it don’t even feel like you’re moving. She’s real smooth.”

Since getting into Thompson’s hands, Sheza Irish Treasure has seen her fair share of the sights.

Find full Royal Crown results HERE

“I took her to Fort Worth and placed on her down there in the Intermediate and the Limited,” Thompson explained. “I took her to the AQHA World Show and won reserve Level 2 champion head horse on her. And then I took her to Rock Springs for the Royal Crown and to the Platinum Medal, and if I don’t mess up, she wins.”

An easy mare around the house, Thompson is amazed by how well she stays tuned up and ready to go.

“I just keep her in shape,” Thompson said with a laugh. “She’s really phenomenal. I don’t run very many on her at home; I just kind of score a couple, maybe breakaway some and just keep her leg up. That’s about all I do.”