As the rope horse industry evolves at rapid speed, we’re developing more ways to quantify success—and every year, we’re learning something.

In 2024, when we reported on top horses, we had to do so (from a magazine-print timing perspective) before the completion of the AQHA World Show and the Gold Buckle Futurity. Both of those events shook the QData earnings charts up in a big way, so, truth be told, when this issue came out in January, our numbers were off.

This year, we were able to include all futurities and major 2024 shows in these earnings charts thanks to Gold Buckle moving to November.

Also, for last year, we pulled these numbers from “futurity” earnings, including timed and judged futurities, but not AQHA competition. With the growth of the roping payouts at the AQHA World Show, which rivaled the futurities, we wanted to include them this year. So, we opted to create these lists from earnings on all horses 6-and-under, as that would also loop in Riata-enrolled horses who counted their earnings at all ropings using Global Handicaps.

Top-Earning 6-&-Under Rope Horses of 2024 | Heading

1) RELENTLESS PYC: $165,921.00
2020 mare
First Prize Diver x Chars Gun x Playgun

Relentless PYC—raised by the Flag Ranch, shown in 2024 by Miles Baker and owned by Solo Select, the Relentless Remuda and Bob Tonkin—scored her biggest win of the year at the Old West Futurity in the 4-&-Under Heading, worth $50,000. But even without that windfall, she’d still be one of the year’s top earners, having consistently won and placed all season long. She won the Arizona Sun Circuit in March in Scottsdale and she finished the year the reserve champion at the Gold Buckle Futurities Fall Event. 

2) YES IM SASSY: $119,948.00
2018 mare
Mr Sassy Frenchman x Full A Irish Whiskey x Paddys Irish Whiskey

Yes Im Sassy—shown by the likes of Kaleb Driggers, Dakota Kirchenschlager, Colby Lovell and Brock Hanson—is another great mare at the top of the futurity game. The fancy Myers Ranch-raised buckskin owned by Neal and Jody Wanless won $162,682 in her futurity career, and in 2024 she picked up her single largest check at the Riata Championships in the #14.5 with Reed Boos, who caught a ride on her for trainer Dakota Kirchenschlager.

3) YOU REY: $119,640.00
2019 gelding
Stevie Rey Von x You N Me Baby x Smart Mate

You Rey stands out as the only handicapped team roping horse to make the top 10 list, as this is the 2019 gelding Craig Moore rode to win first and second at the 2024 Riata #9.5 Championships in September. Bred by the Over Forty Ranch in Wichita Falls, Texas, You Rey was futuritied by Cody Wheeler in the team roping before Moore bought him. 

4) LEAD ON: $104,000.00
2019 gelding
Corona Cartel x Charm Dance x First Down Dash

Clay Smith’s Lead On won $104,000 in four runs at the Old West Futurity in Wallsburg, Utah, in July 2024, setting a record for the largest single futurity check ever won. Lead On, a 2019 gelding raised by Reliance Ranches, has lifetime earnings of $123,300, having won with Reliance trainer Bobby Mote before the Richey family purchased him.  

5) RR BUCKLES CLUBHOUSE: $97,178.60
2019 gelding
Show Me The Buckles x Hail Olena x Shine Like Hail

“Clubhouse” is a product of the Relentless Remuda training program of Baker and Brazile, having picked up $144,343 in his career that began as a 3-year-old in the heading at the ARHFA World Championship with Baker. The coming 6-year-old is now owned by Bryan Beaver, and Washington’s Michael Coe bred the big palomino gelding who also tags in as a help horse in the Remuda string when called upon. 

6) CELTIC TUFF: $94,221.28
2018 gelding
Woody Be Tuff x Sucha Smartlookn Cat x High Brow Cat 
Breeder: Center Ranch; Owner: Briena Wells

Shown by Mike Kunzler, Celtic Tuff has been perhaps one of the most consistent futurity horses of the last three years, and owner Briena Wells plans to breakaway on him from here on out.   

7) RR GUNNERS AFFAIR: $88,137.00
2020 gelding
Gunners Special Nite x Cowgirl Affair x Major Vaquero
Breeder: Lil Equine; Owner: Jared Whitmer

RR Gunners Affair, part of the Relentless Remuda string, won the ARHFA World Championship in the Open and 4-year-old heading in 2024. He’s a maternal sibling to WND Affair, the horse Joseph Harrison won the ARHFA aboard in 2021.  

8) METALLIC KATRINA: $84,220.00
2019 mare
Metallic Gray x Aristocrat Goldseeker x Herman Goldseeker
Breeder: Bobby Joe and Renee Jane Cudd; Owner: TL Horse Holding LLC

This mare won the Open with Cash Duty at the 2024 Riata Championship, and, at press time, was set to sell in the Riata Horse Showcase in Las Vegas in December 2024.

9) CHEX OUT MY FINEY: $83,241.88
2020 mare
One Fine Vintage x Tangys Last Chex x Tangys Classy Peppy 
Breeder: Robertson Ranches; Owner: Kingpin Genetics

This mare is part of Kaleb Driggers and Jake Coopers’ elite string of mares, Kingpin Genetics. Trained by Andy Holcomb, the mare is shown by both Holcomb and Driggers. 

10) THE DARKK SIDE: $78,381.58
2019 stallion
Once In A Blue Boon x DT Sugar Chex Whiz x Shiners Lena Chex
Breeder: Dixon Flowers Quarter Horses; Owner: The Darkk Side Syndicate

AQHA World Champion The Darkk Side won in both the heading and heeling, getting the heeling title at the Platinum Medal with Trevor Brazile (not included in his heading total, of course).

Top-Earning 6-&-Under Rope Horses of 2024 | Heeling

1) PRIDE AND JOYY: $164,253.16 
2019 stallion
Stevie Rey Von x Fun N Fancy Free x Peptoboonsmal

Pride And Joyy stormed through 2024, winning from start to finish. The 2019 stallion, who started his career with a third place in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity with Chris Dawson, was raised by Solo Select CEO Ty Smith. Kaleb Terlip, Solo Select and the Relentless Remuda purchased the horse early in his 4-year-old year, and just a few months later, they were on their way to his eventual earnings of $313,423. In 2024, Pride And Joyy won with the likes of Jeremy Buhler, Paul Eaves, Baker and Brazile, including the AQHA Junior Heeling World Championship with Baker in November. 

2) COPPERTON: $145,052.87 
2019 gelding
Spots Hot x Copperish x Metallic Cat

Copperton—bred and owned by Cox and Moore Partnership—won the $100,000 Old West Futurity title in July 2024, adding to his now lifetime earnings of $193,332. With Joseph Harrison in the saddle, Copperton placed at the AQHA World Show, the ARHFA World Championship, the Cowtown Classic, the Oil Can Classic and the Guthrie, Oklahoma, Royal Crown.  

3) SMARTLOOKNCAT: $127,202.00 
2019 stallion
Bet Hesa Cat x Miss Plain Plain x Just Plain Colonel

SmartLooknCat is another Riata winner to crack the list of the year’s top young horses for the first time, having carried California’s Cord Forzano to first and third in the Riata #14.5 Championship in September at the Lazy E. His full brother, Plain Catty, won $196,245 in his career as a cow horse—including the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity—and Kevin Cantrelle raised both horses. Forzano and SmartLooknCat also placed in the top 10 at the Old West Futurity against the best young open futurity horses in the game. 

4) ONE NITE SPECIAL: $103,851.75 
2020 gelding
Gunners Special Nite x Thelmas Whiz x Topsail Whiz

In his first year of competition in 2024, One Nite Special swept the ARHFA World Championship’s Open and 4-&-Under Futurity in Fort Worth in October. The bay gelding was one of two Gunners Special Nite colts to accomplish that feat in Fort Worth. Bred by Mike and Michelle Preston and owned by Chris and Macy Young, the horse also won the Gold Buckle Futurities Fall Event and placed throughout the year across futurity associations and under different judging systems. 

5) NU ONE TIME BLUES: $88,737.70 
2019 stallion
One Time Pepto x Nu Bay Be Blue x Nu Cash

Gucci Equine’s Nu One Time Blues has been a dominant, hard-stopping force in the futurity game, after winning $24,364.04 in cow horse competition as a 3-year-old. A 2019 stallion bred by Ryan Sellars, Nu One Time Blues has lifetime earnings of $213,640. In 2024, the horse won second and $39,600 at the Old West Futurity in Utah, and he was the 2023 ARHFA 4-&-Under World Champion Heel Horse. 

6. PLAY LIKE BOON: $82,800.00 
2019 mare
Once In A Blue Boon x Play Like Clay x Freckles Playboy
Breeder: Bradley and Dana Spann; Owner: Bradley and Dana Spann

Mike Bacon rode Play Like Boon at the 2024 Riata Championships, winning the #12.5 and the futurity incentive in the same roping on the mare that made her first Finale appearance as a 4-year-old in 2023. 

7) CALL ME MR JONEZ: $78,620.00 
2019 gelding
Travelin Jonez x Last Drop O Rocky MC x Bet On Rocky
Breeder: Ranson Lermon
Owner: Tai Pettigrew

Taylor Pettigrew won the 2024 Riata #10.5 Championship on this son of Travelin Jonez, and at press time, the horse was consigned to the Riata Showcase Horse Sale during the Ariat WSTR Finale in December 2024. 

8) ROCKK STAR: $72,105.40 
2020 gelding
Peptoboonsmal x Aristocratic Star x High Brow Cat 
Breeder: Star C Land & Cattle Co; Owner: JD and Lindsey McGuire

Rockk Star is just one of Koch’s standout string of young horses, which also includes Cantebury Cherrey, his NFR horse—who would surely be near the top of this list had Koch opted to track his ProRodeo earnings. 

9) SS PLATINUM CAT: $69,206.40 
2019 gelding
Platinum Vintage x Cat Can Boom x Boomernic 
Breeder: Silver Spurs Equine; Owner: Kollin VonAhn

SS Platinum Cat earned $69,206 in just a few futurity appearances in 2024, as VonAhn missed most of them thanks to his 2024 NFR-qualifying campaign. But “Popcorn” did double time as a kid’s horse for VonAhn’s daughter, Steele. 

10. SUNDAE REBEL: $68,400.00
2018 stallion
Metallic Rebel x Starstruck Ichi x Cat Ichi
Breeder: Ten27 Ranch; Owner: Bobby and Catherine Simmons

The Simmonses bought this stud through The Select Online Sale at the recommendation of Solo’s owner, Melanie Smith. Bobby won big on him at the Riata Championships, getting the title in the #9.5.

Looking for more? QData has all-time and annual leaderboards updated weekly.

—TRJ—

Get in on these winning genetics. The 2025 Breeder’s Guide features 164 pages of cream-of-the-crop stallions, programs and incentives.