Rodeo Daily

Bloodlines and Big Stops: The Pedigrees of the 2024 NFR Team Roping Heel Horses

Rope horse specific breeding has begun to develop into it's own category over the past few years and this field is beginning to show those changes

Teal Stoll

Patrick Smith and Horse of the Year "Turbo"
Patrick Smith and Horse of the Year "Turbo" / Hillary Maybery for Rodeo on SI

With the rise in rope horse futurities, we have seen a huge growth in the industry. With that growth, the development of breeding has also progressed. We see some of those changes in the 2024 NFR heel horse pedigrees.

#1 Levi Lord: Zoomin Diamond Prom

"Birdie" did the lion's share of runs for Lord again this season and into the NFR.

zoomin diamond prom pedigree
AQHA

#2 Wesley Thorp: Kadabra King

Owned by Patrick Smith, "Turbo" has earned 2023 and 2024 Horse of the Year honors.

KADABRA KING
AQHA

#3 Junior Noguiera: Kiehnes Frosty Pepto

"Timon" has been a mainstay alongside Noguiera at the NFR for several years and he is back again in 2024.

Kiehnes Frosty Pepto
AQHA

#4 Jake Long: JC Bar Diamond

"Roger" has been Long's main mount over the past few years, including last year at the NFR.

JC BAR DIAMOND
AQHA

#5 Logan Medlin: TRR Freckles Holidoc

"Cantina" was raised by the Tongue River Ranch and has been a huge asset to Medlin's team over the past few years, earning 2024 Third Place Horse of the Year honors.

TRR FRECKLES HOLIDOC
AQHA

#6 Douglas Rich: Cockys JR Shine

"Junior" joined Rich's team earlier this year and has quickly become a go-to in his string.

COCKYS JR SHINE
AQHA

#7 Kaden Profili: GunnaBeAnAngel

"Angel" is the 2024 College National Finals Rodeo Horse of the Year in the heeling.

GUNNABEANANGEL
AQHA

#8 Kollin VonAhn: NQH Lucys Last Cat

If my research serves me correctly, NQH Lucys Last Cat made it back to the second round of the NCHA World Championship Futurity with Matt Sargood.

NQH LUCYS LAST CAT
AQHA

#9 Tanner Braden: Haltake Some Pepto

Braden is aboard another great horse showing the development of rope horse breeding, a half sibling to the 2022 Riata Buckle Champion.

HALTAKE SOME PEPTO
AQHA

#10 Coleby Payne: Cut Off My Spots

Reserve Horse of the Year, "Coon" has found his way in and out of Payne's barn a few times over the years, but I think he might be there to stay now.

CUT OFF MY SPOTS
AQHA

#11 Jonathan Torres: Wood Ya Chula

"Paycheck" has lived up to his name for Torres and was the main mount of the summer run.

WOOD YA CHULA
AQHA

#12 Buddy Hawkins: X (Grade)

From Hawkins: "X is an 18 yo grade gelding that’s been on the road a decade this month. One of the all time high money rodeo horses, with over half a million at the NFR alone. Jackpot wins across the country and wins at NFR, American, Houston, Fort Worth, RNCFR to name a few big ones."

# 13 Travis Graves: Golden Boy Boon

Graves has found great success aboard the seasoned gelding.

GOLDEN BOY BOON
AQHA

#14 Hunter Koch: Canteburys Cherrey

"Crypto" may be the young gun in Koch's string, but quickly became a reliable mount this season.

CANTEBURYS CHERREY
AQHA

#15 Paul Eaves: Apolo Oak

When Eaves purchsed "Apollo" from Cole Davison, everyone knew it was going to be an exceptional matchup.

APOLO OAK
AQHA
Published
Teal Stoll
TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.

Home/News