Champions Crowned in Abilene for Next Generation of Elite Rope Horses

The Gold Buckle Futurities aim to offer high payouts and support the industry as they strive to create and produce the best rope horses in history.

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The Taylor Telecom Arena in Abilene, Texas, hosted the 2024 Gold Buckle Futurities Fall Event, November 14-17, 2024. Presented by Metallic Cat, there were multiple divisions in the breakaway roping, tie down roping, heading, and heeling. Full results can be found here.

In 2022, the Gold Buckle Futurities began alongside the rise of horses bred specifically for roping and rope horse futurities. Like most incentive programs, there is a select group of stallions that are nominated to the GBF program. By either breeding to or purchasing a prospect that is by one of these stallions, ropers are then eligible to enter and compete at GBF events.

With founders Taylor Hanchey (Entries and Operations Manager), Kaleb Driggers (Team Roping Director), Shane Hanchey (Tie Down Roping Director), Jeremy Barwick (Stallion Owner and Breeder Liason), Cole Davison (Team Roping Director and Sponsorship Liason) and Billy Myers (Breeders Liason) co-own the program.

GBF events use a judged and timed format to determine winners.

Four and Under Tie Down Roping

The Metallic Cat son out of CR Tuff Tizzy by Woody Be Tuff, Tizz, earned the Championship with an 896.26 score for $7,500 in the average and $21,000 in the GBF Stallion Incentive. Cody McCartney and Tizz also won the Intermediate Tie Down and a go-round placing for another $4,650.

Tizz has also found success with Cody's wife, Cheyanne, in the breakaway this year - earning over $57,000 at the GBF Fall Event and winning the Riata Buckle. The stallion is owned by McColee Land and Livestock.

Four and Under Breakaway Roping

Beau Peterson had an outstanding weekend in Abilene, earning $97,000 aboard her trio of outstanding young horses. She placed in rounds one and three, then finished first, third (Metallic Watch), and fourth (Mighty Fine Talker) in the Average and GBF Stallion Incentive.

Peterson took the Average win aboard Aldo The Apache, a 2020 gelding sired by Kit Kat Sugar and out of Dmac Easter Bunny by Young Gun. The colt doubled his lifetime earnings in Abilene, starting the weekend at $39,870 and earning $40,200 throughout the event.

Four and Under Heading

ACrimeTaWearNickers and Kaden Richard earned the the Championship with a score of 904.13 for $10,000. The duo also won round two for another $1,500. The 2020 gelding is by Nickster and out of Envys Classic Crime by Crimewave.

Miles Baker and Relentless PYC (First Prize Diver x Chars Gun x Playgun) have had an exceptional futurity year. It's no secret that Baker thinks very highly of "Nala," who added substantially to her earnings in Abilene. The duo earned a second place finish in the Average for $8,400, combined with an $18,000 win in the GBF Stallion Incentive, $4,000 win in the GBF Intermediate Incentive, and $9,000 win in the GBF Breeder Incentive.

Four and Under Heeling

One Nite Special (Gunners Special Nite x Thelmas Whiz x Topsail Whiz) and Joseph Harrison have been on a hot streak - cracking $100,000 in lifetime earnings after two world titles at the American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Championships. The duo was back to their winning ways in Abilene.

Harrison thinks highly of the horse and has purchased a couple Gunners Special Nite colts, due to how good-minded the colt is. The duo won the third round for $1,500, the Average for $11,000 with their 914.61, as well as $9,500 in the Futurity Heeling Stallion Incentive.