High Rollin and Headed to Vegas: Reserve Horse of the Year DM High Roller

Latricia Duke and DM High Roller have been an exceptionally fun team to watch over the past few years and recently earned the incredible honor of being voted Reserve Horse of the Year for the WPRA by their peers

Latricia and DM High Roller at the 2024 Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls / Photographer Hailey Rae/Photo courtesy of Latricia Duke

I could talk to someone who loves their horse for hours. A great horse gives me chills and watching horses make dreams come true makes me emotional. Just a few days prior to the announcement that DM High Roller was crowned Reserve Horse of the Year, I was fortunate enough to talk with Latricia Duke about her very special teammate.

“Vanilla Wafer” has officially carried Duke to her first NFR qualification and the stallion deserves every bit of recognition. Although his humble owner, trainer, and jockey, would never say it- so does she. For Duke, a futurity trainer by trade, her passion has always been fueled by her love of developing young horses. She has trained countless great horses and many found further success in rodeo, including Yeah Hes Firen, who won the 2009 WPRA World Championship with Brittany Pozzi.

Despite her admiration for rodeo, Duke never planned on running down the alley at the Thomas and Mack. Training futurity horses and rodeoing are both full-time jobs and Duke always chose to sell her best horses and continue building the next generation of winners. Then Vanilla Wafer entered her life and realized a whole slew of dreams for Duke.

DM High Roller / Bee Silva

Duke not only trained Vanilla Wafer, she raised him. The stallion's second dam (Lady Rompin) has also been a huge part of Duke's life. The mare was an incredible producer, including Vanilla Wafer's dam, Happy To Run Em, the only other horse Duke has ever kept. "I have had horses that won more, were more talented, but she had this work ethic. FirewaterOnTheRocks (Happy To Run Em's sire), Vanilla Wafer, and Happy To Run Em are all in my top five or six favorite horses ever."

From birth, Duke knew Vanilla Wafer was special, "He had a presence from the day he was born. He had this tiny little baby doll head and I love a long, thin neck, and he had a big hip. Everyhing was where it was supposed to be and in a really pretty package."

"The first day I started him on the barrels, he just went through them the way he does now. He was always soft in the face and wanted to be a good boy," Duke described of the natural athlete. Vanilla Wafer went on to have a very successful futurity year and transition into rodeo, with earnings over $486,000 according to Q Data.

Latricia Duke and DM High Roller winning 4th in the average at Pendleton / Jackie Jensen

Qualifying for the NFR is a marathon, not a sprint, and Vanilla Wafer could always be counted on. "Every time I felt backed into a corner, he just pulled us out. He rose to the occasion every time," Duke said.

"He thrives on more runs and just gets better. I got home, went to the vet and was expecting a list of things to work on, but instead he trotted and the vet says, 'He's good!' Not one time did he not meet me at the stall ready to do it again." Duke laughed, "On the other hand, I need a chiropractor, a dermatologist, and a hair appointment!"

While it may seem unfathomable to be on the road for so long, Duke was incredibly grateful for her support system who made it possible, "I left the second week of June and came home after Sioux Falls (September 26-28). My son flew out to shoe him, my vet flew out to work on him, my chiropractor drove to meet me, and the year would not have been possible without the Driver family."

While the duo had a very successful season, with so much money on the line in the final weeks, the pressure was still on through most of September. By their final runs in Sioux Falls, Duke finally knew she could breathe, "For the first time in a long time, I got to run barrels for fun. I wasn't trying to win or not hit a barrel."

When asked what she is looking forward to most in the coming months, Duke said, "We are just going to enjoy this goal. I just want to have fun. It may be something I never get to do again. I don't want to miss any of the enjoyment."

We wish Latricia and Vanilla Wafer the best of luck in Las Vegas and our congratulations on their first NFR qualification and WPRA Reserve Horse of the Year.