ProRodeo Sports News - November 17, 2023

TEAM ROPING HEELER Kadabra King “Turbo” Owner: Patrick and Christi Smith Rider: Patrick Smith

Why the horse is special: He has more athletic ability than he knows what to do with. He is explosive out of the box and knows how to be in the right spot at the right time. He’s great in pretty much any setup. Turbo was great at his first NFR last year and he’s just as good in the longer setups as well. Turbo is 13 years old, 14.3 hands tall, and a little over a thousand pounds. Hear it from Patrick: “It means a ton. There are so many people anytime that you win something like this that go into the equation. There’s so much out there that you can dream and accomplish, but having a horse that wins horse of the year is extremely special because those horses are just so few and far between.” TIE-DOWN ROPING Stylish Bugsy “Bugsy” Owner: Shane Hanchey Rider: Shane Hanchey, Caleb Smidt, Hunter Herrin Why the horse is special: “You can ride him in any setup. I didn’t have a great winter, but he thrives in the short set ups and then in the summer is when we really gained some momentum and gained some ground in the longer outdoor setups. He’s a very versatile horse. You go back and look at the great horses I’ve had and they have all had that same attribute where you could ride them at the Thomas & Mack or at Cheyenne. They adapt and are great horses in any setup.” Bugsy is 11. He weighs 1,100 pounds. He is 14.3 hands. Hear it from Shane: “Bugsy is the first horse I’ve had since Reata (the horse he was riding when he won the 2013 PRCA World Championship), that I have ridden all year from the winter rodeos to the spring rodeos to the summer to the Northwest. I got Bugsy in November (of 2022) from Adam Gray. Bugsy is way different personality-wise from any horse I have had in my career or still have. My wife (Taylor) tells me I get the gentle horses that don’t like to lead and are lazy. Bugsy is the opposite. He is a loaner. He doesn’t want you to pet on him, and he doesn’t really like baths. He just wants to do his job and be put up and be done.” STEER ROPING Son of a Glow “Junior” Why the horse is great: “He just has a lot of run, and he never takes a throw away from you. He does the same every time. He’s never long and he’s never too short. He’s one of those who makes it easy. You know when you back in the box you don’t have to worry about your horse getting you. When you nod your head, he’s going to do the same thing every time.” Junior is 15 years old. He weighs 1,200 pounds and is 14.2 hands. Hear it from Slade: “The first year I made the (NFSR in 2021), I didn’t get to ride him all summer. I did get to ride him at the (NFSR). In 2022, he got hurt and I didn’t get to ride him and then this year is the first year I have got to ride him all year long. He’s the reason I’m going back to the (NFSR). I think he knows how good he is. For me, it is really cool to have a horse this good when I’m only 21. I really wanted to win this (Horse of the Year) honor for him because he deserved it.” Owner: Slade Wood Rider: Slade Wood

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

Fernando Sam-Sin photo

Click Thompson photo

ProRodeo Sports News 11/17/2023

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