ProRodeo Sports News - October 14, 2022

HORSES OF THE YEAR

Year’s Best BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News Success in the sport of rodeo doesn’t fall on just the cowboys and cowgirls. Their horses play just as big of factor when they step foot in the arena. The Nutrena Horse of the Year presented by AQHA awards provide recognition to ProRodeo’s top horses.

STEER WRESTLING DASHIN HAZE “TYSON” Owner: Curtis Cassidy

Why the horse is special: Tyson was named after a boxing champion. Now, the horse has more hardware than Home Depot. Tyson has won the PRCA Steer Wrestler Horse of The Year three consecutive seasons, pulling off the feat in 2022 while leading owner Curtis Cassidy, an eight-time NFR qualifier, and J.D. Struxness, Jesse Brown, Stephen Culling and countless others to victories. Tyson is fast by any measure. He is a retired racehorse, earning more than $30,000 in stakes races in Alberta. He began a second career as a barrel racer where Cassidy’s wife Shannon noticed him. They purchased the horse, and he took to steer wrestling like a natural. He has carved out a reputation as a horse who is rugged with a big heart. Tyson is 17 years old and stands 15 hands. Hear it from Curtis: “He got his name for being tough. He’s named after Mike Tyson (the former heavyweight champion boxer). Being tough, No. 1, is a great asset he has. No. 2, he’s so user friendly. I could throw a high school kid on him, and he would turn and stand in the box perfect or I go could throw J.D. Struxness, No. 2 in the world, and he’s going to stand there perfect. That’s probably another great quality. If there’s one horse you’ve never rode before and you had to get on him in a rodeo to win something, he’s definitely one of the top horses to do it. He does his job and lets you do your job.” TIE-DOWN ROPING POCKETFUL OF LIGHT “Pockets” Owner: Caleb Smidt Rider: Caleb Smidt, Marty Yates Why the horse is special: Pockets is as reliable an ol’ pickup truck, as consistent as a metronome. Smidt bought Pockets in 2015, looking to take his career to the next level. Smidt missed the 2014 season due to injury. He hasn’t missed the National Finals Rodeo since acquiring Pockets. The horse is known for giving his rider a chance, “not by doing anything really fancy, but by doing the same thing every single time. If you have a decent calf, you have an opportunity to win something.” Pockets, who won tie-down horse of the year in 2020, is 15 years old, stands 15.2 hands tall and weighs 1,300 pounds. Hear it from Caleb: “Man, Pockets is just so solid. He doesn’t do anything wrong. He scores really good, that’s probably his best attribute. He just runs, stops, and pulls every single time. Everything I have won I have won on him. I have made the NFR on him every year since 2015. I rode him in every rodeo pretty much. Won lots of jackpots on him. All three gold buckles (2015, 2018, 2021), the average, won everything on him. He’s a great horse.”

Bill Lawless photo

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Clay Guardipee

ProRodeo Sports News 10/14/2022

ProRodeo.com

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