In one of the most anticipated episodes of The Score, host Chelsea Shaffer brings back the annual deep dive into the top heel horses of the year. This year’s conversations are full of insight, loyalty and a bit of friendly debate among elite ropers.

We’re hearing directly from the best in the business:

Coleby Payne – breaking down why his bay gelding may be the new frontrunner over the three-time Horse of the Year, Kadabra King.

Travis Graves, Jake Long, Levi Lord, and Wesley Thorp, offering their personal picks, stories, and what really makes a heel horse worthy of the title.

Whether it's Turbo, Coon, Sug, Boon, or Mabel — the opinions are strong, and the respect for great horses runs deep. From arena-tested consistency to raw speed and grit, these pro team ropers explain what separates the greats from the good ones.

f you’re a fan of team roping, horsepower, or just want a peek behind the curtain of what goes into choosing the PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year, this episode is for you.

Sponsored by Fast Back Ropes — Featuring the Ombre head and heel ropes. Shop now at FastBackRopes.com

🔊 Listen now to get the inside edge on this year’s hottest heel horses before the ballots go in.

In this episode of The Score, host Chelsea Shaffer sits down with Shane and John Philipp of Philipp Ranch to preview their 2025 Production Horse Sale, happening September 6 in Bryan, Texas. The brothers break down the pedigrees behind their standout rope horses, their unique approach to training and development, and what makes this year’s set of 39 head one of their deepest yet.

From proven head and heel horses to standout breakaway prospects and elite-bred prospects, this sale offers something for every roper — including the emotional Lot 39 filly, with proceeds going to the Ace Ashford Foundation.

Whether you're planning to bid online at CCI.live or attend in person at the Brazos County Expo Center, this episode gives you the full inside scoop on what to expect — and which horses to watch.

The field for the 2025 Cinch Playoff Series in Puyallup, Washington, is set after the Aug. 18 cutoff, and the lineup is packed with storylines that could reshape this year’s NFR race.

The top 23 in the Playoff Series standings—plus NFR Open winners—will head to Puyallup Sept. 4-7, with a shot at a $75,000 purse on each end, with as much as $20,420 per man up for grabs. That kind of payday, paired with a berth to the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, makes Puyallup one of the most critical rodeos of the year.

On this episode of The Short Score, we break down who's in, who's out and what that means for their seasons.

• The Short Score: Old West Rope Horse Futurity 2025
• “Team Roping Is Going to Save the Day for Everybody” — Steve Friskup’s 2025 Horse Market Report
• The $1.7 Million Rope Horse: Meet the Man Who Bought Her
• The NEW U.S.-Mexico Cattle Border Closure
• Top 5 “The Score” Podcast Interviews of 2025 (So Far)
• The Short Score: Late Summer Check-In
• Ride Registered: Stressman and Canida of AQHA Talk Team Roping and Registered Horses on The Score

Karl Stressman and Tammy Canida of the American Quarter Horse Association are at the forefront of record keeping and pedigree information, and The Score caught up with them to talk about what role the AQHA can play in the team roping industry.

From the back of the box to the barrier, and from the break of the steer to the dally—roping demands a partner who knows the job and lives to do it. The ideal partner? An American Quarter Horse. For decades, AQHA has been the standard-bearer, preserving the bloodlines, honoring the legacy, and supporting the sport you love. We put the horse in Horsepower. Ride Registered. Join AQHA.

The summer is winding down, but the ProRodeo action is not. From Greeley and Cowboy Christmas, to Salinas and Cheyenne, The Short Score is covering everything that has happened this summer as we roll into August.

Andrew Ward and Jake Long got Cowboy Christmas rolling earlier this summer with the Greeley Stampede win in June for $11,225 a man. And while Ward and Long were amongst the top of team roping's Cowboy Christmas earners, Clint Summers and Jade Corkill led the pack with $29,897 apiece.

Dustin Egusquiza and Levi Lord capitalized at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, Colorado, winning the sudden-death finals with a 4.8-second run and claiming over $15,000 each. The win also secured them their first national circuit titles.

The longest score in ProRodeo and a the only five-head battle, California Rodeo Salinas was no problem for Tanner Tomlinson and Travis Graves. They roped five steers in 48.5 seconds to claim the win and $11,254 each.

Aaron Tsinigine and Jeremy Buhler won their second major PRCA rodeo of the summer, first with the Reno Rodeo and now the Cheyenne Frontier Days. But their road to No. 1 was perhaps less than conventional.

• The Short Score: Here Comes the Summer
• The Short Score: Old West Rope Horse Futurity 2025
• "Team Roping Is Going to Save the Day for Everybody" — Steve Friskup's 2025 Horse Market Report
• The $1.7 Million Rope Horse: Meet the Man Who Bought Her
• The NEW U.S.-Mexico Cattle Border Closure
• Top 5 “The Score” Podcast Interviews of 2025 (So Far)

When TRJ's Chelsea Shaffer picked up the phone to call Bobby Joe Hill of Hill Rodeo Cattle, she had no idea the U.S.-Mexico cattle border had closed just the night before. What started as a routine check-in turned into a breaking-news conversation about a closure that could ripple across the roping industry.

In this episode of The Score, Bobby Joe breaks down what he knows about the shutdown, what it means for ropers and producers, and how the situation is more political than biological. From skyrocketing steer prices to a dwindling supply of cattle for jackpots and ProRodeos alike, Bobby Joe shares hard facts and personal insight from a stock contractor’s front-row seat to the crisis.

Shaffer also shares follow-up conversations with Ty Yost, who offers a more measured perspective—but agrees on one point: this situation is far from simple.

Whether you rope, produce or are just trying to understand how a closed border affects an entire sport, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

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When a $1.7 million bid stunned the rope horse world, everyone asked the same question: Who is this guy? In this exclusive episode of The Score, we sit down with Mr. Jones—the man behind the record-breaking purchase that turned heads across the western industry.

Jones didn’t set out to make headlines. He thought he was just buying a horse. But what followed was an industry-wide ripple effect, elevating the rope horse market and reshaping expectations for what's possible. From his humble beginnings in a radiator shop to building a successful manufacturing business and ranching legacy, Jones shares the backstory behind his bold move—and what it means for the future of roping.

The Old West Rope Horse Futurity paid out over $1 million in 2025 and saw ropers and horses make history.

Tate Kirchenschlager and Almost LostMy Ticket won the Old West Futurity Heading for a life-changing $100,000. Coming from second call, Kirchenschlager topped the field to mark a major milestone in his rope-horse training journey.

SLR Swinging Hickory's $100,000 Old West Futurity Heeling win with Jeremy Buhler earned her the title of the winningest mare on the heel side of the rope horse futurity industry.

Joseph Harrison also changed history becoming the first $1 million rider in ARHFA history. Harrison won the Pre-Futurity Heeling aboard Stunnerr for $50,000.

Rhen Richard swept the Pre-Futurity Heading for over $90,000. Richard and Reliance Ranches' Watch The Lane won the 4-&-Under for $50,000, and he also picked up $29,792 for second aboard Captain Leggett and $5,320 for eighth on Little Foose Sug.

On this episode of The Short Score, Kirchenschlager, Buhler, Harrison and Richard talk about their wins at the Old West Futurity.

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