The Riata Buckle’s second full season came to a close the first week of November at the Lazy E, with the event doubling its size in just one year—paying out over $2.6 million to ropers and quickly moving it to the fourth-richest team roping in the world.
All indicators suggest the grand experiment of utilizing a stallion incentive to unite recreational ropers with traditional futurity and show horse operations is gaining momentum. The event saw a large gathering of quality team roping horses assembled.
Riata Buckle made a lot of noise last year as a “time-only” stallion incentive program with multiple divisions for ropers of all abilities. Riata introduced a two-tiered breakaway program that was successful and may change the development of breakaway events.
Riata also introduced a help horse program called proxy that drew lots of attention. Ropers could not bring a help horse unless they owned a Riata eligible horse three years old or younger. During the 2023 season they designed and built horse nomination software, online entry software and integrated it all with Equine Networks’ Global Handicaps operating software that is used in 90% of the ropings in the world. What Riata is doing is not like anything that exists in any side of the Western performance industry currently.
Riata Buckle is navigating these uncharted waters alongside mainstream team ropers, with a vision toward growth and expansion for stallion owners. This year, Riata Buckle had three divisions paying $650,000 each, with the announced goal of producing at least one $1 million division in the next three years. Organizers expect to exceed a $3 million purse in 2024.
Riata Buckle Average Futurity Champions
| Place | Time | Header | Heeler | Payout |
| 1 | 34.8 | Jake Smith | Douglas Rich on Time Toget Wreckless (Hickory Holly Time x Wreckless Chic x Smart Chic Olena) | $33,660 |
| 2 | 35.78 | Clay Smith on Gilligansblacktuxbos (Gilligans Black Tux x Howlli Colonel Freck x Colonel C Lariat) | Nicky Northcott on Spare Tyme (Metallic Rebel x Mamas Time Soon x Dual Rey) | $23,460 |
| 3 | 35.97 | Cody Snow | Hunter Koch on DD Denver Irish Kine (DD Docs Irish Badger x DD Denver Bar Queen x Denver Red Buck) | $17,340 |
| 4 | 36.75 | Coy Rahlmann on Sweeet But Psycho (Catty Hawk x GAR Bella Lena x Duals Blue Boon) | Kaleb Driggers | $12,240 |
| 5 | 37.53 | Trey Yates on Big Quincy Lady (Seven S Big Valley x Quincy Musty Lady x Quincy Gay Bar) | Jojo LeMond on High Style Hustler (Hashtags x High Style Travalin x Travalena) | $9,180 |
| 6 | 37.83 | Quinn Kesler on DD I Be Tuff (Woody Be Tuff x CR A Little Peek x Halreycious) | Colby Siddoway on DD Doc O Denver (DD Docs Irish Badger x DD Denver Bar Queen x Denver Red Buck) | $6,120 |
