The Riata Buckle Breakaway returns for its second year on Nov. 2, 2023, at the Lazy E Arena in conjunction with the Riata Buckle’s team roping offerings.

With $100,000 guaranteed in the payout, the event will be one of the richest breakaway ropings of the year.

The Riata Buckle has been revolutionizing the rope horse breeding industry since its inception, starting first with team roping horses but moving into the breakaway arena in 2022. Ropers nominate their Riata Buckle stallions progeny, becoming eligible to compete in the lucrative Riata Buckle roping events.

Find the Riata Buckle Breakaway entry forms HERE. Entries close Oct. 2, 2023. (Online entries coming soon.)

Despite the success of the inaugural event, Denny Gentry and the crew with Riata Buckle were determined that it could be even better.

With their goal to keep from splitting the payouts too much while still defining a difference between the top ropers and the more recreational ropers, thus enticing more entries, they implemented changes for 2023.

Highlights of the changes for 2023 include:

• Revamped format, dropping the straight two header in favor of two head plus a short round. Everyone who catches two will advance to the final round.
• Eliminate 3D format. Instead the short round will be divided by time to level up the competition, creating a true, two-tier payoff.
• Futurity will be paid as an incentive within the roping, and futurity horses can double dip.
• Ropers ranked inside the WPRA Top 30 as of Aug. 1 are limited to one open (all age) entry and one futurity incentive entry. Others can enter up to two times in any category for a max of three total entries.
• Ropers can enter twice. Horses may only be entered once.

The changes are projected to increase payoffs by 70% over 2022 and the format change is designed to promote consistency and de-emphasize the need for fast, pressure packed runs on young horses entered in the futurity.

Moving to a different format has been received positively by the ladies who competed a year ago.

“I’m a big fan of that, making it a three-header,” 2022 competitor Cassidy Boggs said.

Find 2023 Riata Buckle Breakaway Event Rules and Information HERE.

She’ll be back with Bet Hes Classified, but only in the open as he has aged out of the futurity competition. Futurity horses must be 5 years old or younger.

“I think they’ll get more entries [with the divided short go] if they’re not having to compete against the open ropers.”

The short round will feature a Pro Round, comprised of the fastest half of the ropers on two head, and an Intermediate Short Round for the rest of the field.

“I do prefer getting the third calf and hope that generates more entries,” 2022 competitor LaRaye Stipes agreed. “Most of our jackpots around here have the same format, so it’s not just a throw fast deal. If you can knock two down, you’re going to get a third one.”

“I think limiting the top 30 girls to one entry will definitely draw more entries,” Stipes added. “A lot of girls don’t like to have to rope against the best ropers. I personally want to because it makes me better, but I do think that will help with entries.”

All the changes are designed to increase participation, which only helps the Riata Buckle reach its mission of promoting the breeding of top level rope horses and increasing the market value for those horses.

2022 Riata Buckle Breakaway Champions

LaRaye Stipes did not have huge expectations when she arrived at the inaugural Riata Buckle breakaway roping in 2022. A horse trainer specializing in team roping with her husband Casey, Stipes had a client with an eligible horse and a close proximity to the event’s home, the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

“The mare I placed on, Kittyswood, is owned by Jaime and Kaci Mitchell and is by Woody Be Tuff,” Stipes said. “They don’t breakaway but they like money.”

Stipes herself is fairly new to breakaway roping though she notes she’s been horseback her whole life.

“I’m a team roper by heart,” she admitted. “I did breakaway a long time ago in junior rodeo but nothing like how it is now.”

The Riata Buckle was one opportunity the budding breakaway roper was glad she jumped on. Taking advantage of the event’s divisional format, Stipes took the mare to a second place finish in the 3D.

“I placed in the 3D but I still won like $3,600,” Stipes said.

Stephenville’s Cassidy Boggs capitalized on the Riata Buckle as well, sweeping both the futurity and open to pocket $13,575 aboard Bet Hes Classified, a son of Bet Hesa Cat.

“It was a cool event,” Boggs said. “Good setup, well produced with good cattle.”

Kimberlyn Fitch won $8,152 at the 2022 event aboard a pair of horses by Catty Rey, taking fifth with Cattys Sister and winning the 2D futurity aboard Heavenly Catt. Both were owned by the BP Ranch, who also own the stallion, though Heavenly Catt has now gone on to PRCA World Champion Heeler Jeremy Buhler’s barn.

A former college champion roper for Idaho State University, Fitch now spends her time training and selling breakaway horses but simply jockeyed for the BP Ranch at the 2022 Riata Buckle.

“I actually rode those horses for some friends of mine,” she said. “[Owner] Brady Pitchford trained them.”

“It was a really fun event,” Fitch noted. “It was super good and I like the idea of the futurities. It adds an incentive to training young horses and gives you a place to compete against other young horses at the same level.”

Another goal of the folks behind Riata Buckle is to see more cross-over in the horses competing in their events — team roping horses also being entered in the breakaway.

Stipes embodied that vision in 2022, not only riding a client’s team roping horse but also borrowing her husband’s heel horse who happens to be Riata Buckle eligible.

“We team rope and rodeo constantly,” she said, noting that Kitty had only about a month in the breakaway before the 2022 event and has been back in the team roping ever since. “She’s really cowy and likes to stop so it was easy to move her over.”

As for her husband’s horse, she’ll be entering him again, and again will only have a little time to remind him about chasing calves.

“He would be a great breakaway horse but he’s my husband’s A-string heel horse so he won’t get that chance!”

Incentives like the Riata Buckle are raising the bar—and the prices—for top notch rope horses.

“I’ve sold five breakaway horses in the last month and one team roping horse,” the team roping trainer Stipes noted the irony. “The calf roping market is where it is and the Riata Buckle has made the horse business better. Better quality horses that are selling for higher prices.”

For Stipes, there is no downside to a rising horse market coupled with great events which level up the competition for the ropers and the horses.

“There just are not very many chances to go rope for that kind of money.”

Watch the $100K breakaway

Watch the breakaway roping horse market in the making in real time.

Where to watch

Livestream coverage is on Roping.com and will begin Nov. 2 with the breakaway.