Cheyanne McCartney and Braylee Shepherd won the 2024 Riata Breakaway Roping for $20,160 a piece with McCartney winning Tier 1 and Shepherd winning Tier 2 on Sept. 29.

With a guaranteed purse of $250,000, the Buckle Breakaway Bonanza was one of, if not the, largest breakaway roping purses of the year. The Buckle Breakaway Bonanza used a split short round approach where every breakaway roper who caught two calves advanced to the two equally-separated short rounds. Both tiers crowned their own respective champions but had the same payout.

McCartney took the Tier 1 win with an 8.23 on three calves aboard CR Tuff King, and Shepherd won Tier 2 on Sixeys Fancy Prince with an 11.50 on three.

McCartney and CR Tuff King

McCartney’s 5-year-old gelding by Woody Be Tuff out of Calie Del Rey was started by her husband, Cody, before they sold him as a 4-year-old. When the owners decided to resell him last February, the McCartneys knew they needed him back.

Since his return, McCartney has mainly been riding CR Tuff King at the futurities and won the 6 & under breakaway at the Royal Crown in Guthrie earlier this spring. Between the Riata and all the futurity options in 2024, McCartney sees more opportunity for young horses.

“I have two that are, so to speak, mine and Cody’s right now that are 4 and 5-year-olds, and we have some 3-year-olds, but two that we’ve futuritied on, and now I can make it make sense to keep those horses,” McCartney, 27, said. “Like, the horse I won fourth on is a 4-year-old, and it is just tough to take them to big jackpots and stuff because you’re competing against Open horses. But, now, I can make it make sense to keep those horses and win money at these events.”

CR Tuff King originally came from the Select Online Sale, and while he is the first Woody Be Tuff offspring McCartney has had, he won’t be the last.

“We liked him so much that we bought another 3-year-old Woody mare filly that we’re working on now for hopefully next year,” McCartney said. “This horse (CR Tuff King) is really fast. He’s really athletic and fast, and he just makes the right moves. He wants to catch the calf. There’s not a lot of stuff that can be replaced by speed; they’ve got to have the ability to do stuff, and he’s got all the ability and I think he wants to be a good horse.”

On top of the $20,160 McCartney and CR Tuff King pocketed, they also took home third in the Round 1 fast time for $2,000 and second in the Round 2 fast time for $3,000. McCartney had a major outing, making it to the short round on all three horses she rode Sunday and placing third in Tier 1 on Reyal Rebel for another $7,920.

“I didn’t want to break the barrier and I wanted to catch them all, and I was able to do that,” McCartney said. “Usually at these events, with the horses that we bring, if I just do my job and make clean runs—it depends on what calf you draw and what everybody else does, of course—but usually if I will do that on all my horses, I’ll get some decent checks.”

CR Tuff King has had some rodeo exposure as well with McCartney riding him at the Cheyenne Frontier Days after her first-stringer had an abscess. McCartney plans to ride him at some jackpots and rodeos this fall, too.

Shepherd and Sixeys Fancy Prince

Unlike McCartney, Shepherd didn’t exactly have a history with the Sixeys Fancy Prince. Prior to the Riata, the 20-year-old had only roped on Sixeys Fancy Prince twice after owner Mitch Priest approached her one day.

“He came to my house and was looking for me, and all of this was just kind of something meant to be,” Shepherd said. “I rode him a couple of times and it worked out.”

By RN Chic And Sixey out of Fancy San Nita, the 8-year-old gelding has a desire to thrive.

“He just wants to please,” Shepherd said. “First run, he was a little bit watchy, but he is one of them that just builds on each run. Some of them horses will kind of go backward, but one thing about him is he wants to be good.”

Shepherd and Sixeys Fancy Prince pocketed $20,160 for roping three calves in 11.50 seconds, winning Riata Tier 2. Shepherd was focused on doing her job and letting him work.

“I just focused on showing him off and getting them roped,” Shepherd said. “Just making the run on the calves I drew, and I wanted to be more solid. I kind of wasn’t going for fast—I was just going to rope my calves, be sharp and ride my horse good.”

The reigning WPRA Resistol Rookie Breakaway Roper of the Year, Shepherd has been wanting to try her hand in the rope horse futurity game, and Riata has opened the door.

“It was a good opportunity to get my feet wet out here with the futurities,” Shepherd said. “I’ve done two others, so it’s a good deal to get started with. This is something I’ve always wanted to do besides rodeoing. Being able to show a young horse and their ability, plus roping on something young, is kind of an accomplishment. All the hard work you put into it all kind of comes around and it’s a good feeling when it works out.”