Cheyanne McCartney rode 4-year-old mare Dont Quote Me to a 6.06 on two head to win the average and a total of $18,500 at the 2026 Shane Hanchey Invitational Breakaway Slot Roping, finishing second in both rounds inside the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, March 27–29.

McCartney and Dont Quote Me’s 3.15-second run in the first round and 2.91 in second were good enough to cash in three times.

“She just makes my job easy,” McCartney said. “She’s very user-friendly, just good-minded and wants to please. I’ve probably run three calves on her before this deal, and Cody’s done a great job with her.”

That “Cody” is her husband, Cody McCartney, who – alongside Cheyanne – has spent the last year developing the mare for exactly this kind of stage.

A Long Time Coming

Owned by Bailey and Tia Moore, Dont Quote Me – known lovingly as “Muffin” – is a product of years of planning for this partnership.

“It takes a lot of planning,” Tia Moore said. “You start from deciding what stud you’re going to breed to. And to watch it all come to light, it’s really special.”

Muffin is the 2022-model red roan mare by Taggline out of BCR Popular Scotti – better known as “Poppy” – a proven rodeo mare with a résumé that includes trips to the National Finals Rodeo with Ryan Jarrett, Blane Cox and Tyler Milligan, along with time spent with Clint Robinson, Cody Ohl, Shane Hanchey, Rhen Richard, Hunter Herrin, Timber Moore and Haven Meged.

Bailey and Tia Moore purchased Poppy from Cimarron Boardman before partnering with Cody McCartney, who rode the mare for several years.

But as good as Poppy was, breeding her wasn’t guaranteed.

“The boys didn’t want to breed her, and I insisted that we had to,” Moore said.

Now, that insistence is paying off.

A Familiar Feel

For Cheyanne McCartney, how similar Muffin and Poppy feel in the run is too close to be ignored.

“I was able to rope on Poppy a handful of times when Cody and I started dating, and they have a lot of similarities,” she said. “She’s a special horse.”

Coming up over the last few years, Muffin has that same quality.

“That little mare’s got the sweetest personality,” Moore said. “She’s got a few quirks, which makes it even better. She’s super sweet.”

And with the foundation already laid, the future is wide open.

Still just 4 years old, Dont Quote Me will continue through the futurities, with plans to compete in both breakaway and tie-down roping – and eventually enter the breeding program, with a cross on Woody Be Tuff already in the plans.

“I think we’ve all got goals for her,” Moore said. “Hopefully we’ll see her at the NFR one day.”

A Great Opportunity

For McCartney, the Shane Hanchey Invitational is more than just another roping- it’s part of a bigger plan.

“It’s huge,” she said. “For Shane and Taylor to take this over and give us somewhere to rope with these young horses – good calves, good money – it’s huge for the trainers, the ropers and the owners that are paying to have them somewhere to go.”

And it’s not just about winning now – it’s about what comes next.

“I’ve had the privilege of watching and riding horses that we’re cracked out at this 4-year-old slot roping that went on to be pro rodeo horses and horses we see at the NFR,” McCartney said. “It’s pretty special when a young horse is set up for success and being a part of their process through the futurities then going on to be rodeo horses.”

Shane Hanchey Invitational Breakaway Slot Roping Full Results