Riata Side Pot Dominates at The Daddy in Cheyenne – With over $240,000 Paid Out to Riata Horses
Aug 1, 2025
The Riata Side Pot
made its biggest splash of the year at the legendary WSTR The Daddy Qualifier
in Cheyenne, Wyoming. With 5,667 teams entered and more than $2.2 million paid
out overall, this was one of the richest ropings of the year. But what really
stood out were the Riata horses — only 78 of them entered the Side Pot, and
they hauled off over an astounding $240,000. That's nearly 10% of the entire
payout at Cheyenne going to Riata horses alone. This was the largest Riata Side
Pot of the year, and it drew some serious horsepower.
Jimmy Moreno took
home the win, earning $21,020
by topping the 10.5 Qualifier aboard SS Gunsmoke Spook, a son of Spooks
Gotta Gun. He also added an extra $6,600 from the Riata Side Pot to his
winnings, making his weekend haul even sweeter.
Joe Burk Higgins placed at nearly every side pot this
year, making a huge impact on the progeny earnings of One Time Pepto. Team
Roping Journal is doing a feature on the top ten Riata Stallions for the year
and Joe Burk's mare, I'm A Lady Every Time, purchased at the Phillips Horse
Sale, has made a big difference for her "daddy". In Cheyenne, he pocketed
$8,000 for a 2nd-place finish in the 13.5 Super 7 Incentive and $10,300 for
placing 3rd in the 11.5 Qualifier. He added $4,600 in Riata Side Pot money to
his weekend earnings.
In third place was
Spencer Butterfield, who cashed in $17,500 for his 3rd-place
finish in the 13.5 Super 7 Incentive aboard SF Cash Bay, a son of Four
Bonnie Bay. His Riata bonus totaled $3,400.
Jon Pudwill grabbed fourth, winning the 13.5 Super
7 Incentive outright for $15,000 on SJR Diamond Avante, sired by CD
Diamond. He added $2,400 in Riata Side Pot earnings to his total.
Kory Bramwell came in fifth, stacking checks from
both the Super 7 and the 13.5 Qualifier. He won $8,800 for placing 7th
in the Super 7 and $5,575 for 5th in the 13.5 Qualifier aboard Bet
Hesa Magic Cat, a gelding by Bet Hesa Cat. He took home an $1,800 Side
Pot check.
In sixth place, Roy
Montoya placed in both the 12.5 and 10.5 Qualifiers, earning $9,485
and $3,820 respectively, on Fiddlin Smart, a gelding by Smart
Nu Shiner. He'll add a $1,200 Riata check to his haul.
The Daddy in Cheyenne
marks a major benchmark — Riata horses have now surpassed $1 million in
recorded earnings submitted to QData through Side Pots. And there's still
more to come.
Next
up is the final $10,000 Riata Side Pot of the year, taking place in Tunica,
Mississippi, August 8–10. After Tunica, Riata will release the full list of
horses qualified for the $100,000 Riata Side Pot at the Riata Championships.
Books
are Open Now for Tunica!
