Hashtag Ventures: The Stallion, The Business, and Riata
Jun 17, 2024
By Keri Whitney
Last year,
NCHA Hall of Fame Stallion Hashtags made his official debut in the team roping
world when he became a Riata Stallion.
Hashtags was
trained and shown by Tatum Rice, earning $485,293 in his career. Since 2022, Hashtags' progeny has been taking
the cutting horse world by storm. In two short years, progeny earnings already
exceed $2,000,000.
"Hashtags
was like a Navy Seal in the cutting pen," said Hunter Meinzer of Hashtag Ventures.
"Regardless of where he was sent, the situation or footing, he won everything.
He's since been retired and his legacy is living on through his progeny."
Now,
Hashtags' progeny owners have the opportunity to compete in the incentive world,
including the Riata. And to top it off, Hashtags currently ranks 19th in QData's 2024 Top 50 Stallions in team roping with progeny earnings nearing $45,000.
"We don't want Hashtags offspring to be just cutters or cow horses," said
Hunter. "We want to provide an avenue for roping incentives, which is why we
wanted to be a part of Riata. We want to appeal to everyone. We want him to be the best out there."
Since 2023,
Hashtags progeny have had some big wins in the rope pen. Purposely Tagged
ridden by Joseph Harrison was crowned the 2024
American Rope Horse Association's Sun Circuit Pre-Futurity Heeling Champion and
the 2024 ARHFA Oil Can Classic Pre-Futurity Heeling Champion. Heeler, JoJo Lemond on High Style
Hustler out of High Style Travalin won 5th in the 2023 Riata
Championships Pro Futurity Average and 3rd in the Pro Futurity
4-Year-Old Incentive. Lazzertag out of Billies
Catty, ridden by Tate Kirchenschlager won the 4 and under heading at the 2024
American Rope Horse Futurity Association Red Bud Spectacular, and trainer, Clay Logan ropes on Hashtagdudesonfire,
owned by Rusty Simpson of Hashtag Ventures. With success like these, team ropers can't help but watch in
excitement to see what these intensely athletic Hashtags horses have to offer
the world of team roping.
With all
accomplishments that Hashtags and his progeny have already achieved, behind the
scenes is the commitment made by four men who embody Hashtag Ventures; Hunter
Meinzer, Rusty Simpson, Jamie Nail, and Jeremy Barwick, who is responsible
for putting the venture together. The group of men is bonded beyond just
business, they are a unique bond of longtime friends prior to Hashtag Ventures
was formed, tied together by horses and cutting.
Jeremy was
training cutting horses at Shadow Oaks Ranch in Stephenville, Texas and Hunter
was breaking colts and kicking around the idea of buying a stud for a
couple of years at that point.
"I had no
clue about owning a stud," said Hunter. "I just thought if I bred this many
mares, it'd be mailbox money. I was training 2-year-olds at the time and lived
5 minutes from Tatum Rice, who is friends with Jeremy and I. Tatum was riding
this 3-year-old blue stud named Hashtags that I really liked. The horse had the
most eye appeal I'd seen in a Metallic Cat. I loved his intentions, his thought
processes, and his athleticism."
"In March
2017, Jeremy calls me and says, 'I found the stud to buy'," said Hunter. "Then
he tells me it's Hashtags. I immediately told him, 'I'm in!'. I had no clue what the promotion of a top
tier stud entailed. And his name, Hashtags, it's catchy, there is a lot you can
do with registering the horses, it leaves a lot of room for marketing. 'Where
Every Tag Tells a Story' has been our slogan. He's not just a stallion, he's a
business, a brand."
Jeremy was
introduced to Rusty and Shelly Simpson when their daughter Sadye started taking
cutting lessons. The family became good friends. Jeremy was also instrumental
in training 2-year-olds for Rusty, including a mare named Dual Smart Kitty, who
went on to win the 2013 National Cutting
Horse Association Open Futurity. From that point,
the Simpsons were hooked on the sport. Their involvement in the cutting horse
industry remains solid as they breed their band of top broodmares all while
promoting Hashtags. Their daughter Sadye finds herself competing in the cutting
pen aboard offspring sired by Hashtags and out of their family's great mares.
Owner and west Texas rancher, Jamie Nail is a close
friend of Rusty Simpson and had bred mares with Jeremy for years prior to Hashtag
Ventures.
"I got the call
one morning about Hashtags being for sale," said Jamie. "I immediately said,
'I'm in!'. His progeny does well in the cutting arena, and now Hashtags'
progeny is being roped on. I'm excited about Hashtags being a Riata Stallion.
My son, Jack, team ropes in high school rodeos and competes in the Working
Ranch Cowboys Association Youth Ranch Rodeos. His good horse is a 5-year-old by Hashtags named Hashbrownn. I also have two 3-year-olds in rope horse training with
JoJo Lemond and a couple of other horses by Hashtags for sale."
Jamie not only
finds himself involved in the rope horse world of competition. He owns cutting
horses that he has in training with NCHA $2 Million Dollar rider, Kenny Platt.
The ownership
group of Hashtags ensures that the marketability and value of his offspring
remain high as they ensure that they are eligible for all highly sought after
incentive programs in various disciplines. Keep an eye
out for Hashtags horses competing at the 2024 Riata Championships. $6.5 Million
is available in eligible incentive payouts for breeders and progeny owners of
Hashtags, who stands at Brazos Valley Stallion Station in Stephenville, Texas.
Learn more
about Hashtags | Riata Stallions
