The Riata Championships paid out $5.5 million crowing its 2025 champions. From the Riata Pro Futurity featuring some of the best team ropers and 5-year-old rope horses, to the Cowgirl Steer Stopping, the stories that unfolded are worth listening to on The Short Score.

Logan Allen and Ketch Kelton paired up to win $149,500 in the 2025 Riata #14.5 Championship after roping four steers in 29.33 seconds Sept. 25. They also won the 6-&-Under Incentive for another $8,000 apiece. Iowa’s Allen was aboard I Got Dibs Doc, a 2020 stallion by Aint Seen Nothin Yet out of MS Docs Poco Leo Bar and owned by Lisa Johnson. On the heel side, the reigning and youngest Cinch Timed Event champion rode Shane Decker’s Pretty Poco Girl Fja, a 2021 mare by Cat Man Do out of Pretty Poco Boots.

Jacob Lewis and and Tripp Townsend both had previous Riata #10.5 Championship titles—Lewis in 2023 and Townsend in 2022. Lewis rode Hez Got Cowboy Cash, the 2016 Myers Ranch-bred head horse by Cowboys Cartel, again for the 2025 win, while Townsend was on the famous TRR Lucky Brazos, by Pepcid, the first Riata stallion to win a Riata championship.

MORE FROM THE SCORE

• Finally: The Score's Head Horse of the Year Episode
• The $465K Added Solo Select Stallion Incentive Futurity
• Who Deserves the 2025 AQHA/PRCA Heel Horse of the Year Award?
• The Philipp Ranch Production Sale Preview
• The Short Score: Who's In, Who's Out and What's at Stake in Puyallup

Brought to you by Cactus Ropes

This episode is presented by Cactus Ropes’ new Kool Kat CoreTX Rope. The Kool Kat is a 4-strand, poly-nylon blend rope that creates optimal weight and balance. This rope has a unique diameter to weight ratio, slightly on the medium to smaller side. The Kool Kat has had the best winning percentage since it has started being used by Cactus’ pro athletes of any rope the company has ever made. The Kool Kat, the newest rope using CoreTX™, is the most complete and balanced rope in the line. The smaller diameter but solid weight allows for ropers of all levels to feel their tip and have the confidence they need to win.