Every PRCA Tie-Down Horse of the Year, 1989-2025

Shane Hanchey’s Stylish Bugsy, “Bugsy,” is the 2026 PRCA Tie-Down Horse of the Year, becoming the sixth two-time winner of ProRodeo’s top calf horse honor since the award list began in 1989.

There have been 39 awards handed out (two horses tied in 2008) to 31 horses, and the names read like a who’s who of calf roping. Some won once. A handful came back. And one horse called “Sweetness” did something no other calf horse on the list has done.

Table of contents

• By the numbers
• Pedigree comparisonHorses bred most alikeShared ancestorsFull pedigree reference
  • Horses bred most alike
  • Shared ancestors
  • Full pedigree reference
• The early years: 1989-1999
• The 2000s: Topper, Tweeter and a tie
• Sweetness: the only three-time winner
• 2014-2019: New names, one back-to-back
• The 2020s: Pockets, Paraguaia, Rudy and Bugsy

By the numbers

• 39 tie-down Horse of the Year awards, 1989-2026 (including a 2008 tie)
• 31 different horses
• 3 wins for Eightys Sport, “Sweetness,” the most of any tie-down horse, all in a row (2010-12)
• 6 horses with two wins: Broadway Tar Baby, “Boogie Man”; Topofthemarket, “Topper”; Big Smokin Wonder, “Pearl”; Little Smart Leo, “Big Time”; Pocketful of Light, “Pockets”; and Stylish Bugsy, “Bugsy”
• 3 wins for horses owned by Shane Hanchey (Simon Cow, “Si,” in 2017 and Stylish Bugsy, “Bugsy,” in 2023 and 2026), matching the three for horses owned or co-owned by Stran Smith (Kido Doc, “Rifleman,” in 1997 and Topofthemarket, “Topper,” in 2003 and 2005)

Pedigree comparison

Dual Pep is the big thread. He’s in the pedigree of 7 of the 31 winners, and those horses own 8 of the 39 titles, including 7 of the last 13. Every winner since 2014 (13 straight awards) carries Peppy San Badger or Doc O’Lena within four generations.

Horses bred most alike

1. Sweet as Time (2015), Sort Of Popular (2021) and Figure to Fly (2024) are paternal half-sisters. All three are mares by Popular Resortfigure (Dual Pep x Bar J Jackie). Sweet as Time and Sort Of Popular are both 2007 sorrel mares bred by Mike Denney.
2. Simon Cow (2017) and Dualin Demon (2014): Dual Pep on Doc’s Hickory. Simon Cow is by Dual Pep out of a Bingo Hickory mare (Bingo Hickory is by Doc’s Hickory). Dualin Demon is by Dualin Hagan, a Dual Pep son out of a Doc’s Hickory mare.
3. Little Smart Leo (2018-19) and Marked Up Cat (2025) share a full-sibling pair. Big Time’s sire, Smart Sooner, and Rudy’s great-granddam, Shesa Smarty Lena, are both by Smart Little Lena out of Shesa Playmate. Marked Up Cat carries Smart Little Lena three times in five generations.
4. Smart Little Lena sons sired two multiple winners. Big Time is by Smart Sooner; Stylish Bugsy (2023, 2026) is by A Dera Dual Lena. Both are Smart Little Lena sons. Bugsy’s sire is also out of a Dual Pep mare.
5. Smokin Dee (1999) and Leos Sen Bar (2001): the same cross. Both have Okie Leo on the top side and a Doc Bar son as maternal grandsire (Doc’s Dee Bar for Smokin Dee, Mr Senbar for Leos Sen Bar). Jerome Schneeberger is the PRCA-listed owner of Smokin Dee and the AQHA owner of record for Leos Sen Bar.
6. Pocketful of Light (2020, 2022) and Little Smart Leo (2018-19): Doc O’Lena plus Freckles Playboy. Pockets is out of a Freckles Playboy mare; Big Time’s sire is out of a Freckles Playboy mare. Both have Doc O’Lena in the third generation.
7. Speed on top: Eightys Sport (2010-12) and Smash Par Fancy (2007). Both are grandsons of Easy Jet through their sires. Figure to Fly also carries Easy Jet, as her dam’s maternal grandsire.

Shared ancestors

Full pedigree reference

The early years: 1989-1999

The list opens with Doc’s Desperado in 1989, owned by Paul Zanardi and Joe Parsons. Power Key, “Mr. Tee,” owned by Johnny Emmons, followed in 1990.

Broadway Tar Baby, “Boogie Man,” owned by Mike, Janet and Charlee Arnold, became calf roping’s first two-time winner, taking the title in 1991 and again in 1993. Sandwiched between them was Tommys Blue Bag, “Malachi,” owned by Brent Lewis in 1992.

From there, the award moved around: Grand Rapid Return, “Prime Time” (Jim Farris) in 1994; Cowboy Marine, “Orejas” (Jerry Jetton) in 1995; Little Ring, “Art” (Junior and Gaynell Lewis) in 1996; Kido Doc, “Rifleman” (Stran Smith) in 1997; Merry Two Bar, “Deuce” (Trent Walls) in 1998; and Smokin Dee, “Smokey” (Jerome Schneeberger) in 1999.

The 2000s: Topper, Tweeter and a tie

Brent Lewis put a second horse on the list in 2000 with Kid Taurus, “Grumpy.” Leos Sen Bar, “Easy,” owned by Herbert Theriot, won in 2001, and Tinys Clipso, “Tweeter,” owned by Trevor Brazile, took the 2002 honor.

Then came Topofthemarket, “Topper.” Listed under Stran Smith and Trent Walls in 2003 and Stran Smith alone in 2005, Topper won twice in three years. IR Still Dry, “Ned,” owned by Monty Lewis, won in between in 2004.

Cody Ohl’s Express on Heir, “Luke,” won in 2006, and Justin Maass’ Smash Par Fancy, “Flip,” followed in 2007.

The 2008 award is the only tie in tie-down history: OzAcre Te Run (Justin Maass) and Dual Sonny Dee, “Dually” (Priscilla Pipkin) shared the title. Sid Miller’s Big Smokin Wonder, “Pearl,” closed the decade in 2009.

Sweetness: the only three-time winner

No tie-down horse has owned the award like Eightys Sport, “Sweetness.” Owned by Spur Resources 1 and Clint Cooper, Sweetness won in 2010, 2011 and 2012. That’s the only three-peat in the event, and the most wins by any calf horse on the list.

Big Smokin Wonder, “Pearl” returned to the top in 2013, giving Sid Miller a second title four years after the first.

2014-2019: New names, one back-to-back

Hunter Herrin’s Dualin Demon, “Rambo,” won in 2014. Renato Antunes’ Sweet as Time, “Flea,” took it in 2015, and Timber Moore’s MFO Harvey, “Colonel,” in 2016. Shane Hanchey’s Simon Cow, “Si,” was the 2017 winner.

Tyler Milligan’s Little Smart Leo, “Big Time,” went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, the first repeat winner since Sweetness.

The 2020s: Pockets, Paraguaia, Rudy and Bugsy

Caleb Smidt’s Pocketful of Light, “Pockets,” won in 2020. Marcos Costa’s Sort Of Popular, “Paraguaia,” broke in for 2021 before Pockets reclaimed the title in 2022.

Shane Hanchey added a second horse to the list in 2023 with Stylish Bugsy, “Bugsy,” six years after Si. Shad Mayfield’s Figure to Fly, “Lollipop,” won in 2024.

In 2025, the honor went to Marked Up Cat, “Rudy,” ridden and owned by Riley Webb. Haidas Texas Jewel, “Bird,” ridden by Tanner Green, Quade Hiatt and others and owned by Tanner Green, was second. Daddys Shiner Cat, “Peso,” owned by Logan Bird and ridden by Ty Harris, Logan Bird, Joel Harris, Kyle Lucas and Shad Mayfield, was third.

Bugsy returned to the top in 2026, making Stylish Bugsy the sixth two-time winner in tie-down history and giving Hanchey a third title as an owner.