The Head and Heel Horses of the Puyallup Semifinals 2026

The 16 horses in this year’s Puyallup Semifinals field back into the box for the Semifinals on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Cinch Playoff Series Finale in Puyallup, Washington, with the top four teams advancing to the Finals the same day.

CD Diamond—the NRCHA Futurity Champ in 2012—is the only horse with two offspring in the semifinals. The San Juan Ranches stud is the sire of SJR Diamond Billy, ridden by Cody Snow, and SJR Diamond Len, ridden by Hunter Koch. Both horses are rope horse futurity graduates.

The two oldest horses in the field—Clint Summers’ WSR Hesa Alive, 22, and Trey Yates’ Romancing The Chics, 20—both have an NFR aggregate title to their names and stand as some of the top two highest earning rope horses of all time.

Kadabra King, Jade Corkill’s mount, is the most decorated heel horse in history as well with over $1 million in documented earnings, an NFR aggregate title with Patrick Smith, a world title with Wesley Thorp and an American title with Corkill.

Head Horses

Six of the eight head horses are registered. Clint Summers’ WSR Hesa Alive, foaled in 2004, is the oldest in the field at 22. Cody Snow’s SJR Diamond Billy, foaled in 2018, is the youngest at 8. The average across the six registered head horses is 14.7.

Running blood shows up on the head side. Luke Brown’s DM Jet Off is out of an Easy Jet mare. Kaleb Driggers’ BHR Super Shake is by BHR Super Frost, a son of Frenchmans Guy, and out of a Shake It Special mare—barrel breeding top and bottom. Driggers bought the gelding back from Riley Minor and owns him.

Ketch Kelton’s 16-year-old Peaches is the only mare in the field, though she’s grade.

Heel Horses

All eight heel horses are registered. Trey Yates’ Romancing The Chics, foaled in 2006, is the oldest at 20. Hunter Koch’s SJR Diamond Len, foaled in 2017, is the youngest at 9. The average across the eight is 13.3.

Lane Mitchell’s Oz Ona Hot Streak is by A Streak Of Fling, the barrel racing sire, out of a One Hot Jose mare — the only heel horse in the field by a running-bred stallion. Nate Osentowski bred him and still owns him, and the horse won an AQHA World Championship.

Denton Dunning’s LZM Pick Jaden, a blue roan stallion by LZM Whipps Jaden, is owned by Jake, Tamara and Denton Dunning. Levi Lord’s San Jo Deacon, by San Jo Lena out of a Playgun mare, is the horse Paul Eaves rode in 2020. JC Flake’s A Mini Brownie, a 2013 brown gelding by Playdox out of a Smart Mouth mare, was bred by Jack R and Pam Shields; and came through Dustin Davis and Junior Nogueira.

Source: AQHA records via quarterhorseresource.com, pulled Sept. 13, 2026. Ages are age-class years.