Seventeen-year-old Cannan Wescott and 16-year-old Kase Key turned three sub-7-second runs and a clean short-round steer into a 28.05-second aggregate on four head, a $43,200 payday and the #13.5 Ariat World Series of Team Roping qualifier title at the 2026 Riata Championships.
Watch live and on-demand on Roping.com
For two high-school seniors who admitted they had been spending plenty on entry fees without winning much of it back, the Wednesday in Guthrie came at a good time.
“I was going into debt,” Wescott joked after the win. “I’ve been going everywhere I possibly can and winning a little bit, but this $43,000 is going to help me a lot.”
Key’s assessment was about the same.
“I’m just trying to get back ahead,” Key said, his new buckle in hand.
Wescott, of De Leon, Texas, and Key, of Stephenville, Texas, gave themselves plenty of room to work with through the first three steers. They were 6.30 on their first, followed it with another 6.30 and added a 6.76 on their third steer to sit at 19.36 heading to the short round.
Wescott credited at least part of that position to drawing cattle that let them do their jobs.
“To be honest, we just really drew good,” he said. “We didn’t draw any steers that tried to outrun us, and they were simple to catch and we did it.”
By the time Wescott and Key backed into the box for their short round steer, the situation had changed. Teams ahead of them had left the door open, and instead of needing to let their hair down a little, Wescott knew a clean catch could finish the job.
“I was really seeing what Lucas Dunn (at second high call) was going to do right there,” Wescott said. “He told me that he was going to try to go at him, and I was thinking he could put the pressure on us right there and let us go blast one. And then he didn’t draw the best steer right there. So, then it opened the window, and I was thinking, yeah, we already got this won, just had to catch the cow clean.”
Key may have known they had room, but that didn’t make the wait any easier.
“Nervous,” Key said. “My heart was pounding through my chest because I couldn’t talk to anybody. It was just me over there.”
His first instinct was still to go fast.
“I was wanting to throw first hop, but I figured I better just track and make sure I catch,” Key said.
The decision paid off. Their 8.69-second fourth run gave them the 28.05 on four and the $43,200 win.
The horses underneath them were just as important to the day.
Wescott headed on 13-year-old Poker Playin Bailey, by Poker Playin Ike, a horse his parents helped him buy from Colton McCarley about five months ago after his older mare began showing her age.
“That’s been a lifesaver,” Wescott said. “That horse is awesome.”
For a World Series setup, Poker Playin Bailey’s strength starts at the barrier.
“He is very fast across the line,” Wescott said. “On a World Series start, you can get him to tuck his nose and just score, and then so fast across the line.”
Key heeled on his 10-year-old mare Mc Rey N Nick, by Reynshine and out of Ac Cindy Checkers. Key bought her about a year and a half ago through Billy Bob Brown, and it didn’t take him long to realize what he had.
“I ran the first steer and I said, ‘Holy crap, this one’s pretty legit,’” Key said.
Now, he is trying to make her last as long as she can.
“She might be the best horse I’ll ever have in my life,” Key said. “I’m trying to save as many runs as I possibly can on her.”
Mc Rey N Nick gave Key another check in Guthrie, earning the $6,000 Rope Horse Rewards bonus as the highest-placing eligible heel horse. Rope Horse Rewards horses that place in the aggregate are eligible for the #13.5 Rope Horse Rewards Finals at the Ariat WSTR Finale in Las Vegas, in addition to earning a separate qualification to the Finale under WSTR rules.
That puts Vegas ahead for Wescott and Key. But after four steers, $43,200 and another $6,000 on the heel side, Wescott’s immediate assessment of the day was considerably simpler:
“Not a terrible Wednesday.”
H: Horse · S: Sire · D: Dam · Payout is per team; “Each” is per roper.
Place | Time | # | Header | Heeler | Payout | Each |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28.05 | A29 | Cannan WescottH: Poker Playin BaileyS: Poker Playin IkeD: Wily Bertha | Kase KeyH: Mc Rey N NickS: ReynshineD: Ac Cindy Checkers | $43,200 | $21,600 |
2 | 28.40 | 33 | Hoyt DarnallH: Blazin MeradaS: Blazin HonorD: Maddie Merada | Shawn DarnallH: One Time Desires CatS: BamacatD: Desires One Time | $32,000 | $16,000 |
3 | 28.52 | 96 | Owen GillespieH: Metallic Whiz DrS: MagneticatD: Just A Lil Ruffle | Brody FreemanH: Tt Blonde CatS: Hr Santanas CatD: Lm Blonde Boonsmal | $22,500 | $11,250 |
4 | 28.89 | A43 | Wheston JonesH: Tac No MoneyS: Dash Ta TrafficD: Tac The Money | Jesse PhillipsH: Gimme Onemore ChanceS: Boon A LittleD: Smooth Chandelena | $18,800 | $9,400 |
5 | 29.31 | A61 | Brian GreggH: Jose GoldseekerS: Lucky Little PlayboyD: Frecketta Goldseeker | Wyatt HershbergerH: Helluva TimeS: Hickory Holly TimeD: Just A Sparknshine | $16,900 | $8,450 |
6 | 29.50 | 126 | Spencer ButterfieldH: Hard Twist BroncS: MagneticatD: Genuine Heaton | Colter ButtarsH: Idaho Cowboy GibbsS: Last Chance At FameD: Serenity Breeze | $15,000 | $7,500 |
7 | 29.76 | A26 | Rydan LivingstonH: Heza Traffic GuyS: Traffic GuyD: Dashing Performance | JD Holland **H: Hesa Smooth HickoryS: Hickory Holly TimeD: Smooth As A Twist | $11,300 | $5,650 |
8 | 30.06 | 79 | Casey HicksH: Catolena JoeS: Mia BrowbeaterD: Roan Poco Dots | Jayde SladeH: Jkstayahs ShadowS: Harlander TonyD: Sissys Stout Shot | $9,400 | $4,700 |
9 | 34.70 | 3 | Clay ShoopH: Ll Tag Ur ItS: HashtagsD: Bella Crema | Levi WilsonH: DocsmissshiningzanS: Shining Zan DocD: Docsmissokiequixote | $7,500 | $3,750 |
10 | 34.98 | 39 | Lucas DunnH: King Jet AlexanderS: King Cody WimpyD: Alexanders Sugar | Tee LuttrellH: Wimpy UpS: Wimpy ChicD: Dolled Up Gunner | $5,600 | $2,800 |
11 | 21.42 | 95 | Joel ColgroveH: Dd Denver DeckemS: Denver Red BuckD: Miss Jb 0734 | Dave DaubeH: Kickin ThreesS: Texas KickerD: First Pegs Pick | $5,600 | $2,800 |
Place | Time | # | Header | Heeler | Payout | Each |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5.77 | 33 | Hoyt DarnallH: Blazin MeradaS: Blazin HonorD: Maddie Merada | Shawn DarnallH: One Time Desires CatS: BamacatD: Desires One Time | $3,000 | $1,500 |
Place | Header / Horse | Payout |
|---|---|---|
1 | Hoyt DarnallH: Blazin MeradaS: Blazin HonorD: Maddie Merada | $6,000 |
2 | Owen GillespieH: Metallic Whiz DrS: MagneticatD: Just A Lil Ruffle | $4,000 |
Place | Heeler / Horse | Payout |
|---|---|---|
1 | Kase KeyH: Mc Rey N NickS: ReynshineD: Ac Cindy Checkers | $6,000 |
2 | Shawn DarnallH: One Time Desires CatS: BamacatD: Desires One Time | $4,000 |
We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Privacy Policy · Your Privacy Choices
