Chelsea Moore and CD Gold Mate Crowned 2024 CBHI Futurity Super Stakes Champion; Taylor Cherry and Blazin Sugar Daddy Win 2024 CBHI Futurity Championship.
One of Canada’s highest-paying barrel races of the year, the Canadian Barrel Horse Incentive, is held annually every October in Ponoka, Alberta. In 2024, it paid out more than $363,000 in cash and prizes. Like the Barrel Futurities of America in the United States, it signifies the end of another year for futurity and derby horses.
Aside from the open, futurity and derby, the CBHI offers a Super Stakes incentive in both the futurity and derby. Comparable to the Pink and Ruby Buckle in America, stallions paid into the CBHI are allowed to nominate two yearlings into the program each year. During the nominated horses’ futurity and derby years, they are eligible to compete for the CBHI Futurity and Derby Super Stakes, which added an exclusive $152,000 alone to the pot in 2024.
Chelsea Moore and CD Gold Mate Capture 2024 CBHI Futurity Super Stakes
Chelsea Moore of Alberta, Canada, and her gelding CD Gold Mate, better known as “Franklin,” have more of a story to tell than just their 2024 CBHI Futurity Super Stakes Championship.
“This horse is really special to me and my family. My mother, Annette Moore, owns Blackgold Jack, and we bred him to my grandfather’s cutting mare, CD Lilly Mate. The result was Franklin,” Moore explained.
The 2019 sorrel gelding is named after Moore’s grandfather’s middle name, who passed away when Franklin was just a 2-year-old.
“My grandfather hasn’t got to be here for the process, but I truly believe he’s had the best seat in the house watching Franklin win this year,” Moore said
Moore recollected on the gelding’s natural ability and winning ways even at the very beginning of his career as a futurity horse.
“He’s just been a special colt from the start. He has more natural confidence and can just do anything you show him with ease. I feel like I have a hard time taking credit for training him because he really trained himself. He just wants to be a barrel horse. I hope that I can make another one just like him someday, but I think he’s my one-in-a-million,” Moore continued with great humbleness.
Moore and Franklin ran a 17.227 in the first round of the futurity to run the fastest time of the CBHI Super Stakes futurity and win $31,920. The Moore family stallion, Blackgold Jack, was awarded $10,640.
At the conclusion of his futurity year, Franklin exceeded Moore’s goal she had set for her and the talented colt of winning more than $100,000 his futurity year, which she was unsure was attainable at the time due to her schedule and staying solely in the province of Alberta.
“Not only is it a testament to how great of a colt he is but also to how our industry in Canada is evolving with the futurity barrel horse incentives,” Moore said. “Those definitely helped us meet our goal, but he either won a go-round or average at every futurity I took him to.”
Moore plans to continue Franklin’s career as a rodeo horse and attend the major incentive events in Canada as a derby horse.
“I would like to thank my mom and Blackgold Jack for the opportunity to run futurity horses for this kind of money. These incentives have made it so that you can make a living training horses in Canada now,” Moore said. “I’d also like to thank just anyone who has helped me along the way, including my partner, Tanner Milan. My veterinarian, Core Veterinary Services, has been crucial in keeping my horses down the road. Pro Earth Animal Health, Zesterra, and XLR8 Canada are two products that have done a lot for my horses as well.”
Taylor Cherry and Blazin Sugar Daddy Named 2024 CBHI Futurity Champions
Twenty-five-year-old professional futurity barrel horse trainer Taylor Cherry of Alberta, Canada, and the palomino stallion Blazin Sugar Daddy, better known as “Preacher,” have made waves this futurity year in the United States and Canada.
The talented young stallion has amassed EquiStat earnings of more than $95,364 for owners Ashley Klassen of Klassen Quarter Horses.
“I still start all of my colts in my training program, but Preacher came with 30 days,” Cherry said. “I kind of went back and restarted him in the round pen just to get to know him. He’s really had a winning attitude and personality from day one.”
Cherry explained the stallion’s big ego, which she feels is a big reason behind his success.
“He’s just a different type of horse. When you walk by him, you know he has something special about him,” Cherry said. “He has a big personality and ego, but when you get on his back, he’s all business.”
Although easy to train, the young stallion took some time early in his career to develop the confidence he needed to be solid and successful the rest of his futurity year.
“He wasn’t fast right off the bat. I knew he was going to come on; it was just going to take a minute. I am glad I let him come on at his own pace because I feel like that’s what truly gave him the confidence to win the rest of his futurity year. He is so solid for a futurity horse, and I believe that is because he is so confident,” Cherry explained.
The dynamic duo ran the fastest time of the weekend in the CBHI Futurity Short-Go, stopping the clock at 17.031 and adding the CBHI Futurity Championship to the stallion’s already-impressive resume with a 52.111 on three runs.
“He is a really forward-moving horse; his feet never stop reaching in a run. Even at the CBHI Futurity Short-Go, where he clocked so crazy-fast, he made a bobble and stepped off the first, but it just didn’t matter because he never stopped going forward,” Cherry said.
Cherry plans to haul Preacher to the derbies next year along with her group of 2025 futurity horses, as well as go to some rodeos and see where the rodeos take her.
Cherry thanked her sponsors, Usher Brand Saddlery and Pro Earth Animal Health, Zesterra, as well as the owners she rides for and her support system that helps her get down the road.
CBHI Select Stallion Owners Horse Sale
The high-selling horse of the CBHI Select Stallion Owners Horse Sale was Lot No. 1, a 2024 sorrel colt consigned by Cal and Ashley Lacey of Lacey Ranch. The Lacey’s also own the colt’s sire, a 2020 palomino stallion, LR Kimmitted Ta Fame (Epic Leader x UX Kimmitted Ta Fame x Dash Ta Fame), who Taylor Cherry will campaign at the futurities in 2025. The 2024 colt was out of the mare Abitofchic Unleashed, who is sired by LDS Unleashed.
This article was originally published in the December 2024 issue of Barrel Horse News.
