Horses of the 2023 BFI
Clint Summers’ 11-year-old bay Joe and Logan Medlin’s 7-year-old bay Cantina were named Head and Heel Horse of the BFI, respectively. Powered by Dixon Flowers Rope Horses, the Horse of the BFI winners’ sculptures were created by Steve Miller of Lost Prairie Art & Bronze. The winners also received Dixon Flowers horse blankets, Best Ever Pads and $500.
“Joe always scores and runs super hard, and he worked outstanding today,” said Wrangler National Finals Rodeo switch-ender Summers. “He’s very easy to handle cattle on, and I’m planning to ride him outside this summer. Ever since I started heading, I looked up to Trevor (Brazile). I knew when I started heading that I needed the best head horses. To win this award is a pretty special deal to me.”
Medlin has a pair of bay aces with stars on their foreheads and snips on their noses. There’s his 2020-21 Heel Horse of the Year, Drago, and then there’s his 2022 Heel Horse of the BFI, Cantina. Medlin bought Cantina, who’s 7 now, from the Tongue River Ranch the end of his 4-year-old year. Cantina looks just enough like Drago that even some of the Top 15 didn’t notice when he subbed him in during last December’s NFR from Round 4 on, when Drago needed to take a break.
“Cantina’s still a little green, but he’s really stepped up,” Medlin said. “It’s hard to get off of a horse you know so well to get on a green one, but I actually like to jackpot on Cantina better than Drago. Cantina’s answered the call.
“Cantina winning this award gives me some peace of mind that I’m not crazy. It choked me up a little bit when they called his name. I didn’t expect to win it. I was very proud of Cantina today. It’s kind of cool to know that other people thought he did as good as I did.”
Year | Roper Name | Horse Name |
---|---|---|
2012 | RILEY MINOR | KETCHUP |
BRAD CULPEPPER | PREACHER | |
2013 | BRANDON BEERS | LACEY’S FAST JEWEL |
CODY COWDEN | RATTLER | |
2014 | ADAM ROSE | |
RYAN MOTES | CD STARBUCKS | |
2015 | ERICH ROGERS | BUGS NIGHT ROBBER |
CLAY COOPER | LB | |
2016 | RILEY MINOR | RK TUFF TRINKET |
ZANE BRUCE | VALHALLA FOXY SHINER | |
2017 | COLEMAN PROCTOR | LIKE A CAT |
BILLIE JACK SAEBENS | DOMINO LENA | |
2018 | JD YATES | BRONZE DUDE |
BILLIE JACK SAEBENS | JACKS PROBABLY BACK | |
2019 | RILEY MINOR | RK TUFF TRINKET |
Lane Siggins | Amigos Sonita Last | |
2020 | Chris Francis | Ima Monty Leo |
Trey Yates | In The Nic Of Shine | |
2021 | Jake Cooper Clay | Shining Freckles |
Kory Koontz | Mr JB 0839 | |
2022 | Jake Cooper Clay | Streakin Sun Dew |
Joseph Harrison | Freckles Instant Coffee | |
2023 | Clint Summers | Mr Joes Shadow Bar |
Logan Medlin | TRR Freckles Holidoc |