Meet the Longest Lasting ProRodeo Barrel Horses of All Time

Annessa Self barrel racing Rare Dillion
Annessa Self and Rare Dillion | 2008 | Hubbell Rodeo Photos

It takes a special combination of genes and upbringing to produce a champ – let alone a champion horse that keeps winning … and winning for years. Of course, Scamper tops the list. Keep in mind, this list is not exhaustive! Please alert us to horses we missed. In the meantime, here are a handful of great ones that won, seemingly, forever.

Gills Bay Boy (“Scamper”)

16 years

The first barrel horse inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Scamper qualified Charmayne James for her first NFR in 1984 and took her to his final Big Show in 1993. Scamper, who lived to be 35 years old, had Leo on top and bottom, and his sire was a grandson of the Three Bars son Tonto Bars Gill. He and Charmayne were 7 and 14, respectively, when they started their reign of consecutive gold buckles. He ran for the last time at RodeoHouston when he was 19.

Dash N Sparks (“Sparky”)

16 years

This black 1996 gelding by Dash For Perks out of an own daughter of the Thoroughbred Master Hand won a race at the Quarter Horse Congress in 2000 when he was just 4, under Bo Hill. Sparky won about $80,000 at futurities and qualified for the WPRA Tour Finals as a 5-year-old. His next owner won the region in the NIRA and won a couple of go-rounds at the CNFR. Another Eastern owner made the First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo on him a few times. And Kendal Owen won plenty on him before he qualified her for the American Semi-Finals at almost 20.

French Flash Hawk (“Bozo”)

14 years


Like Scamper, Bozo was a bucker in his early days, and himself lived to be 29 years old. His trainer, Kristie Peterson, won about $150,000 on him at 4-year-old futurities and later derbies. Then, they won four gold buckles (barely missing a fifth). Inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Bozo was by Sun Frost (Doc Bar/Driftwood Ike) and out of Casey’s Charm by Tiny Circus. He famously placed in 22 straight NFR go-rounds from 1995 to ’97, then pulled a check in 17 more consecutively. Bozo was voted AQHA Horse of the Year five times and WPRA’s Horse With the Most Heart four times.

Kristie Peterson and Bozo
Kristie Peterson and French Flash Hawk at the 1998 NFR. Kenneth Springer Photography.

Nate Shilabar (“Hot Shot”)

14 years

The little 1987 buckskin gelding got his own Breyer model when he was 20, but started out as Peyton Raney’s high-school breakaway horse. She won Rookie of the Year on him in 1997 and sixth in the world. Then he took Janet Stover to the 2001 NFR where he won four go-rounds and the gold buckle. Hot Shot was by a stallion that went twice to Three Bars on top, and his dam went back to Master Hand (TB) and Clabber Bar on top and Three Bars and Depth Charge on the bottom side. For Tanya and Tyrney Steinhoff he set arena records, won multiple Youth world championships, and won the Mega Open race three different years. He was still running at 23, having racked up $265,785 in the WPRA and $442,341 in Open and Youth races.

Dash Ta Diamonds (“Arson”)

13 years

Arson won money at futurities and was ridden by Aimee Kay and Jane Melby before Carlee Pierce and Callie duPerier, whom he helped win a gold buckle. Finally, he was ridden by Sherry Cervi who rodeoed on him in 2016-17 and retired him. The sorrel 2006 gelding was by Dash Ta Fame out of a mare by Strawfly Special, whose dam was Rebel Cause/Tiny Charger. Cervi won two NFR go-rounds on him and said he loved running barrels.

Sherry Cevi barrel racing Arson
Sherry Cervi and Arson | Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Cuatro Fame (“Truck”)

13 years

Still running tough at 17, Jason and Melissa Mouton’s 2007 bay gelding led Stevi Hillman to four straight NFR qualifications and more than $383,263 in lifetime earnings. He dominated The American rodeo, worth $100,000, in 2020 and earned nearly $70,000 at just over 24 pro rodeos last season. Truck is by Dash Ta Fame and out of Princess Streaks – by a Streakin Six/Jet Deck stallion out of a Three Ohs/The Ole Man mare.  

Stevi Hillman turns a barrel on her horse Truck at RodeoHouston.
Stevi Hillman and Truck were a dominating force in Super Series III at RodeoHouston 2023. Image by Impulse Photography.

Special Agreement (“Brown”)

Deb Manon and Brown barrel racing
Deb Manon and Brown | Springer Photography

12 years

Brown carried the late Deb Mohon to 11 straight NFRs starting in 1986. He holds the record of 110 consecutive runs every time they put up the barrels in the Thomas and Mack Center. Brown, the reserve world champion in 1990, was by the Thoroughbred stallion Agreement (that went back to Bold Ruler and Citation), and was out of a double-bred Sugar Bars mare that also was an own granddaughter of both Leo and Flit Bar. 

Deb Manon and Brown
Deb Manon and Brown | Springer Photography

12 years * Rare Dillion (“Dillion”)

Annessa Self barrel racing Rare Dillion
Annessa Self and Rare Dillion | 2008 | Hubbell Rodeo Photos

The 2000 buckskin gelding with the unconventional style placed at all but two futurities as a 5-year-old, and helped Annesa Self win the 2006 BFA Derby world title. Dillion’s sire was a Fire Water Flit son out of a Dash For Cash/Go Man Go/mare. And his dam was a Rare Jet daughter out of a Thoroughbred mare by a Raise A Native son. After taking Self to the 2008 NFR, he took Carlee Pierce to the Finals in 2011-12 and finally won a gold buckle for Callie duPerier at the 2015 NFR.

Carlee Pierce and Rare Dillion barrel racing
Carlee Pierce and Rare Dillion | 2011 | Hubbell Rodeo Photos
Callie Duperier barrel racing Rare Dillion
Callie Duperier and Rare Dillion | 2015 | Hubbell Rodeo Photos

12 years * An Oakie With Cash (“Louie”)

The 2003 buckskin gelding that started as a reined cow horse made his first NFR run for Lisa Lockhart in 2010 (he won it) and his last in 2019. He earned two NFR average titles, a win at The American and some $1.9 million according to Equistat in 2020. Louie, by a Docs Oak/Docs Lynx stallion out of a mare by Judge Cash crossed on an Easy Jet daughter, made 85 runs inside the Thomas and Mack Center and helped make Lockhart the winningest barrel racer in history.

Lisa Lockhart and Louie Barrel racing
Lisa Lockhart and Louie | Hubbell Rodeo Photos

11 years * RR Meradas Real Deal (“Real Deal”)

Lacinda Rose’s home-grown gelding, started as a head horse by her husband, took her to the 2019 NFR. Just last summer he had her in the finals at Cheyenne Frontier Days and carried her to the 2023 Great Lakes Circuit championship. Real Deal, 16 now, is by a Doc Olena grandson with Freckles Playboy and Doc Quixote blood and out of mare going back to Zan Parr Bar and Two Eyed Jack, so he’s a team roper’s dream horse.

Lacinda Rose barrel racing
Lacinda Rose and Real Deal at the 2023 Great Lakes Circuit Finals. Phil Kitts/Avid Visual Imagery.

This article is presented by Cosequin Equine.

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