The Timed Event Challenge at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is a fun, thrilling and timeless tradition for spectators and competitors.
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There’s nothing like watching a competitor riding a horse into an arena when the house is packed with enthusiastic fans. The crowd-fueled electricity and energy can make the hair stand up on the back of the neck of even the most seasoned competitor. Zane Bruce is no exception. It’s that electricity that has drawn the respected trainer and exhibitor to compete in the heeling at the Timed Event Challenge (TEC) at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for the past 20 years.
Bruce, who trains and shows rope horses mostly on the American Quarter Horse Association circuit, won the team roping title at the TEC in 2020, riding Smooth Count Dracula (Smooth As A Cat x Morgan Pep) with a blazing 3.49-second run, with Dustin Egusquisa heading.
“We’ve had ‘Dually’ since he was 4,” says Bruce of their now 10-year-old gelding. “He was a trained cutter, and then we trained him in roping. He is a family horse for us. My son, Haze, ropes both ends on him, and my wife, TinaMarie, shows him as well. Our daughter, Hattie, rides him all the time. He is a reserve world champion in the AQHA in the heeling, and he’s also placed in the heading.
To qualify for TEC, entries in the FWSSR’s Horse Show’s timed event classes (team roping, barrel race, tie-down roping and pole bending) vie for the unique competition by being in the top 65 times during the respective breed registry show. Then, those top 65 qualifiers come back for a “one-header” and a shot at a cash purse. Dates for the 2022 TEC include: Team roping on January 24; tie-down roping on January 25; barrel race on February 1; and pole bending on February 2.
“The Timed Event Challenge is a yearly event for us during the FWSSR,” says Bruce. “We train and show rope horses, and this is one of the best shows we go to all year.”
He adds that while he’s won the TEC a handful of times over the years, the event is always exciting.
“TEC is unique because as an AQHA horse shower, we rarely get to go fast,” he says. “Our runs are based on smoothness and how pretty they look. So for us to be smooth and pretty during the day at the horse show part of the FWSSR, and then go fast that night in the TEC with a packed house is awesome.”
As Bruce mentions, the FWSSR is not just limited to timed competitions. It offers a diverse lineup of horse show entries, including donkey and mule, miniature horse, cutting horse, reined cow horse, reining, Paint horse, cowboy mounted shooting, Ponies of America, and Quarter horse classes.
Horse enthusiasts get to see more action during the Fort Worth Heritage Sale on January 15, and the Invitational Ranch Horse Show and Sale January 16. Then, the Mustang Magic Events in the Will Rogers Coliseum start January 21 and 22.
It’s those diverse events that make attending a unique experience for any horse enthusiast.
“We live in the area so we always have lots of friends and family in attendance,” says Bruce. “It also makes it that much more special to win.”
The 2022 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is January 14 to February 5. The Horse Show Premium list and entry forms are available at fwssr.com. Entry deadlines are November 15, 2021, and late entries will be accepted until December 30, 2021. Call 817-877-2400 or visit fwssr.com for more information.
