Adios Pantalones Says Hello Again, the Return of the Winningest Stallion to Rodeo

Tricia Aldridge and her great stallion, Adios Pantalones are back on the rodeo trail together.

Adios Pantalones | Adios Pantalones/ Tricia Aldridge: Red Hot Barrel Horses

After several months of being in recovery from a hock injury, the winningest stallion of all time has made his debut back in the rodeo arena.

“It’s good to be back,” Aldridge said on social media.

The feeling that horse gives his rider would have to be a great thing to have again. Not that any of Aldridge’s other horses aren’t capable of winning, but Adios is in a league of his own, and he proves it every time he runs down the alley.

Adios’ Exit After Injury

Tricia Aldridge | Nathan Meyer Photography

In talking with Aldridge shortly after Adios was diagnosed with his injury, she explained that the horse was never really lame. She made the decision to do surgery on the hock to give him longevity.

“It was just better for him, and I want to do everything I can for him. It was better for the joint to do the surgery,” Aldridge said.

As she usually does, she kept up with Adios’ social media following by posting updates of him after surgery and continuously in the months following. He could be seen knickering to her when she would walk back in the barn after being gone, and he was his usual playful, happy-spirited self.

Adios’ Return to Arena

Tricia Aldridge | Nathan Meyer Photography

“Prepare for take off.” That was the caption for the video posted by Red Hot Barrel Horses. You could hear the excitement and maybe even a touch of nervousness in Adridge's voice when she was just seconds from sending him to the first barrel. “Hold on, hold on,” she giggled as Adios tried to take off.

Then she sent him and in his first run back he clocked a 17.27 in the first round of Reno, Nevada. That run was ranked No. 15 in the first go. The duo came back in round two to be faster yet with a 17.05 and earn the tenth-place check in the go round worth $498.

The announcer at Reno for the second run, “Oh! That’s him. That’s the stallion right there. He is pretty, pretty, pretty. This is the winningest stallion of all time. He’s back.” As Aldridge entered the arena, you could hear the excitement in his voice to see that it was a palomino stallion coming through the gate.

Adding the two times together for the average, and Adios had made a short round at his first rodeo back. After all the runs were done and the times calculated, he and his happy owner ended up ninth in the average and took home another check worth $1,121.

Now Aldridge and her legendary stallion will have work to do to find themselves among the top 15 again in 2026. Aldridge is currently ranked No. 26 with $35,433 in earnings. If 2026 holds true to 2025, they will need to win more than $100k in the regular season to make the final cut for the National Finals Rodeo.