A Look At 'Junior' The AQHA 2025 Steer Roping Horse Of The Year

Slade Wood's horse Junior was voted as the 2025 Steer Roping Horse of the Year by cowboys across the country.

Facebook/ Slade Wood

The rodeo community is just months out from the National Finals Rodeo, and all season long, athletes and animals alike have been competing amongst each other to find out who is the best of the best come December.

These athletes are recognized all season long for their feats in the arena, but an often overlooked part of a pair is the horse. 

Each year, cowboys across the country come together to vote for the horse of the year in each event. This season the 2025 Nutrena Steer Roping Horse of the Year presented by AQHA is Slade Wood's horse 'Junior'.

In their season together, the pair has accomplished great feats. Wood currently sits at No. 5 in the world standings, heading into the NFSR; he couldn’t have done it without Junior. The pair has earned $67,626 so far this season with three rodeo wins under their belt, including a win at Lea County PRCA Rodeo in Lovington, New Mexico.

Junior Earns Second Horse of the Year Award

Slade Wood/ Facebook

Last year at the NFSR, Wood won Round 1 and earned $44,580. He finished third in the world standings.

In a post on social media, Wood wrote,

“This award is one that means so much to me and may possibly be one of the greatest awards I’ve ever received! I owe my whole steer roping career to this horse. I would not be the roper I am today without him and wouldn’t have near the success I have had in this event,” the post continues, “It’s such a blessing to be able to have this horse at such an early stage in my career but it will always be hard to find anything else quite like him.”

The pair fought all season long to get where they are, and it couldn’t have been easy due to an injury that Junior was facing. But, he wouldn’t be the horse of the year if he didn’t overcome such great hurdles. 

“The thing that makes this so much more special is that a year and a half ago I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be able to ride him again at this level with an old injury that was causing a great deal of pain that he couldn’t get away from,” Wood wrote. 

Other 2025 Horses of the Year include:

• Clint Summers' 2025 Head Horse of the Year 'Joe'
• Coleby Payne's 2025 Heel Horse of the Year 'Coon'
• Riley Webb's 2025 Tie-Down Roping Horse of the Year 'Rudy'
• Slade Wood's 2025 Steer Roping Horse of the Year 'Junior'
• Hailey Kinsel's 2025 Barrel Horse of the Year 'Sister'
• Josie Conner's 2025 Breakaway Horse of the Year 'Dutch'
• Tyler Kraft's 2025 Pickup Horse of the Year 'Baby'.

---