RF Firefly’s Legacy Lives On in Professional Rodeo and Futurity Winners

In the late 2000s, a little sorrel mare affectionately known as “Cleo” lit up some of the biggest stages in barrel racing. Despite her small stature, Cleo, registered as RF Firefly, packed a punch. She was gritty, athletic, and could shut the clock off.

The talented mare won multiple futurities as a four-year-old before successfully transitioning to professional rodeos. Sired by Dash For Perks son, Smoke N Sparks, Cleo was out of a mare by world champion cow horse, Dots Jessie.

Cleo and owner/trainer Kelli (Tolbert) Thouvenell won the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) Rookie Barrel Racer of the Year title in 2009, and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) two times (2010, 2012).

Thouvenell found the mare for sale online as a yearling in Riverton, Wyo., for $1,800 and made the investment of a lifetime. A college national champion in goat tying, Thouvenell was familiar with Dots Jessie — the same bloodline as her goat tying horse.

Their journey was not always smooth sailing, as Cleo liked to buck and even earned her name from a bucking horse. Thouvenell broke Cleo to ride and trained her in barrel racing, ultimately learning that the mare’s quirks did not limit her greatness in competition.

Cleo's Legacy

With lifetime earnings of over $400,000, Cleo retired from the rodeo road and began proving herself in her second career. Her first foal was born in 2016, and her second born nearly followed in her footsteps of qualifying for the NFR in 2025.

McKenna Coronado finished the year No. 16 in the World Standings and KT Shine Down played a major role in her successful season. “Shine” was voted the WPRA Wilderness Circuit Horse of the Year. Sired by First Down French and out of Cleo, Shine came up through the ranks with Thouvenell before joining Coronado’s team.

Recently, Coronado has matched up with another Thouvenell-trained superstar, a daughter of The Kandyman. Though the pair have only made a few runs together, Coronado and KT Mama Said topped the salty jackpot prior to the rodeo in Clovis, Calif., with a 17.2-second run on a standard pattern.

Known as “Ruth,” the sorrel mare is Cleo’s second-youngest offspring currently competing. In March, Ruth and Thouvenell topped the Dixie Classic Derby, prior to Coronado taking over the reins for some professional rodeos.

Another of Cleo’s standout offspring, Smokehaus (by The Red Dasher), is currently owned by 2025 NFR qualifier, Megan McLeod-Sprague. The team finished fourth behind Coronado and Ruth at the Clovis jackpot.

While his older siblings are lighting up the scene in professional rodeo, another superstar out of Cleo has now won two major futurities in a row. KT Edward, sired by Eddie Stinson, won the Valley Girls Barrel Racing Association (VGBRA) Barrel Daze and, over the recent weekend, topped the Idaho Barrel Futurity.

“Edward” added over $26,000 to his lifetime earnings over the two weekends. Making the journey even more full circle, nine years ago, his dam won a round at the VGBRA Futurity.

Thouvenell and Edward also topped the Glen Wood Memorial Futurity in late March and clocked their first 16-second run on a standard pattern at the Royal Crown Arizona in February.

Thouvenell stands the only stallion of Cleo, KT Just Fly, at stud. Sired by the late, great Winners Version, “Deano” has won extensively at aged events and has lifetime earnings of over $80,000.

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