Rodeo Daily

Royal Crown Barrel Racing in Buckeye Dominated by Shafer and Grimes

The first of three Royal Crown events wrapped up in Arizona over the weekend and we have all the details, right here.
Teal Stoll|
Ashley Schafer
Ashley Schafer | Lexi Smith Media

One of the premiere barrel racing events of the year, the Royal Crown, wrapped up at the Buckeye Equestrian and Events Center over the weekend. The incentive program is known for events with great payouts, where eligible horses by specific stallions are able to compete. With $75,000 added to the Royal Crown Futurity, $50,000 to the Royal Crown Derby, and $25,000 added to the Open, many riders went home substantially richer.

Futurity

Kathy Grimes has a whole "herd" (quite literally) of homebred and trained horses that she has found great success with at an elite level. Her great National Finals Rodeo qualifying mare, KGJusticeWeExpected has proven herself just as outstanding of a producer as she was a performer. This weekend, her 2020 gelding by PC Frenchmans Hayday swept the Royal Crown and SVE Futurities.

Grimes, of Medical Lake, Wash., posted on Facebook that these were just "Showie's" number 12 and 13 competition runs, ever. The duo has been winning regularly in Arizona, so it was no surprise that they came out swinging with the stakes high. In Round 1, they clocked a 17.009 to earn the win. They came back in Round 2 with an even faster 16.927 to take the win again.

In the Royal Crown Futurity and SVE Futurity alone, Grimes and the standout gelding earned $34,992. They added another $7,079 to their earnings through the Open and Royal Crown Open, bringing their weekend total to $42,071.

Derby

Round 1

It was the Ashley Schafer show in the Derby. She and Fiesta By Design, "Mitch," her standout 2024 futurity horse, won the first round with the only 16-second run of the round. Per QData, Mitch won $311,853 last year. By Slick By Design and out of HP Fiesta Fame by Dash Ta Fame, Mitch was raised, trained, and is owned by Ashley and husband, Seth. The 2019 gelding is currently Slick By Design's second highest earning offspring of all time, with $327,389 in lifetime earnings prior to this weekend.

Between the Royal Crown Derby, SVE Derby, High Stakes Slot Race, Open, and Royal Crown Open, their earnings for the single run racked up to $15,983.

Unfortunately a downed barrel in Round 2 kept this duo from adding to their wins in the average, but that single run was pretty profitable for the outstanding pair. While Schafer is a futurity trainer by trade and most horses are sold during or after their aged event career, the Comanche, Texas, cowgirl has previously said Mitch might be with her to stay. We certainly enjoy watching the pair and look forward to what their career together holds.

Round 2

Timber Cote and her fantastic 2017 mare, Down Redwood Lane (PC Redwood Manny x Down Merridoc Lane x The Goodbye Lane) made a strong comeback in Round 2, after a tipped barrel in Round 1. Their 16.912 narrowly edged Ashley Schafer and Chrome Plated Fame's 16.919 to second place. Winning $6,476 in the Royal Crown Derby, $2,629 in the Open, and $2,462 in the Royal Crown Open, the duo pocketed a total of $11,567 for their run in Round 2.

Average

Aboard the full sibling to her 2025 futurity horse, HP Hotrod, Ashley Schafer placed fourth in Round 1, second in Round 2, and won the Royal Crown Derby Average. Chrome Plated Fame, "Johnnie," has a special history with owners Charlie Cole and Jason Martin. Martin explained in a recent conversation with Rodeo on SI that the filly was born on the night his father passed away and at first, was thought to be a stud colt. He named the foal "Johnnie" after his father and when they discovered the following day that it was actually a filly, Martin opted to keep the name.

Johnnie won $125,601 her futurity year (2023), per QData, and has continued to add to that number in her derby career. Between round placings in the Royal Crown Derby, SVE Derby, Royal Crown Open, Open, High Stakes Slot Race, the Royal Crown Derby Average Championship, and the SVE Derby Reserve Championship, the duo added a total of $34,533 to their lifetime earnings at the event.

All earnings numbers based on unofficial calculations by Rodeo On SI.

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Teal Stoll
TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.

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