The rope-off to determine the world champion in junior heading was a wild ride for Rick Smith of Gardner, Kansas. He had faith in his horse, Ticket To Starfire, but he knew there were other factors at work.

His faith paid dividends. The 4-year-old stallion, trained and shown by AQHA Professional Horseman Brad Lund, snared the world championship in junior heading from A Downtown Donna. The Smiths’ mare This Chic’s All Dun was the 2004 world champion in junior heading, and their stallion Smart Lil Shiner nabbed the 2005 reserve world championship in junior heeling. Ticket To Starfire’s victory continued the streak of good fortune the Smiths have enjoyed in Oklahoma City for the last three years.

“We are both pretty numb really,” Ericka Smith Dreiling, Rick’s daughter, said. “This is our third year of good luck. To be world champion again, it just doesn’t get any better than this.”

“You know you’ve got the horse,” Rick said. “But then you’ve got the steer, you’ve got the rider, and you’ve got the heeler. It all needs to come together.”

“Tooter” is a kind horse to be around. He behaves more like a gelding than a 4-year-old stud, Ericka said.

“He loves other horses, which is so unlike a stud,” Ericka said. “They usually kind of hate others but he is like ‘hi, how are you?’ He’s such an easy guy.”

The Smiths wouldn’t be enjoying their second world championship without the aid and friendship of Brad, who has been with the Smiths for eight years.

“Brad Lund is so great,” Rick said. “He’s been wonderful. He’s a whale of a rider and a great trainer. We love being with him.”

Expect to see Ticket To Starfire striding through the Gateway of Champions in 2007 to defend his title and contend for Superhorse honors. He finished third in Superhorse this year. If victorious, he would be following in the hoofprints of his sire.

“We are going to haul for the junior all-around next year,” Ericka said. “It will be our last year of the junior horse and his dad With All Probability won the junior all-around, too. So I would say we will probably go for that and be back next year.”