Trevor Brazile rode Zans Diamond Shine to the world championship in senior heeling November 16.

Dennis Schroeder’s dream came true a day early.

Dennis had sent his 1999 palomino stallion to the AQHA World Championship Show hoping to score well in the senior tie-down roping. Instead, “Sparky” scored a world championship in senior heeling.

With Trevor Brazile’s hot hand on the heeling rope and Steve Orth heading, Sparky jerked down a mark of 228 as the second team to work.

“Well, we don’t have much money, and we’ve quit using propane and burnt wood for a few years to do all this, but it’s worth it,” Dennis said. “Sacrifices are forgotten now. Oh, it looked good. You’re just sitting there tense, and when I heard the score, I didn’t remember ever hearing a score that high in the heeling. I thought, well, maybe. Maybe. Maybe. It wound up being good.”

Trevor said Sparky is a good partner in the heeling.

“I rode this horse in the timed event in the World’s Greatest Roper, so I’ve known “Sparky” pretty good,” Trevor said. “He’s real easy to catch on. He makes my job easy. Steve Orth did a great job helping me tonight. And just like always, Sparky did his job and makes it fun for me.

“Horses of this caliber, whether you’re going for timed or whether you’re going for show, they give you the same shot either way, and so he makes it easy,” Trevor said.

Zans Diamond Shine is by Shining Spark and out of Zans Diamond Ring by Zans Diamond Sun. The palomino stallion was bred by Carol Rose and started by Bobby Lewis.

“We used to enter (Sparky) in the heading and the heeling and the calf roping,” Dennis said. “This year, Trevor kinda hinted maybe not to take him out in the heading, so we’ve been entering in the heeling and the calf roping -- here we are.”

Sparky placed third in the preliminary go of the senior tie-down roping and will return for the finals in that event November 17. Trevor likes his chances.

“He’s got a fabulous stop, which gives him great timing when I’m going to deliver my rope,” he said. “He scores perfect. He’s just a kind, good-dispositioned horse that’s fun to be around, fun to rope on.”