Living cowboy legend Joe Beaver says Riley Webb will rewrite history. It’s a big, bold statement backed with facts, as young Riley is roping records right and left. At 22, he’s competing this year at his fourth-straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and is looking for a third-consecutive world championship. He set annual tie-down roping earnings records in 2023 and ’24 and, with $315,132 in pre-NFR cash, this Denton, Texas, cowboy also just set the regular-season earnings record in his signature event.

How much does his horse, Marked Up Cat, have to do with all this winning? Everything, according to the ever-humble cowboy. And for his efforts, “Rudy," he does his deal and lets me do mine. This horse is special. I could go on and on about him, but him letting me win is the biggest thing.”

Rudy is a 2013 sorrel gelding by Metallic Cat and out of HA Gay Freckles by Steady Tradition. He was bred by Mark and Wendy Froman of Cameron, Texas. Rudy also picked up the bronze world championship in junior tie-down roping at the 2018 AQHA World Championship Show.

Riley rode Rudy, who’s 12 now, a couple times before he bought him from Lane Livingston. Riley rode Rudy at the rodeos in Sisters, Oregon, Riley’s rookie year in 2022, and Redding, California, in the spring of 2023, his sophomore season, before finally talking Lane into selling the superstar sorrel in August of 2023.

“After getting to ride him twice and seeing a bunch of guys have success on him, I figured Rudy would fit me really good and knew I needed to try and own him,” Riley says. “I’d been riding my horse ‘Boots’ and was looking for my next big-time horse. I finally wore Lane out and talked him into selling him to me. It has been a big blessing.

“The first place I rode Rudy after I bought him was Lovington, New Mexico, and I won Round 2 on him in 7.3. The second week I owned Rudy, I set the 6.6-second arena record on him in the short round at the rodeo in Kennewick, Washington. The next day, we tied Jake Pratt’s 7.4-second arena record at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Our chemistry has grown stronger, and we’ve really become a team. Rudy has been great the whole time, and now we make a great team.”

Riley went to 79 of the 80 rodeos tie-down ropers are allowed to count toward the world standings this regular season. He says he rode Rudy at 65-70 of them and always when the big money was up. Team Riley and Rudy’s 2025 highlights reel rolling into this year’s Super Bowl of Rodeo includes winning the blockbuster RodeoHouston, and the big ones in St. Paul, Oregon, and Puyallup, Washington.

“I feel like I can ride Rudy anywhere and get by any calf in any setup,” he says. “It’s huge to have a horse you have confidence in, and Rudy thrives everywhere we go. I have a chance to win every time I ride him, and a cowboy can’t ask for anything more than that from his horse.”

Riley and Rudy’s $32,537 Fourth of July run this year topped the tie-down roping charts and helped with the near-$50,000 lead they’re riding into Las Vegas with.

“It’s hard to put a percentage on how much these horses mean to us,” Riley says. “It’s very high. For my job, my horse can make or break me. I’ve been fortunate to have some good horses in my career, and I’ve progressed as my horses have. I’d describe my style as consistent. I try not to beat myself, but I can turn the switch up and take it up a notch if I have to.

“Rudy’s so fast, and he runs the same speed as the calf. Whether that calf is running hard or loping, Rudy matches his speed. That’s huge. It makes it easy for me to catch and turn the calf every time. Rudy just doesn’t mess up. He does his job, and he lets me do mine.”

Rudy also packs a personality, according to his person.

“If he doesn’t know you, he’s going to pin his ears, like, ‘Who are you?’” Riley with a grin. “Once he knows you, when you go catch him, he’s like a puppy dog. Rudy knows when it’s time to go rope, and when it’s time to be turned out and chill. When it’s time to relax, he doesn’t want to be messed with. He just wants to eat.”

The top 25 tie-down ropers in the world voted for Rudy as this year’s horse of the year, and it’s not always easy to win this award when no one else rides your horse.

“Rudy says loves his job, and it shows,” Riley says. “The record books from when I got him until now say it all. I believe in Rudy, but for my peers to see what I see in him is huge. I’m very thankful for Rudy to get this recognition. He has earned it.”

Tanner Green’s Haidas Texas Jewel, aka “Bird,” is the reserve 2025 tie-down roping horse of the year. Logan Bird’s Daddys Shiner Cat, aka “Peso,” finished third in the voting.