Steve Friskup has spent decades with a front-row seat to the horse business, from selling everyday team roping horses to standing behind the microphone as some of the industry’s highest-priced horses went through the ring.
On this episode of The Score, Friskup breaks down what he is seeing in today’s market following the latest Levelland sale, where the top 25 horses averaged $33,500. He talks about the depth of good horses available today, what buyers are willing to spend and why futurity eligibility and incentive programs are becoming increasingly important in determining a horse’s value.
But the conversation goes well beyond horse prices. Friskup digs into the bigger question of how team roping continues to grow—from rebuilding the local jackpot and creating affordable entry points to educating ropers about incentives and making the sport more welcoming for newcomers and young ropers. Friskup believes team roping has plenty of momentum, but keeping it requires giving new people a place to start.
Friskup also talks about the evolution of the rope horse itself, the rise of the futurity market and the responsibility producers, sellers and longtime ropers have to keep promoting the sport that has supported so many of them. What began as a conversation about what horses are bringing this fall turns into a wide-ranging look at where team roping has been—and where it needs to go next.
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