Image above: PRCA photo by Phil Doyle
The 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo might be the first for Pixi Golden Streak, but the palomino Paint mare’s been a golden ticket so far for steer wrestler Hunter Cure, a two-time PRCA steer wrestling world champion who’s trying to win his third at this year’s big show.
The pair have won rounds 2 and 4 so far, clocking a 3.7 in the second-go and a scorching 3.4 second round 4 run—the fastest of the 2022 NFR so far. The wins added $57,826 to Hunter’s 2022 earnings.
“Even Ray Charles can see that she’s got the talent,” Hunter said in the NFR’s Round 4 Gold Buckle presentation. “I picked a horse that’s never been here, and she’s got some jitters, but obviously it’s been the right call.”
The semi-retired, 39-year-old steer wrestler wasn’t gunning for another NFR berth when he hit the rodeo road this year. Hunter was just happy to be healthy and back in the saddle again, following a serious wreck sustained during practice in January 2021. But a win at RodeoHouston in March 2022 jump-started Hunter’s season and put him squarely in the mix for another year-end trip to the Vegas finals.
Knowing he needed another horse for the premier competition, Hunter called up Ringo Robinson to see if he could try the fellow steer-wrestler’s palomino, nicknamed “Monroe.” Ringo was sidelined with a knee injury, as was his traveling partner, Jason Thomas, who had kept hauling with Monroe. While Monroe hasn’t been to the NFR before, she’s been a pro-rodeo star for the last five years, carrying Ringo and a number of others to circuit finals championships and NFR qualifications. The mare was short-listed for the 2020 NFR with Blake Knowles, but a strangles infection kept her at home. After being so close to grasping the NFR experience, Ringo says it’s like hitting the jackpot to watch his mare under the bright lights of the Thomas & Mack Arena in Vegas.
“We couldn’t be more happy or proud that Hunter reached out to use her on such a big platform,” Ringo said. “It’s been amazing.”
Monroe is a 2009 palomino solid mare by Streak A Dash (QH) and out of Sonnys Golden Beam. She was bred by Bob Robinson—Ringo’s grandfather—of Hagerman, Idaho, and is owned by Ringo, who makes his home in Caldwell, Idaho.
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The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded in 1962. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses.