2024 AQHA Calf Roping Horse of the Year: Shad Mayfield’s Figure To Fly
Shad Mayfield's 14-year-old bay mare, Figure To Fly, aka "Lollipop," was named the 2024 AQHA Calf Roping Horse of the Year.
Shad Mayfield after winning $41,000 aboard Lollipop in Sioux Falls | Clay Guardipee photo
Shad Mayfield after winning $41,000 aboard Lollipop in Sioux Falls | Clay Guardipee photo

When Shad Mayfield purchased the horse that carried him to No. 1 in the world and over $200,000 in earnings, he hated her.

Mayfield bought Figure To Fly, “Lollipop,” in April 2023, but only because he didn’t have a single horse to ride at the California rodeos. Rampage was trying to die of EHV-1, and Platinum had torn a tendon at the 2022 NFR.

The 14-year-old mare won second place Horse of the Year in 2021 with Andrew Burks, beating out Mayfield’s own Rampage, but when she quit working and Burks decided to sell, Mayfield, surprisingly, didn’t jump on the opportunity to buy her.

“When Blane Cox called and told me Lollipop was for sale, I said, have you not seen the way she’s been lately,” Mayfield said with a laugh. “Blane said yeah, but it could be worth a shot. Lollipop was at Bobby Abernathy’s in Louisiana, so I drove down there by myself on Easter Day, and Andrew drove from Mississippi to meet me and run some calves on her. She worked good and I saw the potential she had, but I knew she needed some work at that time. If I would have had a horse, I wouldn’t have bought her.”

The dirty-fast Lollipop is by the same sire as Trevor Brazile’s great calf horse Deputy. Their Lazy E-raised daddy, Popular Resortfigure by Dual Pep out of Bar J Jackie, has a reputation for siring standout calf horses. On the bottom side, Lollipop is straight racehorse. Her dam is an own granddaughter of both Easy Jet and Hempen.

Figure To Fly Lollipop

Ready to sell

While Mayfield’s investment has been worth it in the long run, he initially questioned Lollipop’s ability and was ready to sell to anyone willing to give him his money back.

“After I bought her, we took her to Lovedale and it was horrible,” Mayfield said with a laugh. “We did not get along at all. After Lovedale, we went to Red Bluff, and I won the first round on her, but after that, I didn’t win a penny on her at any of the California rodeos. On our way home, we went to Guymon, but I didn’t win a penny on her there. After Guymon, I took her to a jackpot and didn’t win anything on her. She just didn’t love her job anymore.”

Bonding with Lollipop

Prior to Lollipop, Mayfield had never owned a mare, but he knew that sometimes mares need a little extra bonding, so that’s what he did.

“I think we rushed things trying to get together, so we didn’t get along,” Mayfield said. “At that point, I thought, I either need to sell her or figure something else out. So, I went home and started working on her and getting her to just love her job again. She has taught me a lot about horses, mares specifically and they must love their job. I started taking her to jackpots to figure each other out and trust each other.”

At first, it was going so bad that Mayfield had Blane Cox text Marty Yates to try and buy Lollipop for what he had in her. But nobody wanted Lollipop—at that time, that is. To no surprise, Yates offered double the amount for Lollipop than what Mayfield priced her at in 2023.

“She was 13 years old and already trained,” Mayfield said. “She’s already been there, done that, so she knows what to do, but I felt like I just had to teach her to love her job again. She wasn’t the best in the box, and she had problems at the end of the rope; she was tight. I took to the practice pen and worked on new things every day, mainly just being patient with her and taking time. That’s when I really started to figure it out.

Jackpot-by-jackpot

It wasn’t an overnight process for the pair. But with no backup plan, Mayfield kept working.

“I would try doing something, then take her to a little rodeo down the road,” Mayfield said. “Then I figured out that’s how I need to stay freeing her up, or this is how I make her good on the end of a rope. It just took time, patience and working on the little things to bring back her love for calf roping.”

When Lollipop is happy, Mayfield is happy, and more than likely, there’s a big check in Mayfield’s hands.

“This year, I haven’t done anything; it’s been all her,” Mayfield said. “She’s been phenomenal at every setup and every type of scenario. With her, all I have to do is keep her freed up because she’s got such a big stop. When I can, I’ll get her in the practice pen and free her up. But other than that, I just keep her happy. That’s the biggest thing.”

Lollipop won how much?

Almost all the $286,346 that Mayfield won on his way to his sixth NFR qualification was aboard Lollipop. The Money Man rode Platinum to the win at San Antonio and Rampage to the wins in Stephenville and Abilene, but the rest of the wins were all Lollipop.

Of the money that Mayfield won in the 2024 season, $180,202 alone came from rodeos that he won. If our memory and math are correct, Mayfield was aboard Lollipop for 10 of his 13 rodeo wins, earning $149,453.

The bronze

Mayfield has a world title, numerous arena records and set the record for the most regular season earnings in 2024. But of all those accolades, owning and riding a horse that won Horse of the Year means the most.

“This year, my biggest goal was breaking the single-season earnings record, and I did that,” Mayfield said. “When I got the call that Lollipop got Horse of the Year, that meant more to me than anything. Honestly, I didn’t grow up riding the best horses, I had to make do with whatever I had. I never thought I’d have the chance to own the horse of the year, but it means so much to me because I got to show her how to love roping calves again.”

It isn’t a secret that Mayfield loves his horses. In almost every win interview, you can find him giving credit where credit is due—to his horses.  

“My horses are my rock,” Mayfield said. “I couldn’t do what I do without my horses. Honestly, Lollipop is the reason why I won as much as I did this year. Just like I got my recognition for the single-season earnings record, I did it all on her, so she got her recognition in Horse of the Year.”

Horse of the Year Lineup

Lollipop wasn’t the only horse recognized for her efforts this year. The top 25 tie-down ropers also voted Seven S Tomahawk, “Smoke,” owned by Haven Meged, as the runner-up to Lollipop, and Major A 2009, “Earl,” owned by Dylan Hancock, as the second runner-up.

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