Decorated Tie-Down Horse Twisters Enola Gay Dies at Age 21
Tuf Cooper at the National Finals Rodeo.
Tuf Cooper rode "Roanie," at two National Finals Rodeo appearances. Image by Dan Hubbell Rodeo Images.

The Bradley family of Collinsville, Texas, announced the recent death of Twisters Enola Gay, a four-time AQHA world champion, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo mount and dam of an AQHA Superhorse. 

Known as “Roanie,” the 1992 red roan mare was bred by the late AQHA and National Reining Horse Association judge Clark Bradley and soon transferred into the ownership of his son, C. R. She was the first foal from Berries Enola Gay, the mare on whom C. R., now an AQHA Professional Horseman, won his first AQHYA world championship. Berries Enola Gay was by Toby Gay Bar by Gay Bar King and out of a daughter of Dun Berry. Roanie’s sire was Smooth Talkin Man, a racing son of Jet Smooth by Jet Deck, out of a daughter of The Ole Man. 

Owned and ridden by C. R. throughout her life, Roanie earned AQHA world championships in senior tie-down roping in 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2010. She was a reserve world champion in junior heeling in 1997 and in senior tie-down roping in 2005. 

On their website, C. R. and his wife, Rosie, wrote: “Roanie has proven to be a bionic show horse and has transferred over to an outstanding rodeo horse, as well. … She has won or placed at every major rodeo there is, and Tuf Cooper rode her to win the 2012 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championship.” The mare also was a four-time champion at the All American Quarter Horse Congress and has won every major horse show in the United States, as well as the National Rope Horse Futurity Sweepstakes. 

Tuf paid homage to her on his Facebook page, writing, “Roanie was a great horse, and she played a big part in my career. I had the privilege of riding her at two NFRs and at the Omaha rodeo one year. Won a world championship and the Omaha rodeo on her, winning over a quarter of a million. Her owners gave her the best life a horse could have. Thanks to C. R. and Rosie Bradley for letting me be a small part of all her accomplishments.”

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Roanie produced four foals, ensuring that her legacy lives on for years to come. All four are performers, with the top being Twisters Enola Rey, a 2009 son of Dual Rey who was named the 2014 AQHA Superhorse with C.R., as well as the junior tie-down roping world champion. The gelding sold in 2017 to Sydney Freeman and has added a world title in senior tie-down roping in 2021. In 2022, he won an amateur tie-down world championship and a Congress championship with Monte Freeman. 

Other foals made news in 2022, including Roanie’s 2007 foal by Nic It In The Bud, RS Twistin Nic, who carried rider Ulisez Fernandez to success in the October Ride and Slide at the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity. 

In May, Roanie’s youngest foal, the 2015 mare Twisters Enola Fame (by Lions Share Of Fame) was named the intermediate heading champion at the Royal Crown Roping Futurity, with owner C. R.

In announcing the matriarch’s death on Facebook, Rosie said that Roanie “lived a long, great life and was ready to eat green grass again.” She said the mare was “one of the greatest calf horses of all time and definitely the most loved. We can never thank her enough for everything she did for our family.” 

Courtesy AQHA.

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