Calgary, Cheyenne, Houston, Texas Circuit Finals, NFR: all places John Douch has counted on Peponchek Royalspade – aka “Tomcat” – to win big money.
Tomcat — whose original name was allegedly Thomas before Joe Beaver got ahold of him — is the 11-year-old black gelding Douch has saddled for almost all of his big wins this season.
“Joe bought him from Scottie Shelton,” Douch said. “I ended up buying him from Joe, he didn’t have him for very long, I bet he had him four months at most. He was actually supposed to be my youngest brother’s horse to go to Canada and rodeo on and he decided not to go — so I ended up getting him.”
After plans changed for Douch’s little brother, Tomcat was at Douch’s disposal. In May of 2024, he loaded him in the trailer as a green horse to season and back up his good ones at the time. But, as fate would have it, his good one got hurt, and Tomcat had his chance to step up.
Standing at just 14.2 hands and built like a piece of military equipment, Tomcat is the kind of horse that is an asset no matter the setup. This game is already hard, so the ones that make it easy are so important.
“He’s so easy — he’s good in every set up,” Douch said. “From stronger calves to calves I need to turn around — it doesn’t matter — he fits every set up and every calf. From Calgary to Cheyenne, he’s been the best horse — I’ve won a lot of money on him this summer. He made my summer a lot easier.”
Tomcat is also easy outside the rodeo arena.
“I usually don’t practice on him; I usually just pony him or have my girlfriend exercise him,” Douch said. “Every once in a while, I’ll score some on him to keep him calm in the box, maybe breakaway one or two slower calves, just to keep his mind focused. I usually don’t tie any down on him because he works the same every time.”
That low-key demeanor is part of what makes the gelding Douch’s No. 1.
“He’s really a laid-back horse,” Douch said. “After I rode him all last summer, he started coming up to the front of the stall for treats—he gets one every time I ride him and after the rodeos. He’s pretty cool to be around. At home, he stays turned out. I try not to keep him in a stall much, I just let him be a horse.”
Tomcat has had quite the summer with Douch. In Calgary, the pair won $27,500; won over $14,000 in Nampa, Idaho; and just recently won his performance and placed in the first semifinals in Cheyenne.
From here, the team is headed home for the week to get some much-needed rest before heading back out. The plan is to hit Dodge City, Kansas; then to Castle Rock, Colorado and hopefully back to the short go at Dodge City. After Dodge City the pair will head to Loveland, Colorado and Hermiston, Oregon.
Although Douch isn’t letting up any time soon, Tomcat will be his pinch hitter as they wrap up the summer of their successful season.
“Now that I have a decent amount of money won, I’ll probably let him have a break and ride him at all the bigger rodeos and ride one of my other horses at the smaller rodeos.”
After a big week of ProRodeos shifting the standings, Douch remains in the third-place seat of the 2025 world standings race with $120,175.89 won.