Catching Fire: Taycie Matthews and 2023 WPRA Horse of the Year, Fame Fire Rocks

We love a good comeback story and throughout the early 2025 season, one we have been following closely is 2023 National Finals Rodeo qualifer, Taycie Matthews, and her great mare, Fame Fire Rocks. The 2017 mare is by the late, great FirewaterOnTheRocks and out of W R Aces Fame by Dash Ta Fame. Her lifetime earnings are $329,315 per EquiStat and that is only through February 2025. "Poprocks" and Matthews were on fire in March, so roughly $62,000 is not yet accounted for in that number.

Rodeo On SI caught up with Matthews about the duo's journey from 2023 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) Champion and 2023 WPRA Horse of the Year to 2025 American Rodeo Reserve Champion. It has not all been smooth sailing for the pair, with Poprocks suffering a fracture to her hock shortly before the 2023 NFR, which resulted in surgery and extensive time off from competition. Now, the great mare is back in action and Matthews and Poprocks have been on a roll. In the same week, they won $35,000 at the Diamond Classic Main Event and $31,000 at the American rodeo.

Matthews and Poprocks were on fire in Arlington, finishing third in the Contender Finals, second in the Round of 10 right behind Dusky Lynn Hall's new arena record, and second in the Finals, behind yet another arena record from Kassie Mowry. "She was fresh. She's not been on the road. I really think it's making a difference. She's always been happy and healthy, but I think she's the happiest and healthiest she's ever been," Matthews explained.

"I actually hadn't tried to make the American since Teton Ridge bought it, with the new format. I thought I might as well try this year and I'm glad I did! I knew my horse could do it, I just didn't know if I could do it. She definitely exceeded my expectations. She tried her hardest every round and I couldn't ask for anything else," Matthews told us.

Poprocks was trained and ran her futurity year with top trainer, Janna Beam Brown. Taycie's mother, Kim, remarked, "She never got out of the 3D until August of her four-year-old year. She qualified back at the Summer Shootout in Oklahoma City in the 3D and then she just blew them away, she got faster every run and ran a 1D time in the final round. She placed in the 1D from then on."

With nearly $400,000 in lifetime earnings in 2025, Poprocks won roughly $47,000 her futurity year. The talented mare really came on strong late in the season, after having to take a few months off due to a bout of cellulitis. She joined the Matthews family her five-year-old year and began racking up wins for Taycie's sister, Jaylie, who won a round at the 2022 CNFR. Taycie took the reins in July 2022 and Poprocks played a huge role in her finish as 2022 WPRA Reserve Rookie of the Year.

As far as seeking another NFR qualification, Matthews would like to make another run at it, this time with Poprocks in tow to Las Vegas. Matthews plans to focus her efforts this year to season the latest addition to her team, DesignerLeapToHeaven, who was trained by Brian Wheeler.

"I would love to get her seasoned and have Poppy some backup. I'm just taking this year going to some bigger barrel races and trying to get with my horses and build a team back up and see what we can do from there," Matthews explained.