$429K Earning NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion Zak 34 to Stand at Solo Select Under New Ownership
Zak 34, a son of Woody Be Tuff, was acquired by Solo Select Horses, Kaleb Terlip’s T7 Ranch and 7K Quarter Horses after earning more than $429,000.
BREAKING – In a major Western performance horse transaction, Solo Select Horses, Kaleb Terlip’s T7 Ranch, and 7K Quarter Horses have acquired Zak 34—the $429,000+ earning, jet-black son of Woody Be Tuff and 2021 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion.
The marquee stallion will now stand at Solo Select, placing the premier reined cow horse champion right alongside his iconic sire.
Born from Heartbreak, Raised into Legend
Zak 34’s story began in the middle of the night in March 2018 at Center Ranch, Head of Solo Select’s fitting program, Maria Gutierrez remembers.
Born to recipe 409, one of the ranch’s all-time favorite recipient mares, he stood out instantly. In a pasture filled with sorrel Woody Be Tuff foals and the occasional bay, he was impossible to miss.. Even as a baby, he possessed a remarkably pretty lope and a bold, confident attitude inherited from his dam, Cat Digs Lucinda. A producer of over $800,000, she proved to be an incredible cross with Woody Be Tuff—generating champions across reined cow horse, cutting, and roping arenas alike. Though proud and a little tough to halter break at first, Zak 34 was never bad-minded—he simply knew he was special.
Goosebumps at the Western Bloodstock NRCHA Futurity Sales
Before he became an NRCHA champion, the Center Ranch-bred black colt was known as CR Tuff Diggin Louie. In 2020, Missy Fischer and her family traveled 700 miles from Wagner, South Dakota, to the Western Bloodstock NRCHA Futurity Sales in Fort Worth. They weren't looking for a superstar; they were grieving the sudden loss of Missy’s 35-year-old son, Seth, on the Missouri River just two months prior. When Missy saw the 2-year-old colt step into the ring, something clicked.
“Seth was with me when I bought Zak 34, and he was right there in the arena when he won the Snaffle Bit,” Fischer said, her voice filled with emotion. “I wanted Seth’s legacy to live on. That was the most important thing to me.”
The family bought him for $88,500 and renamed him Zak 34—honoring Seth’s childhood nickname, "Zak," and his lifelong jersey number 34, a tribute to Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton.
Redefining Versatility in the Show Pen with Million-Dollar Riders
Just one year later, Zak 34 carried that memory straight to the top. Paired with NRCHA $3 Million rider Justin Wright, he delivered a stunning 226 fence run in the final set to post a 670 composite, capturing the 2021 NRCHA Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Championship.
He went on to prove his raw athleticism across disciplines, making noise in the rope horse world by banking $4,500 in his first heading futurity with ARHFA World Champion Andy Holcomb.
“He isn’t just a nice horse… he’s the kind that makes you re-check you tied your cinch," Chris Dawson, the NRCHA $2 million rider who piloted Zak 34, said.
Guided Dawson, Zak 34 tied for the highest preliminary score with an impressive 887 and clinched the steer stopping phase at the 2026 World’s Greatest Horseman—ultimately earning the reserve championship.
This win officially propelled Zak 34 to the No. 1 spot on Woody Be Tuff’s all-time highest-earning offspring list.
The Deal: Coming Full Circle
The connection between Zak 34 and Solo Select started a long time ago. Ty Smith was actually the runner-up bidder on the colt back at the 2020 Western Bloodstock NRCHA Futurity Sale. The very next year—the same year Solo Select acquired his sire, Woody Be Tuff—Zak 34 won the Snaffle Bit Futurity.
"We tried to buy him then, but it was an absolute NO at the time, and I can’t blame them," said Melanie Smith. "We understand exactly what this horse means to the Fischer family."
The turning point came through Corsica Horse Sale owner Blake Thompson. After selling over 200 horses for her a few weeks ago in a production sale in Corsica, Thompson asked her about Zak 34’s future. Fischer wanted her champion to have every opportunity to become an elite stallion sire while safeguarding her son's memory. Trusting Thompson and the program built by Melanie Smith and Ty Smith, the door opened for a partnership between Solo Select, Kaleb Terlip’s T7 Ranch, and Kurt Neff’s 7K Quarter Horses.
"We are humbled and proud that Missy felt we could do our part to represent her son through the success and legacy of this horse," Melanie Smith said.
"I love Mel and Ty's energy," said Kurt Neff. "I’m black and white, old school. I do what I say I will do and so do they. Trustworthy. I like Zak 34, he is multi-dimensional—he pleases and appeals to a lot of different people.”
The Vision: Building an Unrivaled Legacy
“By naming him Zak 34 after Seth, I figured he would live longer, and I hope that's what happens," Fischer said. "Melanie is a much better promoter, and she can truly extend his legacy.”
Standing Zak 34 at Solo Select alongside Woody Be Tuff feels like the fulfillment of Fischer’s vision from the very start: a story rooted in legacy. Exceptionally built, dark, and fast, Zak 34 offers breeders a dynamic, multi-dimensional cross—particularly for running-bred mares aimed at the roping arena. He brings tremendous value to the Solo Select stallion roster.
Built on a vision of offering breeders top-tier genetics across every Western discipline, Solo Select focuses on a stallion roster backed by proven arena success—and Zak 34 fits that mold perfectly. As an elite performer with every trait necessary to excel as a sire, he is poised to pass those same winning qualities on to his foals.
For Kaleb Terlip and T7 Ranch, adding Zak 34 bolsters an already elite stallion roster that includes powerhouses such as Woody Be Tuff, Pride And Joyy, Third Edge, Time To Glo, LBR Hangem, and The Darkk Side.
"Zak 34 has really been connected to our story from the beginning," Terlip said. "Having the opportunity to bring him into our program now feels like things have come full circle. What excites me most about Zak is his versatility and what he represents as an athlete. If everything goes according to plan, our goal is to prepare him for the World’s Greatest Horseman."
By honoring his past while strategically positioning him at the forefront of both reined cow horse and roping scenes, Solo Select, T7, and 7K are ensuring that Zak 34’s name—and Seth Fischer's memory—will continue to shape the performance horse industry for generations to come.**
Need more info about Zak 34? Call or email our Stallion Office 📞 Stallion Office: (903) 436-6615 📧 stallions@soloselect.com
