Olds, Alberta was an exciting place to be the last weekend in April.   Barrel racers flocked to town for the 3rd Annual Barrel Bash where an Open, Youth and Slot race was held.  The top 10 ten in the average over 2 long goes were brought back for a sudden death short go.   Toni Dixon and her horse Jig French Truckle were the short go winners.   Toni answered some of our questions about herself and her horse.

-What is the name of the horse you are running?

Jig French Truckle, her barn name is “Muffin”

-How old is she?

9 yr old sorrel mare, She is by a son of Frenchmans Guy out of a Bunny Bid, Truckle Feature mare.
-How long have you been running barrels on her?

3 years

-What is the training background on this horse?

I bought her from Buffy Romeo as a 6 yr old. Buffy bought her as a 3 yr old from
Keisha in Nebraska. She took her to some Futurites and Derbies until I bought
her.

-What is your training and riding style with your horse?

I team rope, (heel), and breakaway a bit on her. I do very little barrel work with
her. If I am on the pattern I do slow work. I am a quiet rider.

-What is it you like best about her?

Her desire to please and her love to run barrels. She is deceptively fast because
she is so smooth and powerful.

-You won the Short Go, but was this your best run of the weekend?  If not, which
one was and why?

My fastest time of the weekend was my short go run of 15.107

-How do you prepare for your runs (warm up etc.)?  Did you have to do anything
different having to make more than one run in the same arena?

I like to warm her up away from the action if I can. She worries when I am too
close to the in- gate so I don’t go near it until her run. Once she is warmed up, I
like to keep her warm but calm. It was nice we had the opportunity to ride in the
arena between go rounds. I was able to walk the pattern and let her relax in the
arena.

-What kind of saddle do you use?

Coats saddle

-What kind of pad do you use?

Wade pad

-What kind of bit do you use?

Small gag snaffle with rollers made by Dave Elliot.

-Are there any specific goals you set for yourself and your horse this season?

I would like to continue to run smooth fast consistent runs on her.

-What lead you to be a barrel racer?

I grew up in Ontario and only rode English (jumping, 3-day eventing, dressage
and fox hunting). I moved to Alberta in 1983 and starting riding in a western
saddle. I learned to rope and cattle pen. When my second son was born, my
husband suggested I get into barrel racing which I did in 1988. I have been barrel
racing ever since. My husband, Howie and I bred, raised and raced running
Quarters Horses for 15 years. I have trained several running Quarter Horses to
run barrels.

-What do you do when you’re not barrel racing? (job, other interests etc).

I am on the Board of Directors for the Calgary Stampede. I am a volunteer for the
Canadian Cancer society.

-If you were to share a training/rodeo tip what would it be?

I feel it is important to do other things with your horses. Don’t drill them too much
on the pattern. When on the pattern do lots of slow work.

Toni has a special shout out:
I would like to say a special thank you to Lisa Nault and her team for putting on
the Olds Barrel Bash. It was an excellent weekend, very well organized. I would
also like to thank all the sponsors especially Frontier Western Shop for their
generous sponsorships.

Click this link to view complete Barrel Bash results.

2012 was a banner year for Laci Suitor. We interviewed her earlier in the year after her BRN4D World Championship win aboard Coloursomebugsonme.  This time we wanted to learn more about her 7 year old derby gelding Swift Machine.    Affectionately known as “Friendly”, the gelding was the high point derby horse on the Canadian Barrel Futurities (and Derbies) circuit with Suitor in the drivers seat.  In 2010 Swift Machine was the high point futurity horse with Rayel Robinson as the jockey (Suitor Quarter Horses the owners).   Here is what Laci had to say about this great horse:

-What is the training background on this horse?
He was trained and futuritied by Rayel Robinson.

-What is your training and riding style with this horse?
I follow Rayel’s training and riding style.

-What is it you like best about him?
He is very broke and has a solid foundation.

-Which CBF event was a highlight for you this year?
Brandon Manitoba Northern Lights Futurity & Derby. It was my first time there, it was well ran, they had great prizes, and friendly people.

-Do you have a favorite win or run that really stands out?
One of my favorite runs this year on Friendly was at Maple Creek Pro rodeo because it was my first time placing at a pro rodeo on this particular horse.

-Friendly won the high point championship as a futurity horse with Rayel Robinson riding him.  What do you think has contributed to his continued success into his derby years?
Rayel put a solid foundation on Friendly through his training and Futurity year. I also try to follow Rayel’s training and riding style as best I can which I also believe has contributed to his continued success.

-What are your future plans with Friendly?
This year I will focus on the pro rodeos with both him and Bugs.

-If you were to share a tip for competing on the futurity and derby circuit would it be?
Don’t rush it, get a solid foundation before adding speed.

-What do you do when you’re not barrel racing?
I am currently attending KDM Dental College and I enjoy riding/training colts.

Laci would like thank her friends, family, and everyone who supports her. She would  also like to thank  the organizers and volunteers at all the events. Also a big Thank you to Suitor Quarter Horses and RES Equine products.

Here is a video of Laci and Friendly making a great run in Maple Creek:

Thank you Laci for taking the time to answer our questions.  We look forward to following your success in 2013.   The 2013 CBF schedule is currently under review and will be posted to the CBF website once committees submit their details.

In 2011 we interviewed Kim Gerwatoski about her Canadian Barrel Futurity win aboard the horse Solanos Millionaire.    In 2012,  Kim found herself winning the title once again but on the 5 year old mare Sailing On A Dream.   Interestingly enough if you check the pedigrees on these horses they are out of the same dam (Millionaire Dreams) a daughter of Millionaire Playboy.     It is quite a feat to come out on top as the leading  futurity horse and rider on the Canadian Barrel Futurities circuit, but to do it twice and two years in a row at that, is certainly something to be commended.

Kim answered some of our questions to give us an idea of what lead this team to success in 2012.

-What is Sailing On A Dream’s barn name?
Josey

-What is the training background on this horse? When was she started on barrels?
I raised and trained her entirely.  She was lightly started under saddle as a 2 year old.  She had more riding as a 3 year old and started some light barrel work.  As a 4 year old she had a lot of barrel work.  She was in the trailer being hauled from her 3 year old year on.

-What is your training and riding style with this horse?
Josey is a very soft, flexible horse but has a bit of a diva attitude.  My approach was the same as my other horses in the fact that I like a horse really supple in their ribcage and knowing how to collect their entire frame.  I have always had to work a lot at coordinating her legs.  Often her mind is a few steps ahead of her feet.

-What is it you like best about her?
I love how she can really collect and power out of a turn although is inconsistent at that yet.  Josey absolutely loves people and loves to have a job.

-Which CBF event was a highlight for you this year?
No one futurity stands out for me with Josey.  The fact that I was able to repeat back to back Futurity Hi Point titles on horses out of the same mother that I trained from the ground up is rather neat.  Also notable, being these were that broodmares first two babies.  And there was several really tough futurity horses competing this year.

-Do you have a favorite win or run that really stands out?
None of my runs were ever close to perfect or great all year so no, nothing stands out.  If it wasn’t this, it was that during a run.  Josey had trouble with her first barrel as she learned to go faster because she began holding her breath in the alley, just being bratty.  Sometimes she is too smart for her own good.  I am thinking she will outgrow that this year.

I could say that I was happiest with her at the Barrel Futurities of America.  That was her first competition, running against all those tough horses that had been running all year and with such a long haul and intimidating arena for her.  In the second go she was 45th of 450 entries.  We didn’t miss the short go by much.

Photo is from the Diamonds & Dirt Futurity in Bryan, Texas in March

-How do you prepare for your runs (warm up etc.)?
I have certain “buttons” I like to make sure are working.  I warm up their muscles walking and trotting, do some suppling/softening exercises, some loping, then sharpen them up and let them chill.

-What kind of saddle do you use?
I have a handful to choose from- an older Larry Coats, an older Martin, and an older Tim Pihland are my favorites.

-What kind of pad do you use?
The way my saddles fit I prefer a thicker pad than some people.  I have a few depending on the horse and the saddle but I prefer higher quality dense wool-  Cactus, Relentless, Todd Slone.  I use a thinner 3/4″ Impact gel with my older Marlene McRae saddle.

-What kind of bit do you use?
I start my young ones in various snaffle mouthpieces but prefer the draw headstalls.  I then love the medium shank Ed Wright to transition.  From there it really is dependent upon the individual but I do typically prefer a gag of some kind.  I am really liking the bit Kathy James designed.

-Are there any specific goals you set for yourself and your horse this season?
Taking into consideration who Josey was, I just wanted to do the best we could at each futurity-  whatever she was capable of and ready for.  I was hoping to win one this year, but I had to settle for reserve instead.  Consistency is a great quality though.  I had thought about how nice it would be to repeat the title on a few occasions early in the year, but it was never a set goal.

-What do you look for in a futurity prospect?
I look for pedigree with a performance record , confirmation with great movement, along with attitude.  You need them all to stay at the top.

- This is the second year in a row that you have won the high point futurity award, is there anything that stands out in your mind that has contributed to this success?
I have really worked hard at improving my horsemanship and am starting to know how I want a horse to feel in my hands.  When they have that “feel” I seem to win more money.  I watch others and research a lot.  I have often made mistakes and had to fix them but that is how you learn.  I am open to trying new things and really figuring out what works best–results don’t lie.  I also have a lot of riding time on my horses at an early age and they spend at least a year on the road before their first competition year.  I am also riding better and better horses.

-If you were to share a tip for training futurity horses what would it be?
Get your horse softer in their face and body than you ever thought imaginable.

-What do you do when you’re not barrel racing?
I have worked so hard at this for a while now that barrel racing is all I focus on- whether it be training or pedigrees.  I do try to keep in mind that barrel racing is not who I am though, it’s just something I enjoy doing.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would have to thank my husband the most.  He’s worked extra hard just so that I can get better horses and have the time I need to work with them.  He is also much more business minded than I am and has helped me make better choices.   I am the worker bee, so I guess we complement each other!

I also was able to run Josey barefoot this entire year at the futurities, like I did last year’s colt as well.  I have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t since I started this a couple years ago, and will continue to do so if each horse as an individual can handle what conditions I expose them to.  If not, I don’t hesitate to use shoes.

This video is from the BFA Futurity in Oklahoma City, OK in December of 2011

The great Canadian Western Agribition played host to the Canadian Cowboys Association Finals once again November 20-24th 2012. There were 5 performances over 5 days paying out almost $150,000 in cash and prizes.  Robbi Nace came out on top in the Ladies Barrel Racing winning $3625.00 plus a championship saddle and buckle.   Robbi and her horse Jays Crystal Lite (Crystal) split 1st in the first round with Melissa Thiessen and won the third and fourth round hands down.  Despite a nasty stumble at first barrel in the final round the duo was still able to hold onto 4th in the average and claim the championship over runner up and 4 time consecutive champion Dannielle (Dinius) Knudson.   For complete Canadian Cowboys Association Finals Results  <—click.

-What is the name of the horse you are running?Jays Crystal Lite but we call her Crystal or affectionately “the munchkin” and my rodeo coach

(MSU) called her “the franchise”

-How old is she? 17

-How long have you been running barrels on her? since 2004

-What is the training background on this horse? She was my break away horse starting in 2001 and we took her to a lot of Rienhardt clinics to help me learn without upsetting the old horse I was running at the time. Turns out that she really liked barrel racing so when I started high school rodeo I ran her.

-What is your training and riding style with your horse? Like I said my parents took me to many Rienhardt (Danny and Vicki Rienhardt out of Marshall, TX) clinics and I would say that I still follow their style. Crystal is ratey so I have to be aggressive and you will see me over-under between barrels because she anticipates the turn.

-What is it you like best about her/him? This little horse is gritty. She doesn’t know (or accept) she’s only 14 hands tall. She runs into barrels with the same speed and aggressiveness every run. I love her can-do attitude!

-You won the CCA finals…. which run do you think was your best there and why ? I think the round 4 run (13.75) was our best run. She was just super aggressive and firing throughout that run. 

-Do you have a favorite win or run from the regular season? I would have to say Swift Current. Its a big pen and she just loved it!

-How do you prepare for your runs (warm up etc.)? I warm her up in a halter/lead rope. She knows we’re down to business when I put the bit in her mouth. We do a lot of long trotting because she seems to get a bit short if I don’t. She had colic surgery November 2010 (the day we were scheduled to get our papers to go to our first CCA finals) and after that she needs to stretch out a bit before a run.

-What kind of saddle do you use? I use a custom made Tod Slone barrel saddle. I won a few saddle certificates in 2008 and decided to have a saddle made for her with them. It has a butterfly skirt and stingray seat and seems to fit the both of us.

-What kind of pad do you use? I use a Professional’s Choice Air Ride Pad

-What kind of bit do you use? Sherri Cervi short shank with dog bone mouthpiece and for regular riding I use a draw gag with the same mouthpiece

-Are there any specific goals you set for yourself and your horse this season? I started the summer off with the goal to qualify for CCA finals and to fill my WPRA permit (which we did on July 4 in Mandan, ND). 

-What lead you to be a barrel racer? My whole family ropes and runs barrels and I never thought of doing anything else! It’s nice to be able to go to a rodeo or a jackpot and see my sisters or my brother-in-law or my niece/nephews compete and win.  

-What do you do when you’re not barrel racing?  I am currently completing my double degree (history/secondary ed) at Montana State University so that takes up a lot of my time. I also help out with the local high school rodeo team’s practices once a week. I like to read and do crafts/projects.

-If you were to share a training/rodeo tip what would it be? Remember to enjoy the little things and not to be so hard on yourself. If something is meant to be, it will happen and all one can do is put in the time, be patient and give it the best effort.

- Robbi would like to pay a special thank you to those that supported her throughout the year.  I would like to thank my family and the Keller family for being supportive in all that I do and for believing in my little horse. I would like to thank Cody Rood and Shay Keller for being great travel partners and for running Crystal’s Facebook page!

Here are a couple more videos of Robbi and Crystal winning the round.

By Katy Lucas

September Seventeenth.

An ordinary day for most. But for 20-year-old Brooke Patton, that was a good day to
move on.

Brooke Patton was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on January 16, 2012.
Since then she has gone through four rounds of chemo, one round of total body
radiation and a stem cell transplant.

But on that Monday in September Brooke had a good reason to be happy. That was
the day she was deemed cancer free and for the first time in eight months her and
her family didn’t have to worry any more.

“Being cancer free is an amazing feeling,” said Patton. “My first thought was this is
finally over, no more worries! My family has worked so hard and been together with
me every step of the way. “

What now?

In Brooke’s words, “Being diagnosed has opened my eyes. Life is so short and we
take so many things for granted and I now appreciate every moment I am at home
with my family living the great life I have.”

She says that she is ready for life to begin again and has already set some goals for
herself, goals that had to be put on hold while she received her treatments.

“I have enrolled in online upgrading and hope to attend school next fall. I have also
started a workout class so it’s almost like a fresh start!”

Patton also looks forward to the day when she is healthy enough to walk out into the
pasture, catch her patiently waiting horse and return to the event she loves most -
Barrel Racing.

Thanks to an organization called the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network,

these dreams can become a reality. OneMatch is dedicated to finding patients a
match for stem cell and marrow transplants when a match could not be found from
a family member.

Brooke received her stem cell transplant in June after months of waiting for a
treatment. Although she has a long way to go, she is now on a steady road to
recovery.

“The cancer can come back at any time and I am not officially in remission until I am
clean for five years. So we still keep very humble in hoping each day just continues
to get better,” said Brooke.

Patton stressed the importance of the support she received throughout her journey
to recovery. “The amount of support I had was amazing. I have had so much support
from my family, boyfriend and his family and the rodeo community.”

From Rodeo Classifieds, we wish Brooke the best of luck with the rest of her
recovery.

The 57th Annual Foothills Cowboys Association Finals were held October 5-7th with 4 performances used to declare the finals champion.  Each round paid 4 places, with the winner receiving $1000 for a round win.    Winning the average, the 2rd round plus 2 seconds and a 3rd was enough for Brook Robertson to come out the finals barrel racing champion.    Brook finished 50 points ahead of season leader Bobbie Goodwin.

We caught up with Brook to learn a little bit more about her success:

-What is the name of the horse you are running?

DBF Skipadash Jewel (Jewel)

-How old is Jewel?

She is 10

-How long have you been running barrels on her?

Since March of 2011

What is the training background on this horse?

Tanya Blacklaw trained her. She did a lot of different things with her. Rode pens at the auction market, cattle sorting etc.  She didn’t limit her to barrel work.

-What is your training and riding style with your horse?

Big thank you to my finals sponsors, Wild Creek Contracting, Butterfield Performance Horses, Simalta Farms ltd. , and Big Country Energy Services

Here is a look at Round 3:

Congratulations Brook and best of luck in 2012!

By Katy Lucas

Just in time for the first college rodeo of the season, some of the veterans in the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association are offering up their best advice for juggling post-secondary life and rodeo.

At times you may struggle to keep up with both your studies and practicing for the rodeo and many competitors have to decide whether they have to put their rodeo aspirations aside to focus on schooling or to make the effort to keep up with both.

With that in mind, I have compiled a list of tips from some of the CIRA’s top competitors that may just help you manage both.

Roping outside my townhouse in Lethbridge before I settle in for some homework

Here’s my top tip. Even if you don’t go to a rodeo school or can’t board your horses near school there are still ways to practice. For example, if you look out into my backyard after school you will see me roping my dummy, getting in some valuable practice time before I start on my homework. So no matter what, I always find time to practice.

Here are some other tips that may help you along your journey to academic and athletic success.

“Keep good relations with your family, rodeo friends and class mates. You never know when you’re going to need help.

- Kirk Robinson, 2011/2012 CIRA Calf Roping Season Leader

“Go to all the meetings and be informed. Rodeo is a business – you need to know what’s going on,”

- Coleman Watt, 2011/2012 CIRA Bronc Riding Season Leader and two-time CIRA Bronc Riding Director

“If you have to miss classes, go to the instructor ahead of time and get the material and any homework you won’t be there for, don’t wait until after you’ve missed the class.”

- Cody Bratton, 2012 Calf Roping Finals Champion and 2012/2013 CIRA Vice President.

“I try to set my courses up where they won’t conflict with rodeo. Most of my classes are morning classes so if I need to leave early say on a Friday I don’t have to miss class to go. I put myself in more difficult courses in the fall since there are usually fewer rodeos then compared to spring.”
- Nicole Briggs, 2012/2013 CIRA President.

“My best success in school was with professors I put an effort in to having a relationship with. Due to the amount of school I’d be missing I knew I had to know them in order to ask a favor of them to write an exam or final at a different time if I had to be somewhere else at the same time. Our stories are unique enough that they often have never heard anything like it so they have to say yes.”

- Ted Stovin, 2011/2012 CIRA President, 2008 Bull Riding Finals Champion

“School should come first, but you have to make time for riding and practice or it won’t happen. I find that just pleasure riding can ease my stress about college and my busy schedule.”

- Leah Olstad, 2010 and 2012 Goat Tying Finals Champion.

“Your a student first and then an athlete. You must be dedicated to your schoolwork in order to compete in college rodeo.”

- Pete Lowry, 2012 CIRA Cowboy of the Year

“Be focused on your runs at the rodeo not the bar/social after your run.”

- Justin Wagner, 2011/2012 CIRA Steer Wrestling Season Leader

“College rodeo allows for an extra activity while in school. It lets you get to know a great group of people and has a competitive atmosphere yet a very high level of sportsmanship.”

- Riley Wik College 2011/2012 CIRA Bareback 3rd Place Season and Finals

Rimbey, AB Cowgirl Sam Smith wasted no time getting 3 saddles won in 1 week. The 15 year old barrel racer (and roper) lit up the boards at the ABRA finals to win 2 saddles in the Junior Barrel Racing. Sam won the Hi Point Youth (Bob Baker Memorial Award) and the 1D Youth saddle. Sam and Taylor Babcook ran the exact same time in the short go.   The sponsors graciously donated another saddle so they could both have one for their 1D win.
If that wasn’t enough excitement, the next weekend Sam competed at the Lakeland Rodeo Association Finals and won another saddle for the championship. This time there was a 3 way runoff and Sam came out the winner of yet another saddle.

We were able to catch up with Sam to ask her about her horses and what her winning program is like.

I ran two different horses, Sir Max Mo Jet, aka “Clutch”, who I won the ABRA saddles on and Ettabo Kid, aka “Locket” who I won the Lakeland on

-How old are these geldings?

Locket is 18 and Clutch is 8

I have been riding Locket for about a year and a half and Clutch for just under a year

Locket was born on the Walters farm and trained by Kareen Warren, and Clutch is actually a pole bending horse out of Indiana who had been started on barrels when I bought him in September of 2011

My horses are unique from one another. Clutch is built more like a “race horse” and Locket is a shorter,  more muscular horse. When I was younger I rode with Dee Butterfield a lot, and this has helped me figure out what to do with different horses. When I ride Locket, I try to stick with Kareen’s method by keeping a small pocket and making sure he slows down before the turns. With Clutch, I’ve been riding with Brook Robertson, who has helped me a lot. I really have to work on making sure he has enough room going into the barrel so he can collect and come off tight. Most times I will circle a barrel at least two or more times to make sure he is calm before I continue. When working barrels I try to refrain from using too much speed, rarely will I go faster than a lope. I do this to ensure my horse stays calm and collected so I have the control I need. For the most part I try to stick to the same method on each horse to eliminate any confusion.

Both of my horses have so much talent and are so nice to be around! They get along well with each other and love to have people around them.

When warning up I make sure to do a lot of long trotting. Trotting stretches out their muscles better than anything else to make sure they are warmed up and ready to run. After trotting I will lope a couple circles in each direction to give them that extra workout.

I’ve rode in a few different brands of saddles but at the moment I ride in a Tod Slone. When I receive my Pozzi Pro saddle from Panhandle Traders, and my qualifier from Cowboy Country I will probably start riding in them too.

I have a ton of different saddle pads. On Locket I use a Tod Slone pad, but in the past I have used an ESP pad and an impact gel on him. On Clutch I use a Corrector Pad. This pad has interchangeable pads to build up the pad where needed.

On Locket I use a short shanked snaffle indoors and a medium shanked Cervi bit outside. For Clutch, I use a long shanked bit with a twisted mouthpiece built by Dave Elliot.

Any goals I have set have been achieved! I couldn’t ask for anything more. My horses are both working awesome and really showed me what they can do. I have a few high school rodeos this fall and next spring that I would like to do well at, so I’ll be very happy with them as long as they try.

When I was little my sister, Taylor, barrel raced and when I saw her do it, I wanted to too. My parents don’t rodeo at all, so it’s up to my sisters and I to figure things out.

When having problems, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help. Sometimes other people can see things you don’t, and it doesn’t ever hurt to ask. Nobody is going to be offended when you ask them if they can see anything you need to fix and it will really help both you and your horse to get another persons opinion.

I’d like to thank my Mom and Dad for supplying me with the horses and materials I need to succeed. As well as my sisters for helping me with absolutely everything! A huge thank you to Kareen for selling us Locket and Jerry for selling us Clutch. Also a big thank you to Brook and Dee for helping me since I could barely walk!

Here are a couple videos of Sam and her horses. Clutch at the 2012 ABRA Finals in Ponoka, AB and Locket at the LRA Finals.  You can find the complete event results here: ABRA Finals Results

Thank you Sam and best of luck the rest of the year! ~ Michelle

September long weekend brought barrel racers to Brandon, Manitoba from all directions.  Contestants and horses from 5 provinces and 5 states came to town to take a piece of the $12,000 added money Northern Lights Futurity and Derby.

The 2012 edition of the annual event started off Friday night with the Ronald McDonald House Charity Barrel Race.  The entry fee for this event is a $50 (or more) pledge to the charity. Contestants run for added money and prizes.  Over $8000 was raised for the cause this year.    Sierra Booth was the 1D champion on Perks Masterhand.  They won a beautiful custom buckle and prize money for the win.   The 2D winner was Cassandra Peters on Malibu Rum, the 3D Connie Mansfield on Doc, the 4D Don Hillrud on Buddy.  Complete jackpot results can be found here or through the Northern Lights website.

Saturday the Futurity and Derby action heated up with the first round of racing.    Winning over $1200 for the round 1 futurity win was Alberta trainer Randa Nugent on DR Brenda.     Visit the futurity site for complete results.     The first round of the derby paid almost $900.  Rhonda Vergouwen and her horse Leos Book took home the derby win.

The second round of the Northern Lights Futurity and Derby ran Sunday morning.  The Futurity win for the second go went to Jalaine Anderson and Kidual Ote.  The derby was won by Laci Suitor and Swift Machine.

The short go was exciting with the fast time of the entire event being posted by Short Go and Futurity winner Lynnette Brodoway from Brooks, AB and her Manitoba bred horse  BB Pure Reed.    Lynette was also in contention in the derby on her horse SR Root Sixty Six putting pressure on the fast time horse (and traveling partner) Laci Suitor and Swift Machine.   Laci ended up 0.041 seconds faster than Lynette (using her fast time back and short go time) to win the derby championship.

Complete event results can be found on the Northern Lights website

Unfortunately I did miss several of the futurity runs in the short go, but check out the video of the ones I did get and all of the derby runs here.  Enjoy

The 2011 Wild Rose Association finals champion took home a big pro rodeo check the weekend of August 10-12.  Gaileen Babcock and her 12 year old gelding Indy (registered as Possible Muffet) out ran Indy’s sister for first place.     For those pedigree guru’s out there, Indy is out of the same mare as Cranna Roberts mare Mooney (Leaguer Moon).  Cranna and Mooney placed second at the same rodeo.  Both horses are products of the Butterfield breeding program, Indy being by Perfect Possibility and Mooney by Raisen the Moon.  Possible Muffet was a futurity horse with Dee Butterfield in 2006 splitting 15/16th in year end points.

Gaileen also had great success at the National High School Rodeo Finals, she’ll tell us more about that in the interview below.

What is the name of the horse you are running?

Indy's Pedigree - click to enlarge

Possible Muffet (Indy)

How old is he?

12

How long have you been running barrels on him?

I have been running barrels on him for 2 years now

What is the training background on this horse?

Dee Butterfield owned the horse and started barrel training on him until he was 5. Then my sister, Charissa, bought Indy and continued to train and compete on him until he was 10.

His big personality (well most days)

How do you prepare for your runs (warm up etc.)?

Gaileen and Indy at the NHSRA Finals in Gillette, WY

I try to keep Indy as calm as possible, generally I lope a lot of circles and work on stopping.

Frontier

5 star

Chain bit

Qualifying for the short go in both barrels and poles was a great sense of accomplishment for me. I thought it was great that the 2 Canadian barrel racers in the short go finished in the top 3 in the short go and both in the top 5 overall.

My sister started barrel racing at a young age and watching her led me to start riding and barrel racing.

Dawson Creek Barrel Racing Results

1. Gaileen Babcock, 17.400 seconds, $2,351
2. Cranna Roberts, 17.459, $1,999
3. Steffanie Mather, 17.627; $1,646
4. Laci Suitor, 17.695, $1,411
5. Pamela Morrison, 17.710, $1,175
6. Nancy Csabay, 17.717, $823
7. Lauren Byrne, 17.745, $587
8. Sydni Blanchard, 17.748, $470
9. Valerie Gillespie, 17.783; $411
10. Joleen Seitz, 17.819; $352
11. Kirsty White, 17.825, $293
12. Katie Garthwaite, 17.868, $235

Congratulations on your success with these Canadian bred and trained barrel horses ladies!