I just had the chance to talk with Deb Renger who just won the 2011 Morris Stampede on her horse Shorty. Deb and Shorty have been really clicking and making some great runs the last little while. Here is what Deb had to say:
-What is the name of your horse? Dox Midnight Tuck aka Shorty
-How old is he? 11
-What is the background regarding training etc. on Shorty? I bought him in December of last year. He was super broke, and was used as a breakaway roping horse. The previous owner said Shorty did not have the barrel horse in him. In 2009 he just put a bit in and went around the barrels on Shorty. The last two years before I bought him he was taken to some amateur rodeos in the Oregon and Idaho area where he was mainly entered in the breakaway roping but they did enter the odd barrel race and made some money. One of my friends from down in the states saw him run at a jackpot and thought he was very talented so I got a different friend of mine who rides quite similar to me to go run him. Shorty worked great so I went and tried him, he worked great again and I bought him.
-What is it you like best about Shorty? He’s a lot like Reiner. I can ride him close to the same as I would Reiner and I run him in a snaffle like I did with Reiner. He is a fun horse with a big personality which is something that I like them to have. The strong point is he is very vocal, if he’s sore he will let me know whether it be knocking a barrel or what. He’s just a lot like my other horses, has a very fun and cool personality and tries every time. Sometimes I have to threaten him that I will sell him and then he will go out and win.
-What is your riding/training style with Shorty? Very similar to my other horses. With my other horse I don’t even work them on the barrels I just ride them and keep them in shape. Shorty is getting more to that point but every once in awhile I have to get after him and make him listen.
-How long have you been running barrels on him? Since the end of January, my first competitive run on him was at Denver, I didn’t even get a chance to take him to a jackpot. The ground wasn’t good in Denver but he clocked a fast time and worked great.
-Can you describe how your run went at Morris? He was mad at all the black flies and was kind of being an idiot when I warmed him up and got him ready, he wouldn’t’ stand still. The ground was hard as a rock and I knew I had to get my 1st barrel down. He inhaled his first barrel and turned it perfect but he slipped bad on his back end and went right down and out from under him. He recovered real quick and the rest of his run was phenomenal, he had a smokin 2nd and 3rd.
-Were you entered at Kennedy and Maple Creek as well? Yes, it poured at Maple Creek but he worked really good, I think we placed 6th, I was the only one that day that ran a 17 in the mud. At Kennedy he slipped bad on his 1st and we hit the barrel, otherwise we would have been winning it when we left.
-What kind of saddle do you run Shorty in? A Marlene flex tree but I have a new Sherry Cervi Martin saddle coming that has an 8 inch gullet for him.
-What kind of pad do you use on him? A Larry Coats one that he made that I got for Reiner. He doesn’t make the same ones anymore but that’s what I use. I will use that or a Saddle Right pad.
-What kind of bit(s) do you use in Shorty? I will warm him up in a cow horse bit and then switch to a snaffle when I run him.
-How do you keep Shorty feeling good and fresh while on the road every weekend? He’s like my other horses, he’s a good traveler and will rest on the road. I will unload usually every 3-4 hours to walk them around. I won’t too often stay at the grounds, I try to pick places where it’s more like home and I can turn them out so they can be content. How they handle traveling is a big part, if they don’t handle it I won’t too often keep the horse.
-If you were to share a rodeo tip to everyone who is following the blog, what would it be? With ground conditions being crappy etc. don’t get frustrated and give up, keep going and trying. If you want to rodeo and do good no matter how bad things get (ground etc.) it always turns around and will work out if you hang in there and keep trying. You got to do what u need to do to help your horse in crappier situations whether it be changing your riding for poor ground conditions etc.
Shorty's Pedigree - click to enlarge
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