IN THIS ISSUE: • BBR World Finals, Oklahoma City, OK, pg 2 • BBRWF Futurity, Oklahoma City, OK, pg 26 • WCRA Stampede at the E, Guthrie, OK, pg 29 • Lita Scott Barrel Race, Reno, NV, pg 32 • Pro Rodeos & World Standings, pg 34 AUGUST 18, 2020 // Volume 14: Issue 32 • NBHA Colonial Nationals, Lexington, VA, pg 36 Published Weekly, online at www.BarrelRacingReport.com - Since 2007 BBR FINALS WORLD CHAMPIONS! LZK Dashus Rockstar & Shannon Lillard — page 2 BBRWF FUTURITY CHAMPIONS Famous Lemon Drop & DaCota Monk — page 26 WCRA STAMPEDE AT THE E Morning Traffic & Michelle Darling — page 29 PRO RODEOS High Valor & Dona Kay Rule — page 34 Shannon Lillard & LZK Dashus Rockstar Dominate Better Barrel Races World Finals By Tanya Randall Fargo, Oklahoma, barrel racer Shannon Lillard and her 12-year- old gelding LZK Dashus Rockstar (“Herman”) made four trips BBR WORLD FINALS CHAMPIONS down the alleyway at the Better Barrel Races World Finals, held August 12-16 in Oklahoma City. They won every single time save LZK Dashus Rockstar & Shannon Lillard for one when they were second best by 7/100ths to Randee Prindle and Red Man Jones. Special Effort Bully Bullion SI 104 “It’s unbelievable really. I think I’m still in shock,” said Lillard SI 104 that following Monday afternoon. Earlier that morning she told Mary Poppins some customers, who came into Cowboy’s Tack Shop in Wood- Bulldashus SI 95 ward, Oklahoma, where she works, that she really didn’t realize what Dash Ta Fame was happening at the time. “I try to just take one run at a time. The BB Dreams Of Cash SI 113 first run I was like, ‘Wow!’ Then when I went and did it again, it SI 102 Dreamy Wrangler about brought me to tears right then! SI 104 Lillard and Herman collected an incredible $20,640. They won LZK Dashus Rockstar the 1D Championship, won Race 1 in Barn 6, placed second in 2008 Bay Gelding Race 2 in the Coliseum, won the 1D Invitational and topped both Adult incentives with carryovers. Six Fols SI 90 “When it was over, I called my dad to tell him how I had done,” Marthas Six Moons SI 99 she said. “Of course, he’d been watching it on the webcast. He said, Lady Bugs Martha ‘Do you realize what you’ve done! You won darn near every round Hergone SI 89 and got second in the one!’ Then I finally saw it all as a whole and Thermos was like ‘Oh my gosh!’ I can’t even fathom it right now!” Ima Broke Saint TB Her fairy tale weekend began on Thursday in Barn 6 with a SI 82 St Bars Choice 15.282. “I had a couple of mistakes in that first run, but he’s a fast horse,” she explained. “It just surprised me. I was in the first 50 and Rider/Owner: Shannon Lillard; Breeder: Lazy K Ranch I kept thinking, ‘Is something different?’ I just couldn’t believe he’d gone out there and smoked the pattern like that!” On Friday, they were out in the Coliseum. Their run of 15.207 THE RUNDOWN w/Shannon Lillard nearly achieved her goal of running a 15.1 in Oklahoma City. LZK Dashus Rockstar “Herman” 15.3 hands, 1,100 lbs. “I always find that if I’m focused on my riding, I don’t really think of the time,” she said. “I don’t think, ‘Oh this is going to be fast,’ or BIT: Charmayne James Grasshopper anything. When I reached the timeline and looked up, I think I shed SADDLE: Custom Cactus with the flex tree a couple of tears. To have the lead in both of those barns at BBR is SADDLE PAD: Professional’s Choice fleece bottom wool pad just…You know things like that are possible, but you never think… LEG GEAR: Professional’s Choice on all four Things like that just don’t happen to me!” SHOEING: Lite rims on front, eventers on back Lillard has to quickly get her emotions in check as she turned FEED: Bluebonnet Omega Force her focus to her 18-year-old daughter Macy, who was about to run. HAY: Bermuda and full turnout Unfortunately, a slip caused the younger Lillard’s horse to come up on the wrong side of the first barrel. SUPPLEMENTS: Platinum Performance plus Allergy, Vitamin E and Healthy “It was a little overwhelming,” she said. “It took me a minute to Weight and Echinacea root powder, daily electrolytes gather myself. (My daughter) was almost in tears too because she ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES: “I have everything that I can afford.” Spectra Laser, was so happy for me. Then, it was heartbreaking for me. She had a Equi-Resp, Ice-Vibe Boots, PHT, Equine Copper blanket, Pony Plate. slip at the first and she ended up pulling up. I had a little bit of joy TRAINING/CONDITIONING: We ride five to six days a week when we’re home. He for 10 or 15 minutes and then it was taken away, because I felt so gets a mile to two miles of long trotting and loping. If I feel like he needs badly for her. any work on the pattern—it’s rare—a lot of times I will take him and On Saturday, the won the 1D Invitational with a 15.369. “He likes Oklahoma City for whatever reason,” she added. “He work him around barrels just because I want that strengthening in his runs pretty good down there. I’ve actually only run about two or legs. three .2’s on him in the coliseum or Barn 6. He’s usually a .3 or .4. I went in thinking that there was a possibility that I could win some City Roundup in Kansas to formulate her game plan to just make a money, but never expected what happened.” clean run. For Sunday’s Finals, she had decided that Herman had already “I ended up in the Finals at Dodge City,” she explained. “I saw exceeded her wildest expectations and didn’t owe her anything more. She also drew on her recent rodeo experience at the Dodge BBR World Finals Continued on Page 3 BBR World Finals Continued From Page 2 the lineup there and it was Hailey Kinsel, Brittany Pozzi, Jordon and family, especially her dad and husband Clint, for their endless Briggs, Stevi Hillman and then there was me! I kind of let my head support. get to me in the Finals and I overrode my horse. It was a lesson “My dad is always helping me out when he can,” she said. “My learned. husband—Dear God, Lord, my husband! He’s put up with me for “So, I really had to tell myself, ‘It’s just another run. You know all these years! I think he sometimes feels that he’s on the back how to ride your horse. Don’t make any changes, just ride him.’ So, burner a lot of time. When we’re up there or on the road, he works I had just let my nerves go and just went in there to make a smooth just as hard as we do. He’s not a horse person, but he really lays it all run.” on the line for me. I could go and on about family, who have been Smooth is fast. supportive and always behind me!” Lillard and Herman turned in the fastest time of the event, a 15.196, to win the 1D Championship. “I still just can’t even believe it!” she exclaimed. “It’s just amaz- ing! I’m so grateful! I really think it was a God thing!” THE EXTRA MILE She says Herman was definitely the star of the show. Not only does 2020 BBR 1D Champion own every therapeutic product “This is all his win, for sure,” she said. “He’s definitely been a gift that she can afford, she’s willing to go the extra mile to keep her great from God. He’s been our angel. He’s pulled through when we horse LZK Dashus Rockstar (“Herman”) happy and comfortable at events. thought we couldn’t go anymore. He’d pull through with a win. He’s “We baby him anyways,” she laughed. “He really got babied down paid our bills sometimes.” there, whether it was taking care of legs or just bathing him.” Lillard purchased Herman in January of his fifth year from Since Herman lives outside, Lillard made sure he wasn’t in his stall the Amanda Dessel. Bred by Karla Lane’s Lazy K Ranch in Oregon, entire time at the BBR Finals. She walked him two to three times a day Herman is by Lane’s stallion Bulldashus, a son of Bully Bullion out of the graded stakes winning Dash Ta Fame, Rocket Wrangler mare for an half-hour to hour-and-a-half at time. BB Dreams Of Cash. His dam is the Marthas Six Moons mare Her- “My daughter just turned 18 last week and she’s like ‘Mom, we have to gone. Herman had found his way to Oklahoma via Tammy Phillipo sit out here this whole time?’ We have to make it as normal for them as and Kelly Beeman. possible. They have to have their gut moving and blood circulating.” Herman had a slight bucking issue, and due to past owners preg- The extra mile made a $20,000 different for Lillard. nancies, found his way to Lillard. Although he did have spurts of “At BBR we were with the horses fulltime, from sun up to sundown,” she bucking with her, she eventually decided to treat Herman as if he said.