FEBRUARY 13, 2018 Volume 12: Issue 7 In This Issue: • Triangle Cross, pg 29 • Revolution Barrel Racing, pg 32 • WWP Run for the Roses, pg 35 fast horses, fast news • Pro Rodeos, pg 37 Published Weekly Online at www.BarrelRacingReport.com - Since 2007 A Solid Championship for Brandon Cullins & A Cornerstone at World Barrel Racing League Finals By Tanya Randall Brandon Cullins’ hot streak continued at the World Barrel Racing ASH OR ASH League Finals, held Feb. 7-11 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds IRST OWN ASH D F C F D D SI 114 and Arena in Perry, Ga. Fresh off his $100,000 Kinder Cup SI 105 Championship, the Clements, Maryland, trainer piloted A Corner- FIRST PRIZE ROSE stone (“Stoney”), owned by Sarah Griffin of Lockport, N.Y., to the BROOKSTONE BAY SI 98 SI 101 $12,500 Shootout Championship. COUP DE KAS Cullins said switch from colts to an open horse isn’t too bad LE RITZ TB when they’re like Stoney. SI 92 “He’s different in that you have to do a whole lot of nothing,” SIXY CHICK Cullins explained. “You kind of have to ride him more like colt than A CORNERSTONE SI 106 an open horse that you have to hustle. I don’t kick at all. I just sit 2012 CHESTNUT GELDING still. He’s got a really weird way. You just hold your reins square and LEINSTER HOUSE when you get to your spot, you just drop a rein, grab the horn and TB don’t move your hand. You just sit there. It’s not bad jumping off LANES LEINSTER of him to a colt.” SI 101 LANES STAR MISS All totaled, Cullins and Stoney won $22,060 on the weekend. SPeeDY PETITTI Bred by Allreds Horse Haven in Cleveland, Utah, Stoney, a SI 86 GAME PLAN 6-year-old chestnut gelding, is by the late Brookstone Bay out of EASY WINDS SI 95 the Lanes Leinster mare Speedy Petitti. Griffin purchased Stoney in SI 95 February 2017 through Kendal Owen, who was riding the gelding TRUE LUCKY for Sarah Zaleski, his owner at the time. Cullins started riding the gelding in late June, early July of 2017. RIDER: BRANDON CUllINS; OWNER: SARAH GRIffIN; BReeDER: AllREDS HORSE HAVEN In the beginning, Cullins struggled with Stoney because of his unique style. “I sent him home after that,” he explained. “The girl that works “He really wanted to curl up, stick and comeback, but if he was in for me, Crystal Edelen, had been trail riding and long jogging him a bad spot, he’d shake his head or get up and leave rather than stay- for me. I got back on him when I got back from Kinder. I only rode ing down and moving,” he explained. “I just straightened his body him a couple days before I took him to Perry. That first run I made out. Most of the time when I warm him up or work him, I hardly was the first run he’d made since the middle of December.” ever lope him. I just trot him to keep his feet moving forward and Cullins and Stoney started off in the Reeves Arena. With a keep his body in a straight line, so he doesn’t stick a leg. Once I kind 14.100, they won the day race for $762, the derby sidepot for $271 of figured that one him, he went to winning.” and adult incentive $43, and they ultimately ended up second overall When the pair made that corner, Cullins thought it was worth it in Reeves for $3,121. They swept first-place in the Sutherland to pay the late fees to enter the derby at the BFA World Champion- Arena, winning the open, their day sidepot, plus the adult and derby ships in Oklahoma City. sidepots, with a 14.144, for total earnings of $4,975. “He really started putting it together,” said Cullins, who is spon- They won the Shootout with the fastest time of the event, a sored by Equinety and Seven Saddles. “At Oklahoma, he won a go 13.942, worth $12,500. round and placed in the average.” “He’s a cool horse,” Cullins said of Stoney. “Now, he’s really easy. Shortly after the BFA, Cullins made two more runs at a Bulls and He’s getting a whole lot more confident. I was a little worried for Barrels event, hosted by the No Bull crew. It required you to run at the (Shootout). They turn the music up really loud and I was hoping a jackpot and then a rodeo performance later. Cornerstone won the that he’d hold it together. I was really proud of him for staying solid jackpot and was second in the rodeo portion. Those were the last and holding it together.” runs, Cullins had made on Stoney until the WBRL Finals. WBRL Finals Continued on Page 6 IN THE NEWS.......IN THE NEWS......in the news......In the News......In the News..... RFD-TV’s The American Broadcast Schedule Rural America has always been the backbone of our company, and we jumped at the opportunity to reconnect with this incredible Flo Rodeo Broadcast Schedule: community in recognizing its fearless athletes with some amazing Sunday, Feb 18, 5 PM: RFD-TV’s The American Qualifier – Tie prizes.” Down Roping: 12am EST Going into its fifth year, The American brings the best cowboys Tuesday, Feb 20, 1 PM: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS - and cowgirls together for one day of heart stopping, dirt flying, Barrel Racing Slack: 8:30PM EST rodeo action. Wednesday, Feb 21, 9AM: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FI- “We’ve enjoyed a longstanding relationship with DISH, which NALS - Tie Down Roping Slack: 5:00PM EST was the first major TV provider to offer customers RFD-TV and Wednesday, Feb 21, 8 PM: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FI- The Cowboy Channel many years ago,” said Patrick Gottsch, NALS – Bull Riding 1st round: 10:45PM EST Founder and President of Rural Media Group. “DISH helped us Thursday, Feb 22, 8 PM: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS deliver rural and western lifestyle programming to all corners of – Performance 1: 10:30PM EST America. From the beginning, they have understood and shared our Friday, Feb 23, 8 PM: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS – values of hard work, grit and resilience, and it’s great to have such a Performance 2: 10:30PM EST fitting partner onboard as presenting sponsor of The American.” Saturday, Feb 24, 2PM: RFD- TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS - The American will be televised on RFD-TV (DISH ch. 231) and Shoot Out: 4:15PM EST The Cowboy Channel (DISH ch. 232) on February 25 at 3 p.m. ET. The Cowboy Channel Broadcast Schedule: In 2017, three “underdogs” rose from the Semi-Finals to split the Sunday, Feb 18: RFD-TV’s The American Qualifier – Tie Down $1 million side pot: saddle bronc rider Cody Demoss, barrel racer Roping, 5pm – 12am ET (Live) Hailey Kinsel and bull riding champion Sage Kimzey. Each took Tuesday, Feb 20: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS - Barrel home $433,333 – $100,000 for winning their respective event and Racing Slack an additional $333,333 each after splitting the $1 million side pot 1pm - 3pm ET (Live)/6pm – 11:30pm ET (Tape Delay) three ways. Wednesday, Feb 21: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS - Tie Down Roping Slack: 5:00PM 9am – 1:30pm ET (Live)/7pm - 10pm ET (Tape Delay) PBR and WCRA Join Forces Wednesday, Feb 21: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS – Bull Riding 1st round: 10:45PM / 10pm – 1:30am ET (Tape Delay) to Produce Major Rodeos Thursday, Feb 22: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS – Per- Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and World Champions Rodeo formance 1/ 8pm – 10:30pm ET (Live) Alliance (WCRA) today announced a new collaboration to jointly Friday, Feb 23: RFD-TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS – Perfor- produce, market and promote rodeo events. mance 2 / 8pm – 10:30pm ET (Live) PBR and WCRA have come together to expand television and Saturday, Feb 24: RFD- TV’s The American SEMI-FINALS - Shoot digital coverage of professional rodeo, build the profiles of rodeo Out / 8pm – 10:15pm ET (Tape Delay) athletes, and grow the sport’s fan base. PBR will facilitate these objectives by using its expertise to manage the media rights to these DISH Saddles Up with RFD-TV to joint events. While PBR has a history of supporting rodeos, including the Present $1 Million Prize at The American American, the Calgary Stampede, California Rodeo Salinas, Denver RFD-TV today announced that DISH saddled up as present- Stock Show, and Pendleton Round-up, this announcement marks ing sponsor of the world’s richest one-day rodeo, The American. the first time that the league – formed 25 years ago when 20 cow- On February 25 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., athletes boys broke away from the rodeo – has formally joined forces with who advance through a U.S. Open-style gauntlet of qualifiers will a professional rodeo organization to produce and promote rodeo compete against the best cowboys and cowgirls for their share of events. a $1 million “American Dream” cash prize, part of the overall $2.5 The first rodeo under the new alliance will be the WCRA Rodeo million purse. Additionally, DISH is introducing two new prizes to Showdown at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas in conjunc- The American: an “Up-and-Comer” $5K scholarship earned by a tion with PBR’s Last Cowboy Standing.