APRIL 8, 2014 Volume 8: Issue 14 In this issue... • JBQH/Wrap N 3 Futurity, pg 14 • Barrel Racing Babies, pg 19 • CC5D, pg 22 • Riley Key Scholarship Benefit, pg 29 • Jackson Hall Memorial, pg 33 fast horses, fast news • Lucky Dog, pg 38 Published Weekly Online at www.BarrelRacingReport.com - Since 2007 Kenyon & Sheza Famous Blurr Dig A Win At Sand Cup By Tanya Randall Phillip Kenyon, riding Sheza Famous Blurr for Pendleton rancher I R S T O W N ASH ASH A AME F D D Kelly McCormmach and rough stock Hall of Famer Marty Wood, D T F SI 105 SI 113 dug out a win at the 8th Annual Sand Cup Futurity, held April 4-6 SUDDEN FAME in the TRAC at Pasco, Wash. Kenyon and “Edna” collected $4,232 EDDIE ST INSON SI 98 of the $27,600 total purse of which $7,000 was added. SI 111 “She’s a really neat mare,” said Kenyon, who started riding Edna in SIXA R UN October 2013. “She’s very competitive. I’ve really enjoyed having her.” CASINO LIGH T S SI 106 SI 99 Kenyon, a 28-year-old barrel horse trainer from Pendleton, Ore., EASE ON DO W N and Edna started off their season at the January futurities in Arizona. SI 103 “Those were her first times on the clock,” he explained. “I hit SHEZA FAMOUS BLU rr two barrels on her to place at the Pac West Futurity. I’ve tipped a lot 2010 BAY FILLY of barrels on her to be really fast at a lot of places.” TO R SION His goal at the Sand Cup was to avoid the costly barrel bug. MU rrt HE B LU rr “I knew I had to get around them,” he said. “My first go run, tb PR INCE T ON PR IDE she almost lost me on the first barrel. She turned it really hard. She had a pretty solid second and third. She just ran really hard. I didn’t MU rr S EAS T E R BUNNY really have any clue what my time was going to be. I knew she was TR ULY A BUNNY talented. When it was a .000, I was stunned. I couldn’t believe it. BUNNYS ROSE B UD SI 107 SI 95 She’s just so fast. It wasn’t perfect, but it was smooth and I think BC R W R ANGLE R S that’s what counts in the end.” SI 90 Their 17.000, the fastest run of the entire futurity, gave them the RIDE R : PHILLI P KENYON ; OW NE R ; KELLY MCCO R MMACH & MA rt Y W OOD ; BR EEDE R : BR AD DEL P first round win. They followed it up with a seventh-place run of 17.449 in the second. crosses in the barrel racing industry. “My second, I was really just trying to get around them, honest- McCormmach, a seventh-generation rancher, purchased Edna ly,” he said. “She’s really worky. She’ll do whatever you tell her to do out of an estate auction after the mare’s owner died unexpectedly. because she’s so broke—and I love that about her. I was just trying “Walt Nix, he’s a racehorse broker, had her in an estate sale,” Mc- to leave them up. I was really pleased with my time. It wasn’t the Cormmach explained. “He had called me about a Dash Ta Fame tightest run I’ve ever made on her, but that really wasn’t my goal. I they had in the sale, but by the time I got there, she was already just wanted to stay in there for the average. It was a ‘trying-to-be- gone. I took one look at this filly and bought her. I couldn’t believe smart-about-it’ run.” there was an Eddie Stinson in this part of the country. She was a Edna’s blessing—and curse—is her competitive nature. grand-looking yearling.” “She just thinks she is the coolest, and you’re not going to tell her Edna was sent to Samantha Boone to get started under saddle. different,” laughed Kenyon, who wanted to thank his parents Steve From there she went to Abby (Davis) Michaels. and Tracy for their support as well as his farrier Ryan McGreevy “They ranched on her, tracked cattle on her and got her really and veterinarian Solomon Bennaroch. “She’s just such a good com- broke,” said McCormmach of Edna’s time with Michaels. “When petitor and she loves to run barrels. My mom and I were talking the Phillip came home from Oklahoma, I sent her to him in October. other day, and we think her two favorite things in the world are the He lives just down the road.” treat bin and barrel racing. She has a lot of confidence in herself Though it’s possible to add the BBR Futurity to their schedule, and that’s invaluable. That’s tough to put a price on. Especially in a the Northwest futurities are the main priority for Kenyon and Edna. young horse, you can build one up, but that takes a lot of time. To Afterwards, McCormmach said she’d just have to wait and see. find a young one that just has it? That’s a tough thing.” Among the open horses, Kathy Grimes’ homegrown superstar Edna’s owner, McCormmach was thrilled with the 4-year-old KG Justiceweexpected swept Saturday and Sunday’s open races with daughter of leading freshman barrel horse sire Eddie Stinson, by their carryover times from the Slot Race and Maturity. They posted Dash Ta Fame, out of Murrs Easter Bunny, by Murrtheblurr (TB). the fastest time of the weekend, a 16.731 on a WPRA Standard The Dash Ta Fame-Murrtheblurr (TB) cross is one of the magic Sand Cup Continued on Page 4 IN THE NEWS .......IN THE NEWS......in the news......In the News......In the News..... Dodge National Circuit Finals Barrel Racing Qualifiers $856,490 in his career. The 1994 saddle bronc riding rookie of the year, O’Neill quali- Ann Peterson, Avondale, CO; Trula Churchill, Valentine, NE; Kel- fied for his first NFR a year later and competed at an elite level for ley Carrington, Boston, GA; Pamela Capper, Cheney, WA; Nikki more than a decade. He won his gold buckle in 2002 - capturing the Steffes, Vale, SD Mary Walker, Ennis, TX; Gretchen Benbenek, Au- NFR average title along the way - and was reserve world champion brey, TX; Sammi Bessert, Loma, CO; Kassidy Dennison, Tohatchi, in both 2001 and 2003, finishing less than $5,000 behind fellow NM; Shelby Janssen, Austin, MN; Nicole Yost, Mt. Morris, PA; Hall of Famer Dan Mortensen in his title-defense year. Eight times Shelly Anzick, Livingston, MT; June Holeman, Arcadia, NE; Taylor the Australian-born O’Neill finished in the top five among PRCA Young, Carlisle, PA; Sherry Cervi, Marana, AZ; Lisa Lockhart, Oel- saddle bronc riders and earned $1,614,860. richs, SD; Cindy Woods, Newberg, OR; Kenna Squires, Fredonia, Only Roy Duvall has made more NFR steer wrestling appearanc- TX; Lindsay Kruse, Great Falls, MT; Laura Kennedy, Quitman, AR; es than Walker’s 16 (1977-87, 1991, 1997-2000) over four decades. Christy Loflin, Franktown, CO; Victoria Williams, Kiln, MS; McK- The Ennis, Texas, resident is part of a rare two-world championship ale Hadley, Plain City, UT; Ann Scott, Canyon Country, CA household. He won his steer wrestling title in 1981 and his wife, Mary, was the barrel racing world champion in 2012. Byron was ProRodeo Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2014 twice a reserve world champion as well, in 1979 and again in 1983, World Champion Cowboys Pete Grubb, Wayne Herman, Glen when he finished just $893 back of Joel Edmondson. O’Neill and Byron Walker, along with two-time World Champion Hare, 58, spent more than three decades throwing his body in the Bullfighter Miles Hare and Spring Fling - one of just two horses to path of 1,500-pound beasts to protect rodeo cowboys before retir- be honored as both a bareback and saddle bronc horse of the year - ing in 2008; he worked as a bullfighter at the NFR six times (1977, head the 2014 induction class for the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. 1985, 1988-91) and twice more as an alternate (1984, 1992). He won They will be enshrined Aug. 9 during ceremonies in the sculpture the inaugural Wrangler World Champion Bullfighters title in 1981 garden adjacent to the Hall, along with the rodeo committees from and shared that honor with fellow Hall of Famer Rob Smets in the Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo, Greeley (Colo.) Stampede, Rowell Ranch 1988. “He’s a cowboy saver - that’s all he is,” the late Quail Dobbs Rodeo in Hayward, Calif., and the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, said of the Liberty, Texas resident. “There’s no better man that I Idaho. would trust.” The induction week will kick off with a 35th anniversary celebra- Along with Kingsway Skoal, Big Bend Rodeo’s legendary mare tion of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame on Aug. 6, and will be followed Spring Fling is the only horse to be honored as both a Bareback and by the 27th annual ProRodeo Hall of Fame Golf Tournament on Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year. Spring Fling started out on the Aug. 7, the Cowboy Ball on Aug. 8, and then culminates with the bareback side and received the PRCA’s top honor in that category Induction Ceremonies and the Commissioner’s Classic Team Rop- in 1997, then came back to twice claim the saddle bronc award, ing competition on Aug.