MARCH 10, 2020 -- Volume 14: Issue 10 IN THIS ISSUE: • Junior American, Arlington, TX, pg 16 • Triangle Cross Winter Series #5, McCook, NE, pg 24 • Pro Rodeos & World Standings, pg 27 • The Patriot, Ft. Worth, TX, pg 30 • Lucky Dog, Texarkana, AR, pg 34 Published Weekly, online at www.BarrelRacingReport.com - Since 2007 RFD-TV’s The American CHAMPIONS! STEVI HILLMAN & CUATRO FAME WINNING $100,000 IN 1 BIG DAY! War Horse Wins -- Stevi Hillman and Cuatro Fame $100K Champions at RFD-Tv’s The American By Tanya Randall Hardcore barrel racing fans know who Cuatro Fame is. The lanky gelding with the barn name “Truck” has carried Stevi Hillman 2020 THE AMERICAN CHAMPIONS to four straight National Finals Rodeos, but fans aren’t likely to see Cuatro Fame & Stevi Hillman him run there or in any short setup for that matter. Truck is the war horse, toiling away at some of the largest rodeos Dash For Cash in the county that are often sporadically televised—though RFD- First Down Dash SI 114 TV owner Patrick Gottsch is changing that with the Cowboy Chan- SI 105 First Prize Rose nel. Fans can watch him on the hard ground at Rodeo Houston and Dash Ta Fame SI 98 Calgary Stampede with its occasional mud, yet rarely does Truck SI 113 Tinys Gay have the perfect setup and the perfect ground to show fans how Sudden Fame SI 106 truly talented he is. SI 98 At RFD-Tv’s The American, presented by Durango Boots, held Bar Dearie March 7-8 in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Hillman had the SI 90 perfect platform to showoff Truck’s speed, athleticism, consistency Cuatro Fame and unflappability. Three perfect trips through the pattern later, 2007 Bay Gelding Hillman and Truck had the biggest win of their careers, a $100,000 Streakin Six first-place check, in front of a national audience. Streak Laico Bird SI 104 “That’s probably why I was more emotional about it,” said SI 98 Fly Laico Bird Hillman of the 13-year-old gelding, who she co-owns with Jason Princess Streaks SI 103 Mouton and Melissa Mouton. “He just has my heart. I knew that SI 86 God wanted me to run him. Again, it’s such an emotional win. He’s Trois Vegas such a blessing.” Princess Camille SI 102 SI 94 While Truck has his fans, he’s often been overshadowed by his Ms Camille Rider: Stevi Hillman; Owner: Jason Mouton, Melissa Mouton, flashier trailer mates, like the Dunn’s MCM ImaSharpGuy (“Sharp- Ty & Stevi Hillman; Breeder: Brandy Wilson-Mehl ie”). “Truck’s always been the constant winner just kind of in the background,” Hillman admitted. “Truck is just so special. People who understand what I’ve been through with horses and the whole story of just how when he came into my life he truly healed my heart. God brought that horse to me and that friendship with Jason THE RUNDOWN w/Stevi Hillman and Melissa Mouton. There’s so much more to it than just the ro- Cuatro Fame “Truck” deoing and the winning. It’s the horse and what he means to me and BIT: Kathy James the friendships that he’s brought along with that.” Hillman partnered with the gelded son of Dash Ta Fame out of SADDLE: Shiloh Brandy Wilson-Mehl’s two-time Old Fort Days Futurity Champion SADDLE PAD: 5-Star producer Princess Streaks, by Streak Laico Bird, in 2014. Melissa LEG GEAR: 5 Star Sport Boots on all four Mouton had wanted to sell the gelding and mutual friend Heather SHOEING: Concave steel rims on all four Simon recommend she send him to Hillman. FEED: Nutrena Perform and Pro Force Fuel “It was totally a God thing. God brought the horse to me at the HAY: Cubeit alfalfa cubes right time,” said Hillman, who lives in Weatherford, Texas, with SUPPLEMENTS: MVP Gastro-Plex, Exceed 6-Way her husband Ty. “He knew I needed Truck and that Melissa and I needed each other as friends. It’s such a cool story. Jason and Me- ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES: Equissage massage therapy, PHT blankets, icing legs, lissa have stuck with me through thick and thin.” Flair Strip,FlexiNeb The chemistry between Truck and Hillman wasn’t instantaneous. CONDITIONING-TRAINING REGIME: “He has to stay moving. He has to stay rode and Hillman says it took a year for them to click together. ponied. He doesn’t get a lot of time off with his age. We keep him going “We butted heads,” said the former radiography technician and keep in shape. At the times I’m not running him he gets lighter turned professional barrel racer. “We had to get to know each other. exercise. But he gets rode three days a week depending on how much He had to meet me in the middle a little bit and I had to get used we’re running.” to him. We hit a lot of barrels. We spent a solid year just trying to figure it out, but I just knew that he was a horse that just had it, so I SPONSORS: Rock & Roll Denim, Panhandle Western Wear, Rock & Roll didn’t give up on him.” Cowgirl, K&N Equine Solutions, Cubeit alfalfa cubes, Kyle Zanetti Trailers, In the summer of 2015, Hillman went on a brief rodeo run to Shiloh Saddlery, Med-Vet Pharmaceuticals, PHT, Nutrena, 5 Star Equine test the waters with Truck. Products, Flair Strip, FlexiNeb, Outlaw Equine Hospital and Rehab Center, “We took him to a handful of rodeos just to see if he could Kahm CBD, Prepare To Win TV and Western Legacy Company. handle the hauling and ground,” she said. “I didn’t win a single RFDTVs The American Continued on Page 7 IN THE NEWS.......IN THE NEWS......in the news......In the News......In the News..... and name a champion in the individual disciplines of barrel racing, breakaway roping, Rodeo on TV this week: team roping as well as a Women’s Rodeo All-Around Champion. The event will be held - On Sirius XM Channel 147 & The Cowboy Channel in Las Vegas during the PBR World Finals. - Western Sports Roundup — Weekdays 6 pm ET Qualifying positions will be open to all eligible women across the world. Ten riders - RodeoHouston — March 9-13, 7:30 pm ET; March 14, 4:30 pm ET; March 15, 2 pm ET will have direct paths to the Championship based on their final ranking on the WCRA - Rodeo Austin — March 14, 8 pm ET; March 15, 4 pm ET leaderboard. Courtesy PRCA The event will begin with onsite open-qualifier rounds November 3 - 5. Those ranked in the top 10 from the open qualifier will advance to the Championship on November Champions Crowned at The American Rodeo at AT&T Stadium 6 - 7, where they’ll compete alongside the Top 10 from the WCRA leaderboard and an $2.4 million paid out in two days in Texas additional four competitors awarded exemptions from to-be-named events. The American Rodeo finals made dreams come true yet again this evening at AT&T “Working with our partners at PBR to provide female rodeo athletes an opportunity Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The 2020 champions are walking away with pride and like this is a game-changer,” said WCRA CEO, Gary McKinney. “This historic addition impressive payouts after another fierce competition. of the Women’s Rodeo World Championship to the WCRA 2020 tour will give female “We have had seven years and seven amazing rodeos,” said Randy Bernard, CEO of ropers and barrel racers more opportunities, including the ability to compete for big- RFD-TV’s The American Rodeo. “I truly believe The American Rodeo has been a game- money payouts.” changer for professional rodeo and cowboys. We have changed many lives since 2014 “Women in rodeo haven’t had the same opportunities as men, and they deserve this and the event just keeps getting better.“ exciting national platform and world title competition,” said PBR CEO Sean Gleason. 2016 The American Rodeo’s Bareback champion Kaycee Field knew he made a good “We’re very proud of our partnership with WCRA which helps us celebrate and reward ride when he dismounted after the short go. He claimed $100,000 and his second win talented female athletes while inspiring the next generation of young women to at AT&T Stadium on VIGIL with a 93 point score. pursue rodeo.” Wilburton, Okla.’s Kaycee Hollingback roped countless calves to earn her $100,000 The Women’s Rodeo World Championship will be carried on RIDE-TV and RidePass, payout. For the second year, the Breakaway Roping was one of the event highlights as the PBR’s western sport digital network. Additional details on how to qualify and the ladies continue to excel in the sport. leaderboard information will be released at a later date. Twelve-time WNFR qualifier Luke Brown backed in the box with AQHA world champion Joseph Harrison for the team’s first time together in AT&T Stadium. The two PRORODEO Tour Finale set for Puyallup walked away with $100,000 after roping in a short 4.3 seconds. All roads from the PRORODEO Tour again lead to Puyallup, Wash. PRCA veteran steer wrestler and 2018 The American Rodeo champion Matt Reeves took The PRORODEO Tour Finale will take place at the Washington State Fair Rodeo in the victory lap in the Polaris Ranger after three outstanding runs in the last two days. Puyallup, Sept. 10-13, and boasts a payout in excess of $500,000.