The season is upon us… no not the holidays it’s both National Finals Rodeo and Barrel Futurities of America World Championships time. One will be watching the other via TV or Webcast. Trainers in Oklahoma City are proudly watching their hard work in the national spotlight and the top 15 are looking back over their shoulders at the future of the rodeo industry.
It’s also that time of year when you see the most trash talking on FB and in exhibition lines about the gossip that surrounds both events especially the people who want to come down on the futurity industry for what is perceived as the ruining of good horses by running them too young. I sat this weekend and listened to a lady run thru her speech about her horse was a futurity blow up one of those dreadful futurity trainers hammered on and she’s got him enjoying his job again. Yeh he looked it as he paced in circles in the alley during exhibitions while she pulled on his face with no release and rode in her ill-fitting cheap saddle with her polo wraps incorrectly wrapped. He looks like he LOVES his job. It’s the same story I’ve heard a dozen times over the years.
Truth is over half the field headed to Vegas as either a main mount or back up that I know for a fact (I didn’t have time to research the rest) are headed to the NFR that were futurity money earners. The 2 that stand out to me are Slick By Design being ridden by Michelle McLeod and Heza Bug Leo ridden by Jana Bean. If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing either one of them run it’s worth putting down whatever you’re drinking and walking or stumbling (depending on what you’re drinking) to the fence to watch.
I remember the first time I saw Slick run. My exact response was WTF was that? In a good way, it was as beautiful to watch him go as it is to just stand and look at him. Barrel racing’s very own Black Stallion. Kim Ulbricht Grunkemeyer dominated about everything she entered on him with a smile on her face. Michelle continues to smile to the pay window and nowadays in spite of several good horses running named Slick, everyone pretty much knows who you’re talking about when you say Slick. He’s on my list to breed my lone broodmare too someday. Sooner than later if I can ever justify flushing her.
If you know Latricia Duke at all you know Bug’s. He acted like a seasoned open horse everywhere he went as a futurity colt. He is another that just flat does his job. He looks like a blast to ride. He proves a good horse is a good horse and it’s pretty cool to see him get a second person to the bright lights. First time was Angie Meadors, and this year Jana gets a shot at a victory lap.
Among the others headed to Vegas are 2 started and trained by Ryan Lovendahl (gasssp a male trainer) men can’t make rodeo horses ask the 3 experts discussing this in the stands a couple weeks ago. I didn’t have the heart to tell them Ryan had trained at least 4 I can think of off the top of my head to successfully thrown down in sin city.
So to the people out there who think the upcoming BFA does nothing but ruin good horses. A good horse is a good horse whether it was futuritied or not and you’re welcome. Because of the futurity industry you get to brag that big ugly grey grandson of so and so, came from some terrible futurity trainer and you’ve been “fixing” him for the last 4 years, but it’s ok that he takes 10 minutes and 11 people to get in the gate so you can hope to fall in in the 5D, because “he really love’s his job now.”
thismommasacowgirl 