Dec 8, 2020, Maple Creek, Sask.
On any given night at Globe Light Field, there is five re-ride bareback horses, five re-ride saddle broncs and five re-ride bulls just standing around waiting for a ride back to the feed yards. Why do they truck them in if they’re not going to use them? With the pens being so uneven, it makes you wonder what the logic is. There have been guys on horses that God himself couldn’t place on, but no re-rides offered.
Here’s the draw, I don’t know what the re-rides are yet, I guess that’s a well-guarded secret for now.
Hopefully, reigning Canadian Champion Bareback Rider Orin Larsen will do well on Cervi Brothers’ T82 Ain’t No Angel; that horse was placed on in the first round. There are two Calgary Stampede bareback horses that were both unused re-rides the first time around.
Minnesota cowboy Tanner Aus has Z-51 Zulu Warrior, and Aussie Jamie Howlett will test Y-5 You See Me. I see they’ve shuffled up the pen’s a bit and moved -001 Wilson Sanchez over to this round. College student Jesse Pope has drawn the horse Darcy Hollingsworth raised. Hi Lo Pro Rodeo owns the mare now, and they received the go-round buckle for her winning performance in Round Two.
Two-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Zeke Thurston has drawn a bronc named 17 All Country from Three Hills Rodeo. Isaac Diaz will test Calgary’s unused re-ride R-62 Redon Acres and Chase Brooks will put his saddle on Outlaw Buckers’ 508 Lunatic Party.
Now for the wild theory.
As a rodeo committeeman, I always had great respect and appreciation for the barrel racers because the crowd gets really involved. Everyone understands a horse race, and it’s a terrific event.
I’m not serious about this, but a couple of times I’ve run this suggested change to barrel racing by the ladies just to get a reaction — and I succeeded.
Level the playing field by handicapping the riders
Proposed Changes:
1a. One hour prior to the rodeo, all barrel racers must be weighed with their boots on. The top weight sets the standard for the competition.
1b. Standard weight slips will be issued and must be kept in shirt pocket for reference.
1b-1. There will be a 4-second penalty for using a forged or altered weight slip.
1c. The rest of the competitors must attach saddlebags to their tack.
1d. The Rodeo Committee must supply said saddlebags.
1e. The rodeo secretary must calculate each contestant’s handicap in pounds and ounces. (No metric allowed, or we’d have to measure the barrel pattern in meters instead of feet).
1f. Official rodeo judges must deposit the appropriate lead weight in each contestant’s saddlebag.
1g. The competition will not start until each and every horse is carrying the predetermined weight.
NB: This rule should make Barrel Racing much more competitive as each horse has a fair chance. Caution: this rule may be harmful to rodeo judges.
As an old all around hand in all the riding and timed events I look forward to the NFR every year but lately I have been totally turned off by what I been seeing. You can not convince me that the drawing is being done fairly, or that the judges are being honest. The only thing running like clock work is the crookedness going on. There has to be a better way to address the wrongs that have been going on for years.