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Kathy Grimes

Kathy Grimes – Medical Lake, Wash. ($111,758)
First-time WNFR qualifier
2-time RNCFR qualifier

It’s a dream that has been 20 years in the making that will come true at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for Kathy Grimes.

That dream is to ride a horse that Kathy both raised and trained. At the time, she knew she needed to improve her horsemanship, training and horsepower if she was ever going to get there. What she didn’t know about were the miles, breakdowns, hours on the road, wear and tear on people and horses that it would take.

The Dr. of Veterinary Medicine learned all of that through the school of hard knocks and this year accomplished that goal on not just one, but two horses that she raised and trained. She will start the NFR in sixth place with $111,785 in regular season earnings.

Kathy has been a member of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association for 11 years. She finished 36th last year, qualifying her for San Antonio. She had a great winter finishing second at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo where she won the Jerry Ann Taylor Award for being best dressed and she did it in her signature color, purple.

Then a second-place finish in San Antonio put her third in the world standings. She had that success aboard KG Justiceweexpected, “Issy.” Her other horse is KG Blazin Nine Oh, “Ruby.” Both are products of her veterinarian and embryo transfer business. She says she fell in love with them when they were embryos in a petri dish.

Kathy filled her WPRA permit while riding the mother of Issy and Ruby, Do It For Beau, “Moonie.” The mare had lifetime earnings of just under $50,000 but Kathy saw her potential as a broodmare. Her progeny, including Issy and Ruby have now won nearly half a million dollars. With the money up for grabs at the NFR and Moonie’s daughters with Kathy as their guide, they will likely cross that mark and be looking for a new goal to set.

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