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Competition Tightens in Denver

By Jolee Jordan

Shali Lord
Photo by Greg Westfall

Denver, Colorado — Winter announced its presence in Colorado during the final week of the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, dumping snow, closing highways and causing delays at Denver International Airport all while creating headaches for cowboys and cowgirls traveling to and from the Denver rodeo.

Two cowgirls who didn’t have to brave the adverse weather conditions for too far were Shali Lord and Amy Jo Reisdorfer and the cowgirls made the most of their competitive opportunity.

The field of WPRA barrel racers began with 110 ladies, divided into sets of twelve ladies who compete in back-to-back performances or slacks. At the conclusion of the two long rounds on Saturday, January 26, the top twelve in the two-run average will advance to the short go to be held on Sunday.

Reigning Mountain States Circuit champion Lord took the first big step toward another circuit title with her fast run in her first round aboard the tough stallion Can Man on Monday afternoon. Lord posted a run of 15.40 seconds.

Lord kept it consistent during her second run on Tuesday, posting a 15.38, best in the performance again during Military Appreciation Night at the rodeo. With a two-run average time of 30.78 seconds, Lord all but assured herself a position in the finals on Sunday.

The sixth set of competitors took their chance at the big Denver purse during two performances on Wednesday. Reisdorfer has already had fun in the Mile High City. Just less than two weeks ago, the Cheyenne, Wyoming cowgirl was here competing on the opening day of the Stock Show as a participant in the Colorado vs. the World rodeo. Though not sanctioned for WPRA points, the event still offered a big payout and Reisdorfer was the day’s biggest recipients amongst the barrel racers. She out-dueled Ari-Ann Flynn and walked away $10,000 richer.

The still-newlywed Reisdorfer brought her good horse Streakin Jet Remedy—aka Blue Duck—back to the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday and picked up the perf win during the matinee with her fast run of 15.39 seconds. She paired it with another tough time during the night perf, a 15.42 second run, to place herself among the leaders in the average so far. She is 30.81 seconds on a pair of runs, just behind Miller and Lord as the average begins to tighten up.

“He’s done five runs in a week and half in there so I was proud of him yesterday,” Reisdorfer said of Blue Duck. Blue Duck has been Reisdorfer’s ride through the winter the last four years and she just recently was able to purchase the 11-year-old son of PESI stallion A Streak of Fling out of Imashooin.

“Blue Duck is my 4 legged person and I’m just thankful for each and every run we get together.” The duo looks poised to make a return trip to Denver’s short round; they previously qualified to the finals two years ago but had bad luck with a tipped can.

“It’s so tight and tricky but such an adrenaline rush! They get a great crowd pretty much every perf!”

Before then, Reisdorfer will go north to the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City on Saturday, a spot where she and Blue Duck took second a year ago.

Racing in the same set, the runner-up to the Rookie of the Year title last season, Leia Pluemmer, also had a successful run through Denver, earning the top spot in the night perf on Wednesday aboard her mare Sister. Her time of 15.32 seconds is among the best of the second go round so far. With 30.82 seconds on two, she is now tied with Lisa Lockhart in the average.

The pace gets frantic as the rodeo draws close to an end, beginning with a very busy day on Thursday with morning and evening performances bookending a section of slack.

After Kelley Carrington posted the best time in the morning perf with a smooth 15.43 second run, the focus turned to a tough set of barrel racers in the slack including two-time World Champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi.

Pozzi Tonozzi has taken many victory laps here in Denver. She won two titles in 2010 and 2012 aboard her phenomenal gelding Duke—since then, she’s gotten married, had a baby girl and been back to the Wrangler NFR several times. In that same time, Duke suffered what was believed to be a career ending injury, entered retirement in the pasture, rehabilitated from the injury and amazingly returned to championship form in 2018.

The championship duo is back in Denver looking for another title and got off to a great start in the slack with an opening round time of 15.36 seconds to land inside the top four of the round.

Pozzi Tonozzi was back again in the evening performance, putting up a solid time of 15.56 seconds. She is now inside the top 10 of the average.

The best of the night was the run laid down by Michelle Alley. The Texas cowgirl has been hot this winter, winning the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo in Odessa, Texas already this month. She blistered through the pattern in 15.29 seconds, good enough for second in the second round. The quick time allowed Alley to move to third in the average, just fourteen one-hundredths of a second behind fellow Texan Jennifer Sharp, who has led the rodeo since the opening set.

Sharp’s time of 30.63 is thirteen one-hundredths of a second ahead of Emily Miller; less than four tenths separate the top twelve in the average.

The National Western will conclude over the weekend but first the final three sets of WPRA barrel racers will complete their long rounds of competition, hoping to be among the top twelve on two head to move on to the Finals on Sunday.

The final groups include Wrangler NFR cowgirls Jessie Telford, Jill Moody, Stevi Hillman, Cheyenne Wimberley, Ivy Conrado, Amberleigh Moore, Deb Guelly, Jessica Routier, along with WPRA World Champion Sherry Cervi, a former champion here in Denver.

For more information on the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, visit them on-line at www.nationalwestern.com. Please stay tuned to www.wpra.com for continuing updates from the 2019 edition of the National Western.


Current Results (Unofficial)

1st Go

1. Jennifer Sharp, Six French Smooches, 15.26
2. Hailey Kinsel, DM Sissy Hayday, 15.30
3. Shelly Morgan, HR Fameskissandtell, 15.30
4. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Yeah Hes Firen, 15.36
5. Tiany Schuster, Show Mance, 15.39
6. Amy Jo Reisdorfer, Streakin Jet Remedy, 15.39
7. Shali Lord, Freckles ta Fame, 15.40
8. Sadye Simpson, 15.41
9. Kelley Carrington, 15.43
10. Lisa Lockhart, An Oakie with Cash, 15.44

2nd Go

1. Emily Miller, Namgis D 33, 15.23
2. Michelle Alley, Seis Caress, 15.29
3. Leia Pluemmer, Famous French Bug, 15.32
4. Chris Gibson, Jess Dashin Together, 15.35
5. Sharp, 15.37
6. Lockhart, 15.38
7. Lord, 15.38
8. Brooke Jeter, Nickdiggity, 15.39
9. Sissy Winn, Flashy Red Flame, 15.41
10. Suzanne Brooks, Fortune N Fame, 15.42

Average

1. Sharp, 30.63
2. Miller, 30.76
3. Alley, 30.77
4. Lord, 30.78
5. Reisdorfer, 30.81
6. Lockhart, 30.82
7. Pluemmer, 30.82
8. Schuster, 30.92
9. Pozzi Tonozzi, 30.92
10. Kathy Grimes, KG Justiceweexpected, 30.99
11. Jeter, 30.99
12. Gibson, 31.00

Courtesy of WPRA

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