To the Stars
By: Ruth Nicolaus
Barrel racer enters Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in first place on exceptional horse
Summer Kosel aboard her young horse, Apollo. The South Dakota cowgirl comes into the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in first place on the gelding, who has only been a barrel horse for a year. Photo courtesy Boaz Elkes.
Minot, N.D. – The number one barrel racer coming into the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot, N.D. is on a very special horse.
Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D. is aboard a horse that has matured quickly and taken to barrel racing like a fish takes to water.
Even though Apollo, her seven-year-old chestnut gelding, has been barrel racing for only a year, he’s leading the set of Badlands Circuit barrel racers, the cowgirls in North and South Dakota.
Apollo, whose registered name is Firewater French Fame, was supposed to compete in the tie-down roping. He was raised by Oregonian Carol Warren, who sold him to Quentin Anderson of Pierce, Neb., but when he didn’t show an aptitude for roping, he was sent to Emilee Pauley, of Wall, S.D., to become a barrel horse.
Kosel, who trains horses for barrel racing, saw Apollo’s first barrel racing run, with Pauley.
She knew right away, he was special. “I said, if that’s his first run, that was phenomenal.”
That was in 2020, and a week later, she purchased the gelding.
Apollo ran at barrel racing jackpots and events, but she had her doubts that he would do well at such a young age in a rodeo atmosphere.
At his second rodeo, in Kadoka, S.D., as she watched, she had more doubts.
“I thought I might be out of my league,” Kosel said, “with such good horses and good jockeys.”
Then she talked to herself. “I thought, ‘shame on you,’” she said. “God’s already here, don’t worry about a thing. So I walked up to the gate and said, OK, God, here we go.”
They tipped a barrel, costing a five second penalty and not earning a check, but Apollo’s time was fast enough to have won second place, if it wasn’t for the tipped barrel.
After that, they were on fire, winning rodeos in Belle Fourche and Wall, S.D.; Sidney, Mont., and the Rapid City Range Days Rodeo. They won second at Killdeer, N.D., and won money at Mitchell, Burke, Sioux Falls, Deadwood, and Aberdeen, S.D.
For being so young, he’s picked up the sport of barrel racing quickly, Kosel said. Most horses require time to mature mentally and physically, and then need to be “seasoned” – gotten used to the sights and sounds of pro rodeos: the excitement of crowds, the music, the travel, and more.
But not for Apollo. “That part was the most shocking for us,” she said. “We went from (barrel racing) derbies, a controlled environment with not a lot of chaos, to bam, here’s a pro rodeo with flags and banners, and he still went in and did his job.”
Before he makes a run, the horse acts a little goofy, Kosel said.
“As we warm up, he pushes himself back on his hind end and almost bows. He does a leap and shakes his head. He paws the ground.”
Kosel and her husband Kevin own a rodeo company, providing livestock for regional rodeos. They have four kids: three daughters, including Hope (16), Serenity (11), Victory (10) and son Courage (6).
The kids cheer their mother on, and act as her videographer when she makes a run. She loves having her own cheerleaders. “When I watch my videos, I can hear them cheer. Even when I have a bad run, they’re still cheering for me.”
Apollo is docile and calm when his barrel racing run is over, she said.
As soon as he’s out of the arena and she’s off his back, she puts her son, Courage, on him, “and he melts down,” she said. “I think Courage is his favorite human. When he’s in his pen, he’ll walk past me to get to Courage and put his head down so Courage can pet him.”
Apollo is mentally mature beyond his years, and eager to make her happy, she said.
“He’s so willing to please. He wants to please.”
This is Kosel’s first trip to the Badlands Cirucit Finals. She, along with the other top eleven barrel racers in the Circuit, will compete during all three performances Oct. 8-10.
Performances start at 7 pm on Oct. 8-9 and at 2 pm on Oct. 10.
Tickets range in price from $20-$25 for adults and $10-$25 for children ages 12 and under.
They can be purchased online at BadlandsCircuitFinalsRodeo.com and at North Country Mercantile in Minot (2000 20th Avenue SE).
For more information, visit the website or the Facebook page.