The results in the ladies barrel racing at the Morris Rodeo in Manitoba read like a who’s who in the sport from the Foothills.
The top four at the Morris Rodeo on July 21-24 came from Okotoks, Black Diamond, Okotoks and Longview respectively.
Deb Renger from Okotoks won the barrel racing in a time of 17.66 seconds. Sheena Thomson from Black Diamond clocked in at 18.02 while her traveling partner, Lauren Byrne of Okotoks came in at 18.09.
Kendra Edey of Longview rounded out the final four when she and Captain finished just behind Byrne.
Thomson’s Kid Rock had a pretty good tune up before Morris. Veteran American barrel racer Angie Meadors used Kid Rock for the Calgary Stampede.
“Her horse got hurt and Kid Rock had been running really well so she called me up and asked if she could ride him in Calgary,” Thomson said. “She didn’t make any money, Calgary is probably the toughest rodeo of the year…. But he ran well for her.”
Thomson was just happy to receive the phone call from Meadors.
“She has been to the NFR six times and to have someone of that calibre phone you up to use your horse is an honour,” she said.
The Stampede was only the sixth rodeo of young Kid Rock’s career. However, he ran the week before the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth when Thomson rode him in Ponoka.
“I would have made the short-go on him but I knocked over the barrel,” she said. “After that I thought I should start going to more rodeos with him.”
They were clean in Morris.
“That was a tour rodeo, so all the top ladies were there,” Thomson said. “It is kind of surprising that he was as fast as he is so quickly, so yeah, I am really pleased with him.”
Her traveling partner, Lauren Byrne, was just behind Thomson at 18.09 in Morris. Byrne was on board Macho, the horse she switched to midway through the Stampede and wound up making it to Showdown Sunday.
She didn’t realize the foothills had swept the top four in Morris.
“That’s pretty cool – I didn’t even think about it,” Byrne said.
Macho is seeing plenty of actions these days. Byrne plans to run Macho at the Strathmore Heritage Days Rodeo this week.
Although Edey can’t recall foothills taking the top four before, she said it’s possible.
“You never know what is going to happen it’s anybody’s game,” Edey said. “Plus you also have Sierra Stoney and Suzanne DePaoli from the foothills.”
DePaoli and Edey had finished first and second at a rodeo in Peace River
on July 16-17.
In Morris, Edey and Captain were able to command the hard ground in Morris.
“I just did more of a business run rather than just kay-ya-yaying in there,” she said.
“We stood up around the barrels and then just pushed in between. I know that’s where I can make up the time, in between the barrels.”
He said Captain is back to his old self when they went to the Canadian Finals Rodeo two years ago.
Renger was unavailable for comment.
Renger sat in 20th place in the CPR as of July 10. Byrne was in 24th and Edey in 27th. Thomson had not yet cracked the CPRA standings, but should do so after cashing a cheque in Morris. Edey should also move up after paydays in three rodeos the past two weekends.
Frontier Days
A Black Diamond bull rider is vying for the short-go at one of the biggest rodeo in the United States.
Tyler Thomson rode to an 85 on Kid Twist at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo last week.
“He’s a good bull, he’s been in the NFR,” Thomson said. “The score was good. They score a little lower down here, it’s really hard to score a 90.”
Thomson said he has a good bull for the next round of Cheyenne Days later this week.
