ROCK SPRINGS — The February 5 next-to-last Wild West Outlaws Gymkhana Rodeo competition at the Sweetwater Events Complex Indoor Arena for the 2021-2022 fall and winter season featured the usual assortment of barrel racing, pole bending, and a third event, a “butterfly” pattern.

However, the results of the event were a mixed bag, as no one rider seemed to dominate the competition. Sage Cooley on her horse “Corona” in age 10-13 barrels and poles and Margaret Jones on “Pancake” in 40-Plus barrels and poles were the lone double winners in those events.

Cooley posted times of 16.362 seconds in barrels and 21.459 seconds in poles. Jones’ times were 16.087 seconds and 22.54 in barrels and poles, respectively. Two other riders managed double wins, with Kashlee Hill posting times of 16.123 in ages 7-9 barrels and 18.727 in 7-9 butterfly pattern, while Wes Wegener in ages 6 and under competition posted times of 47.652 in poles and 27.954 in butterfly pattern.

Practice Plus Strategy

Judi Lopez has trained several of the young girls participating in the barrels and poles competitions. Lopez has won world championships in showmanship, halter, western pleasure, trail class and western horsemanship equine competitions, and she was at the Gymkhana Rodeo on Saturday. Some of the Gymkhana participants drew constructive criticism from Lopez.

For starters, Lopez took issue with rodeo competitors who were riding their mounts in the back arena prior to their scheduled runs. “A horse can get too wound up that way,” Lopez said. She suggested instead that riders keep their horses calm and rested prior to their event runs. Lopez added that the best horses for barrel racing and pole bending were at least eight years old and preferably 10 or more years old, having maturity that younger horses haven’t developed yet.

“A young horse is too fast, with too much energy that can throw a rider,” Lopez explained. “A horse starts to mature at about eight years.”

Moreover, Lopez said she prefers to competition ride horses that are more “all around” talented rather than specialists in one event. A horse that is trained only for barrel racing can, for example, start to instinctively run a barrels pattern when put into a butterfly pattern run.

“The horse gets confused and not know how to do the unfamiliar pattern,” Lopez said. “A butterfly pattern can blow the horse’s mind if it’s only trained for barrels.”

The key to success in barrel racing, according to Lopez, is to not focus only on one barrel at a time to the exclusion of the others. Riders who were only focusing upon getting around one barrel, with tunnel vision, were causing their mounts to take turns that were too wide around each barrel.

“When you’re going around the first barrel, you need to turn your head and look at the second barrel, then the third. The horse and rider get tighter turns that way.” Lopez pointed to one rider who wasn’t practicing that technique. “She didn’t make a good turn. She went wider and that took more time,” Lopez said.

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Younger Riders Agree

Several of the younger competitors agreed with Lopez on key points.

Andrew DiGrassi, 11, from Denver, Colorado, said his horse is multi-talented and is comfortable performing in more than one rodeo event. “(My horse) can do anything, but I have to guide him. I have to kick right leg or left leg,” DiGrassi said. “My grandpa trained him.” DiGrassi added that his horse is 18 years old. DiGrassi’s granddad is Benny Villalobos of Rock Springs.

Although his horse can perform in several different events DiGrassi said his mount still has a favorite preference.

“Trigger definitely likes pole bending better because the poles are closer together and he likes tight turns,” DiGrassi said.

In pole bending, the red-and-white striped poles are uniformly set 21 feet apart, with the first pole set 21 feet from the start line. Riders must navigate their mounts around the six different poles and do it twice. In barrel racing, the barrels can be various distances apart depending upon the dimensions of whatever arena is being used.

Izabelle Pedri, 11, from Rock Springs, agreed that in barrel racing it was best to look ahead to the next barrel while rounding the first or second barrel. Be that as it may, still, having an intelligent mount like her Scootch is a primary consideration.

“Scootch is an all-around horse and she knows what her job is,” Pedri said. “She’s more of a body horse than a leg horse.” Pedri and Scootch have also competed at the Sweetwater County Fair, among others, as well as at the Gymkhanas. Pedri has won several county fair competitions in different horsemanship events.

Pedri is in the fifth grade at Pilot Butte Elementary School.

A pair of Northpark Elementary School third graders added their opinions about what creates for success in rodeo riding.

Experience and practice, for two things. Kennedy Kleinlein, 8, said she has been riding since she was 3 years old and competing in rodeo since she was 4. “I like horses and I like to ride from 3-5 p.m., daily,” Kleinlein said.

Likewise, keeping eyes on the next barrel or pole helps. “With Snap (one of her mounts), I can sit and look ahead,” Kleinlein added.

A horse that can partially self-guide is a big plus. “My horse knows when to turn right and when to turn left,” said Sadie Nichols, also 8.

Last, But Not Least

The final Wild West Outlaws for the winter is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, when
overall winners will be announced. Further information is available by contacting event organizer Susan
Nichols at 350-2989. Gymkhanas typically start up in September and run monthly through the fall and
winter seasons.

The Feb. 5 Results:
Ages 6 & Under (in order of 1-2-3; times in seconds)
Barrel Racing
Kyle Carpenter, 36.973
Wes Wegener, 37.249
Corbin Soto, 43.401

Pole Bending
Wes Wegener, 47.652
Kyle Carpemter, 47.768
Kaisley Kennedy, 92.98

Butterfly Pattern
Wes Wegener, 27.954
Kyle Carpenter, 30.194
Corbin Soto, 33.196

Ages 7-9
Barrel Racing
Kashlee Hill, 16.123
Kashlee Hill, 16.959
Chase Westerberg, 17.55

Pole Bending
Chase Westerberg, 27.995
Kennedy Kleinlein, 31.731
Eberlee Okarma, 34.179

Butterfly Pattern
Kashlee Hill, 18.727
Kennedy Kleinlein, 18.992
Sadie Nichols, 18.994

Ages 10-13
Barrel Racing
Sage Cooley, 16.362
Raygon Peterson, 17.263
Charly Potter, 17.318

Pole Bending
Sage Cooley, 21.459
Oaklee Hoffman, 24.475
Oaklee Hoffman, 24.518

Butterfly Pattern
Oaklee Hoffman, 16.189
Payton Hadden, 16.543
Tracie Westerberg, 17.47

Ages 14-17
Barrel Racing
Sydney Jones, 16.262
Kassidy Hewitt, 16.498
Jayden Mortensen, 16.513

Pole Bending
Katie Weese, 22.15
Kassidy Hewitt, 22,482
Zoey Robison, 23.266

Butterfly Pattern
Kassidy Hewitt, 15.597
Nakoda Bird, 17.013
Nakoda Bird, 17.062

Ages 18-39
Barrel Racing
Genesis Parker, 16.13
Makenzi Scott, 16.219
Taylor Allen, 16.556

Pole Bending
Taylor Allen, 20.484
Andi Carpenter, 24.125
Stephanie Root, 24.23

Butterfly Pattern
Stephanie Root, 16.42
Kaitlyn Duran, 16.673
Savannah Wegner, 17.941

Ages 40-Plus
Barrel Racing
Margaret Jones, 16.087
Louise Kennedy, 16.42
Mishell Howard, 16.766

Pole Bending
Margaret Jones, 22,54
Mishell Howard, 24.712
Kelly Westerberg, 25.293

Butterfly Pattern
Kelly Westerberg, 16.16
Louise Kennedy, 16.4
Terald Pollock, 17.89