Moosomin, SK was the place to be Mother’s Day weekend. 215 open barrel racers flocked to town for the 6th annual event. Winning the first round of the Open was Shelby Noval on Bully and the second round went to Erin Hagan on Gracie. On the average of 2 runs, the championship for the weekend went to Shelby Noval. Full Open Results and Youth and Futurity/Derby results are now posted. Check out the division winners below the interview. Shelby took the time to answer some of our questions:
What is the name of the horse you ran?
Honor A Bully Effort aka Bully
Click to enlarge pedigree
How old is he?
8
How long have you been running barrels on him?
I actually just started riding him this year and Moosomin was the first barrel race I took him to! I tried riding him about three years ago, but we didn’t get along at all. I never thought I would be running him again and getting along with him so well.
What is the training background on this horse?
Chris Martin from Paris, Texas had been running him until this fall. He had the winter off, and now I am riding him.
What is your training and riding style with your horse?
I try not to work barrels too much on him as he can get a little hot, and I think it just psyches him out more than helping him. If anything I do it for myself, not him. When I make a run on him I really have to sit and rate him to make sure he turns first, then push him to second, and third is kind of in between.
What is it you like best about him?
I like how laid back he is. When I am warming up you would never guess he can actually run. He feels like a kids horse I have to keep kicking just to stay in a lope, but when he goes down the alley he turns into a completely different horse.
You won the first round, but did it feel like a winning run?
Not at all! He never feels like he is running so when they said my time I was shocked. I had made a few practice runs at home and didn’t know if he was going to clock or not because he felt so slow. Moosomin was kind of a test to see how fast he really is.
How do you prepare for your runs (warm up etc.)?
Bully doesn’t need too much of a warm up. I just trot and lope some circles and do lots of counter-arcing. Make sure he is moving off my leg and soft in the mouth, basically just make sure he is listening because he can be a little pushy and hard headed. To prepare myself I just go over what I have to do in my head and practice my seat because I think that is my weak spot.
What kind of saddle do you use?
On Bully I use an old frontier racer I got when I was about 12 from my parents for Christmas. Its not pretty, but it fits him and I like riding in it.
Committee Member Traci denbrok-Sandilands (L) presents Shelby with her leather jacket and buckle for winning the Moosomin Barrel Race 1D Average
What kind of pad do you use?
Impact gel
What kind of bit do you use?
A Martha Josey combination bit
Are there any specific goals you have set for yourself and your horse this season?
I would like to fill my semi-pro this year.
What lead you to be a barrel racer?
I grew up on a ranch and always loved riding, but I didn’t come from a rodeo family. I guess I just saw it at a rodeo when I was little and decided that is what I wanted to do. I took one of the ranch horses and set up some barrels and it went from there.
If you were to share a training/rodeo tip what would it be?
Never give up. Rodeo is a tough sport to compete in, one day you can be on top of the world, and the next day you are stomped into the ground, but you just have to keep pushing through the tough times and it will pay off in the end.
I would like to thank everyone who put in so much time and work into making the Moosomin barrel race such a huge success. (Shelby)
Youth winners were:
1D Cassandra Peters
2D Kelsey Wheeler
3D Taylor Ross
They each received blankets.
Open Winners:
1D Shelby Noval
2nd Kathy Brown
2D Tressa Moore
2nd Leah Obach
3D Leach Obach
2nd Ferrah Hawrelvik
First place received a leather jacket and buckle and 2nd received a leather jacket.
Futurity winner was Jackie Hoover and Rare Splasher and the Derby winner was Dawn Vandersteen on Rocky. They each received a bronc halter.
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