Who says teenagers are difficult? After an amazing 2009 Wrangler NFR in which the young guns of professional barrel racing stole the show, 2010 has started out to be a great year for teenagers. Thirteen year old Sixth Vision, better known as Stitch, took his rider, World Champion Brittany Pozzi, to the top of the pack at the National Western in Denver a week ago.

This week, 18-year old Assured Profit Too took his jockey, Turquoise Circuit Director Sarah Kieckhefer, to the victory at the New Mexico Stampede held in Rio Rancho, N.M.

"He still acts like an eight year old," says Kieckhefer of her horse whom she calls Fred. "I'm very excited about winning!"

In fact, Fred has done his best work since entering the teen years. After battling back from colic surgery in 2006 and surgery to remove a cataract from his left eye, Kieckhefer claimed the Turquoise Circuit Championship with Fred in 2008, and earned a first trip to the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho. Fred was voted the Horse with the Most Heart by the circuit's barrel racers that same year.

The New Mexico Stampede offered a total purse of $5,605. Entries were down somewhat from a year ago with 65 WPRA barrel racers braving sometimes icy road conditions to compete at the Santa Ana Star Center indoor arena.

Kieckhefer rounded the tiny pattern in 14.80 seconds for the win and $1,177. The win moved her into sixth in the 2010 Turquoise Circuit standings. Running in the first performance on Friday, Kieckhefer had no idea her time would survive the remaining competitors in slack and a final performance Saturday.

"My run was smooth but not a spectacular one," says Kieckhefer. "Fred is so long strided that it actually felt slow but he nailed his turns for the short setup. I really didn't think it would hold first but I did think I would get a check."

Kieckhefer held on for the win by just one one-hundredth of a second over perennial Turquoise Circuit Finals qualifier Marie Autrey. The two had three tenths on third place.

Kieckhefer had reasons to smile beyond her own glory. Her hauling partner, Erin Parsons, split fourth, and the rookie Anne Marie McConnell of Wickenburg, Ariz., , whose name appeared ninth on the results, competed on a horse that Kieckhefer sold to her last fall named Apache.

"It's exciting to have one I raised and trained fit someone and they are winning," Kieckhefer says.