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Less than $700 separate Mountain
States standing's leader Brenda Seely and Laura Lambert,
heading into this weekend's Dodge Mountain States Circuit
Finals Rodeo (MSCFR). Seely and Lambert along with 10
other qualifiers to the MSCFR, held at the National
Western Events Center in Denver, are gunning for the
right to compete at the 2010 Dodge National Circuit
Finals Rodeo (DNCFR), held in Pocatello, Idaho.
The National Western was also home to Seely's most lucrative
finish in 2009. The school counselor from Lander, Wyo.,
placed second in the average for an $8,104 payday. She
also picked up $3,867 for placing fifth in the average
at the Greeley Independence Stampede. Other checks came
from Afton, Wyo., Steamboat Springs, Colo., Douglas,
Wyo., Sheridan, Wyo., and Yuma, Colo.
Seely's main mount is Cimarron Jones ("Okie"),
a 10-year-old gelding by the halter-bred stallion The
Cimarron Kid out of Cutie Sooner by Pa Jones. After
a successful futurity career, Seely started hauling
him to the amateur rodeos when he was 6 and pro rodeos
when he was 7. Okie's qualified her for the circuit
finals the last four years.
Although this is Seely's fourth circuit finals, it will
be Okie's third appearance.
"The first year, Okie got sick with a respiratory
infection, so we didn't do very well," recalled
Seely. "The second year, he got it again. I had
to borrow my sister's horse, and I hit a barrel to win
the average and go to Pocatello. Last year, I ran Okie
and ended up fourth in the average. It was a great horse
race. There were only 14 tenths between first and fourth.
I think there were only two tenths between first and
second. It was really tough, and I was proud to be a
part of it."
Sharing time with Okie in Seely's trailer during the
year was Raw Silver Tonto ("Happy"), a 6-year-old
gelding by Dashing With Cash out of Rapid Reedie by
Reed's Tonto.
"He's got a 'Forest Gump' mentality," laughed
Seely, who rides with the support of her husband, Corey,
and daughter, Makayla. "I bought him from a gal
that didn't think he had enough 'oomph' to be a barrel
horse. He's by Dashing With Cash and was eligible for
the futurity in Rapid City (5-States Breeders' Futurity),
so I figured I'd have that to go to and traded for him.
I won that futurity last year. I ran him at some rodeos
last year, but he's out with an injury at the moment.
"I'm really excited for next year. When he gets
healthy, I'll have two really nice horses."
Hot on Seely's heels is Mountain States Circuit Director
Laura Lambert of Wiggins, Colo. She's a 12-time circuit
finalist and has qualified for the DNCFR twice, but
only got to go once.
"I was pregnant at the time and was due during
Pocatello," said Lambert, who is the mother of
two boys, Brayden, 8, and Boedy, 18 months.
Lambert hasn't yet decided which of her talented equine
triumvirate will get the call in Denver.
Her big gun is Frenchmans Easy Snip ("Easy"),
a 9-year-old gelding by Pro Elite Sire Incentive stallion
Frenchmans Guy out of JPB Easy Luv It, by Easy Rumbo,
that she's had for nearly five years. Easy claimed $9,139
for a sixth-place finish at the Cheyenne Frontier Days
and $1,283 for an impressive win at Eagle, Colo., one
of Lambert's more memorable runs.
"He outran them pretty good," said Lambert,
who is sponsored by John Ewing's Formula 707, Great
West Trailer and Truck, Dr. Chris Morrow's Mobile Veterinary
Practice out of Amarillo, Texas, and Broken Spur Designs.
"He's made some exceptional runs this year."
A more recent acquisition, The Money Chaser ("Chase")
picked up a $2,100 second-place check in Pueblo, Colo.
Lambert's had the 12-year-old gelding by the late On
The Money Red out of Bandits Best Gal, by Flit Bar Bandit,
for about a year.
Finally, there's Sprats Edition, a 14-year-old daughter
of Genuine Edition out of Jae Bar Pride, by Doc's Jack
Sprat.
Lambert, who works as a general manager for Great West
Truck and Trailer, also writes articles for Barrel Horse
News and rides outside horses to support her barrel
racing habit. While her extremely supportive husband
and horseshoer, Ricky, would like her to try for the
National Finals, she's reluctant.
"God and my family come first," she said.
"I love my horse and I want them for the long haul.
If I ever did try to make it to the finals, I'd have
to make it in about 35 rodeos!"
Close on Seely and Lambert's heels, is 2007 DNCFR Champion
Shali Lord, who swept the Mountain States' championships
in 2008, winning both the year-end and average titles.
By virtue of Lord winning both titles in 2008, year-end
reserve champion Diann Bukowski made the trip to the
2009 DNCFR and has qualified for the Mountain States
Circuit Finals Rodeo again this year.
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