RODEO NEWS

Walk-Up to World Record Grimes Grabs WPRA Headlines

By Ann Bleiker

Kathy Grimes wasn’t even scheduled to compete at the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo in Burley, Idaho, but she not only competed, she rewrote history with a new record on a WPRA standard pattern stopping the clock in 16.31 seconds.

“With the price of fuel, I have been trying to make good financial decisions with these loops of rodeos and since Burley was on my way home and there were quite a few turnouts I decided to walk up there,” stated Grimes. “They had five turnouts and no one else walked up, so I was really surprised. It put me second after the drag so how great is that as a walkup?

Michelle Alley and Stiletto were just in front of me at Burley and ran a 16.64, so I was like alright Showie let’s just try to get second because there was already a 16.82 that was leading until Michelle’s run. But Showie was like ‘I got you’ and he went out there and our timing was just right all the way through. I am sure grateful for it.”

Grimes of Medical Lake, Washington, and her home-grown 6-year-old gelding KG Just Money had a weekend of 16-second runs that started with another walk-up appearance in Gooding, Idaho (16.89) on Friday night, followed by a scheduled morning slack run in Tremonton, Utah (16.80) but they saved the best for last in Burley on Saturday night.

“He ran three 16s in 24 hours and I was feeling bad about running him three times, but obviously he thrived on it,” Grimes said. “I am still struggling to wrap my head around it. That is such a fast time. I mean who dreams of that? During the run I thought it felt good and smooth but not sure it felt like what you think a 16.31 would feel. I know last year in his futurity year he set some arena records, won a lot and was really good but never dreamed of something like this. When I saw the scoreboard above me as I was running out, I just couldn’t believe it.”

Grimes is a 23-year veteran of the sport and knows how special this moment really is.

“I have seen some say that record will stand for a while, but I know records are made to be broken so we will see,” said a very humble Grimes. “When I saw Sydney’s 16.4 just a few weeks ago, I was in awe. It is just so amazing these times.”

On August 1, Sydney Graham set a new WPRA record on a standard pattern with a 16.49 second run in Heber City, Utah, aboard DuPont First breaking the record previously set in none other than Burley, Idaho, in 2025 by Makenna Shook when she ran XV Mario to a 16.53.

Grimes knows it isn’t just about having a great horse but also how much the ground plays into the outcome and how the Wilderness Circuit stands above the rest in the rodeo industry.

“The Wilderness Circuit has the best ground, and it is just amazing and so appreciated,” noted Grimes. “That is why it is so tough to go there and why they call it the Snake Pit. Everybody can run their best run when you have great ground. Matt Tegan handled the ground in Burley, and he did a great job.”

Grimes qualified for her first Wrangler NFR in 2017 aboard her black mare KG Justiceweexpected that she called Issy and was the veterinarian’s first attempt at embryo transfer. Showie’s mom just happens to be Issy and on the sire side it is none other than PC Frenchmans Hayday, which is the sire of another famous and record setting mare known as Sister. So, what makes Showie, who is trying to earn another NFR qualification for his jockey, so special?

“During his futurity year he was so consistent and solid,” stated Grimes. “We won a lot of money, and it was really fun. Of course, it is a lot more fun when you are winning. We only hit like four barrels last year and if we were keeping them up, we were winning. I have never had that consistency with my other horses and that is so important, especially when it comes to these rodeos with so many different variables and set-ups. He has been one of my first nice horses to run 16s on a rodeo pattern as my others ran that on jackpot ground.”

No matter how the year plays out for Grimes this will be a career highlight she won’t soon forget.

“It is just surreal and just can’t believe it.”

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