INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BOXING, YOUTH BOXING

Talen Barry & Smart Rem N Be, owned by Jared Barry

Talen Barry started off the year with the goal of winning the Intermediate Non Pro Boxing and Youth Boxing National titles with Smart Rem N Be (Very Smart Remedy x Be Bob To Reno x Bob Acre Doc). She figured if she and the 17-yearold gelding could add a couple more big accomplishments to their accolades, she’d go ahead and retire him. Smart Rem N Be did his part and more, and the duo managed to successfully secure both year-end titles.

“It means a lot because my horse has gotten so old,” Barry said. “He’s taught me everything I know about cow horse, and it’s just so cool to win all those things on him this year.”

Though the idea of retiring him was bittersweet after their achievements, 15-yearold Barry has some younger horses coming up, along with a bridle horse she hopes can live up to the standards Smart Rem N Be has set with her. She also plans to start going down the fence soon.

Barry thanked her dad, Jared, who has been instrumental in getting horses for her to ride. She also mentioned Don Murphy, who helps her with her horses.

RCHN: What was your most memorable NRCHA show moment in 2022?

Talen Barry: I actually won the Intermediate Non Pro Boxing at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®. That was my first Snaffle Bit with him. I went the year before and just took him around and practiced, but I never showed him.

RCHN: What was the biggest challenge you faced during the show season?

TB: Just having confidence in him and myself and letting him do his job.

RCHN: What is your horse’s most special physical talent?

TB: He loves the cow work. He’s not very strong in the reining, but when it comes to the cow, he’ll get the job done.

Limited Non Pro Boxing

Treylyn Hancock & Slyd My Way

RCHN: What was your most memorable NRCHA show moment in 2022?

Treylyn Hancock: I think it probably was winning the Limited Non Pro Boxing at the Snaffle Bit Futurity®. It was my first major event that I entered and did well in. That was really neat because it showed my horse off on a bigger scale, and it really showed that he can go out there and compete with some of the top level people.

RCHN: What was the biggest challenge you faced during the show season?

Last year was the first year Treylyn Hancock started entering Limited Non Pro Boxing classes, but she took the division by storm. She and Slyd My Way (Zezes Pepto Cat x Pastels Play Girl x Pastels Smart Lena), a 2016 gelding, only entered a handful of shows, but they nabbed the Limited Non Pro Boxing National and World titles for their efforts.

“It feels really awesome,” Hancock said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to accomplish that this quickly, with it being my first year in the Non Pro events.”

After getting a taste of it at the Fort Worth Stock Show in Fort Worth, Texas, Hancock hopes to start going down the fence this year. She said she likely won’t focus on running for a National title in 2023, but she does want to try to win a golden globe in the working cow horse at the American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show and qualify for the Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions in the Youth Cow Horse.

“I feel like those would both be really neat to do this year, having just moved up to starting to go down the fence,” she said, thanking her horse for being there for her. “He’s really gotten me to go to more competitive levels of it.”

TH: The biggest challenge was just making sure I stayed out of his way so he could do his job. Also, school—just making sure I kept up with all my grades while also being able to go out and show. I had to make sure I had time to work on my horses, but also had time to work on my school and be able to stay in the top 10 percent of my class.

RCHN: What is your horse’s most special physical talent?

TH: A really neat thing with him is his ability to work the cow. He’s a pretty big horse, and like my friend said, it’s so neat to watch him because he looks like he’s not going fast. But in an instant, he’ll be over there and be with the cow stopping it because he’s got such a long stride. He can get over there so quickly. When I get him focused just right, he can really make some cool moves on a cow. That and I like his stops, too. I’d be a little concerned if his name was “Slyd My Way” and he couldn’t stop.

Box Drive

Delinda Jokela & Ice Wynnd Fire

Shortly after Delinda Jokela purchased Ice Wynnd Fire (Peptoboonsmal x Fancy Frostina x Smart Little Lena) in 2018, the 2010 gelding suffered a severe injury causing him to take 18 months off from riding. Jokela didn’t know if he’d ever return to showing again. But, after some rehab, the gelding was back to 100 percent, and she said it was an incredible feeling riding him to win the Box Drive National title—especially considering she didn’t buy him to do cow horse in the first place.

“When I bought him, I had never been on a flag or done a sliding stop,” Jokela said. “After we bought him, one of my girlfriends said, ‘Let’s go play with this new toy,’ basically. I got addicted the first time and was just all in after that.

“I knew nothing about his bloodlines; I didn’t even look at his papers when I bought him, so it was just a surprise to me that he could actually do herd work,” she added.

Jokela credited her trainer, Dean McCann, for pushing her to go for the National title.

“He saw the potential in us, even though I had no idea that we could do it,” she said. “Dean definitely was motivating me to keep showing and to try to get this title.”

RCHN: What was your most memorable NRCHA show moment in 2022?

Delinda Jokela: I went to my first premier show and to [the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes in] Las Vegas, Nevada. I had no idea how exciting those could be. We got second place in the Box Drive class. I was leading the class all the way until like the second-to-last person, and then she beat me out, but it was such a thrill. I experienced what a good go could be in a really hard competition and in such a beautiful and fun environment. I was even more hooked after that.

RCHN: What was the biggest challenge you faced during the show season?

DJ: I would say my biggest challenge was my show pen anxiety. I would go into the pen and get so nervous about how we were going to do, and so I probably battled that the most.

RCHN: What is your horse’s most special physical talent?

DJ: My horse is so consistent. He doesn’t have any bad habits or show pen tricks. He just gets in there and puts his head down and does the best he can.