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Cattle Producers of Louisiana........................... 20
Tyler Waguespack – 2015 NFR Qualifier in Steer Wrestling By Mike Milazzo and Barbara Newtown
Equine Health by Neely.........21
Tyler Waguespack of Gonzales, Louisiana, knows that success in professional steer wrestling comes from physical and mental preparation, great horses, and great teachers.
Youth Page.............................. 29 Therapeutic Riding............... 34 4-H......................................... 62
FEATURED ARTICLES Tyler Waguespack 2015 NFR Qualifier............Cover What Happens in Vegas USDF Convention..............Cover LQHBA Hall of Fame Leverne Perry.....................Cover Kristi & Greg Folse Sonrise Ranch.......................... 8 Miss Rodeo Mississippi 2015 Laura Sumrall..........................13 Neal Family.............................18 2016 Extreme Mustang Makeover Gonzales, LA............................25 NBHA State Championships............... 38 & 39 Miss Rodeo Louisiana 2016 Katie Jo Barber.........................55 LQHBA Insider.......................57
Calendar of Events Page 5
Tyler’s first mentor was his dad, Mike, who rodeo’d in the Southeastern circuit in the 1990s. Tyler remembers playing in the dirt at rodeos and watching his dad ride. For a while baseball competed with rodeo for Tyler’s attention, but, as he says, “I got to liking rodeo more, and I put up the baseball glove.” Mike taught Tyler the importance of hard work. He said that if he had to get up at 5 AM to go earn a living, Tyler had to get up as well and do barn chores before school. “And then as soon as school was out, I’d head back home, saddle up the horses, work the arena, pen the steers, and get everything ready. When Dad got home, he would walk straight to the pen and we would practice all afternoon,” says Tyler. By the time Tyler was in high school, a typical afternoon practice at home would involve chute dogging about 50 steers and throwing another 15 or 20 steers from horseback. “By that time,” he says, “I was a good enough hand on a horse that I could train horses, too.” Continued On Page 36...
What Happens in Vegas... 2015 USDF Convention in Las Vegas by Nicole Landreneau It was an honor to represent SEDA at the USDF Convention in Las Vegas in December. Convention is always an interesting experience: somewhat predictable, but always a few surprises. As the delegate for SEDA, I am required to attend the two Region 9 meetings held at Convention. The first day is always a long meeting, with much to cover and, typically, a few visitors come in. This time, the visitor was a representative from The Dressage Foundation. This worthy organization does a lot to provide money for dressage education at all levels. Continued On Page 10...
LQHBA Announces Inaugural Class for LQHBA Hall Of Fame, Induction Slated April 9 LQHBA will induct their inaugural Hall of Fame class on April 9 during the association’s annual meeting and awards banquet. ALEXANDRIA, LA—JANUARY 15, 2016—Prominent Louisiana Quarter Horse breeders and owners, Leverne Perry and Claude and Bessie Lea Jeane, will be inducted into the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) Hall of Fame. Oh Black Magic, Rocket’s Magic and Royal Bushwhacker have also been announced in the inaugural class, as LQHBA proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary of service to the Louisiana Quarter Horse industry. Continued On Page 15...
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2016 Dixie National Livestock Show & Rodeo (SCHEDULE OF EVENTS)
Thoroughbred Horse Racing November 19th, 2015 – March 27, 2016
February 11th – 17th Dixie National Rodeo (Coliseum)
Evangeline Downs Thoroughbred Horse Racing April 6th – August 27th • Post Time 5:50pm
February 12th & 13th Dixie National Farm Expo (Trade Mart Building)
Louisiana Downs Quarter Horse Racing January 9th – March 23rd • Post Time l:00pm
February 17th – 21st Dixie National Equine Expo (Trade Mart Building)
February 11th – 14th 10th Annual Lance Graves Pro Classic Coushatta Casino Resort Info: 706-495-5126 or www.lgproclassic.com Kinder, LA
Horse Racing Delta Downs Thoroughbred Horse Racing October 16th – March 12th , 2016 Post Time 5:40pm Oaklawn Thoroughbred Horse Racing January 15th – April 16th, 2016 Hot Springs, Arkansas New Orleans Fair Grounds
February 13th & 14th Acadiana Youth Rodeo Association Acadia Rice Arena | Info: Tracia Hebert 337-654-2757 or ayrassociation@yahoo.com Crowley, LA 70526 NBHA LA04 Info: Scooter LeBouef 985-209-3531 or Scooterlebouef@aol.com • Port Allen, LA
February 17th – 21st Dixie National Equine Expo Trade Show Jackson, MS February 19th DeRidder Riding Club Friday Jackpot (Barrels and Poles) Beauregard Covered Arena Info: DeRidderRidingClub@gmail.com DeRidder, LA February 19th & 20th Mississippi High School Rodeo Assoc. MC Rodeo Co. I | Info: www.mshsra.org Vancleave, MS 31st Annual Southern Miss Coca Cola Classic Rodeo Forrest County Multi Purpose Center Info: www.forrestcountycenter.com Hattiesburg, MS February 19th – 21st GHRA Supreme Gypsy Horse Show & Challenge | Tunica Arena & Expo Center Info: http://gypsyshow.horse/ | Tunica, MS
February 20th Baton Rouge Barrel Racing Association Info: bjcotten@gmail.com or 225-281-0605 or www.brbra.com | Plaquemine, LA NBHA LA05 Double Show – 5D Format Meylian-Harris Productions **Do Not have to be a member to run Info: Glenda LeBlanc 337-789-9050 Hineston, LA Kudzu Klassic Winter Series Marshall County Fairgrounds Info: Bo McCoy 662-544-5290 or Email: coldwatercross@yahoo.com Holly Springs, MS South Louisiana Team Sorting Assoc. Louis Mouch Multi Purpose Facility Info: www.sltsa.com | Port Allen, LA Mississippi Junior High School Rodeo Assoc. McBride Rodeo Info: www.mjhsra.org or msjrhighrodeo@hotmail.com | Vancleave, MS Continued on Page 47...
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Kristi and Greg Folse By Barbara Newtown Kristi and Greg Folse live on their picturesque Sonrise Ranch in Sunset, Louisiana. Huge storage buildings, which originally held square bales and hay equipment, are finding new life as indoor arenas and horse barns. The Folses need the space. They both ride and show cutting horses, and Kristi trains and shows her own halter and driving ponies. The footing you need to protect tendons while cutting is too deep for driving practice, so their facility has evolved to accommodate both disciplines. Greg has re-purposed more than outbuildings: he built their house with gorgeous cypress beams rescued from the Grand Theater in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and ornamented the house with spindles from the old Robichaux general store in Raceland, Louisiana. The spindles have a special meaning for Greg: his family founded the store and ran it for years. Rescuing the old has become a consuming drive for Greg. He attended Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans. During senior year all aspiring dentists had to do a rotation in a nursing home. “Many of my classmates hated it,” Greg says. “And I loved it.” After graduating with a D. D. S. degree, he completed a three-year geriatric dental program at Baylor University, started a traditional dental practice, and helped patients in nursing homes a day or two each week. In 1992 he decided to serve the elderly full-time and started Mission Dental, a mobile practice. “For 23 years my staff and I have been treating vulnerable adults. When I started, 80% of my patients had no teeth at all. Now 80% of my patients have teeth!” Greg believes that dealing with cognitively impaired patients is exactly like dealing with animals. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s all spirit, all fear versus comfort, resistance versus acceptance. It’s taking pressure away and
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making them—patients or horses—comfortable with me in their space.” Greg recently delivered a lecture, “Instinctual Treatment of the Cognitively Impaired Patient,” at the National Oral Health Convention. He brought in actual animals: horses, ranging from an unbroke filly to a trained cutter, and cattle which had never interacted with humans. “I showed the dental professionals at the conference how I could run an animal off or bring it towards me. At the end of the demonstration I put my hand on the rump of a cow and we walked around for a while!” Greg explains that when you lose cognitive thought, you become an instinctual being. “It’s all touch and smile and love,” he says. “I’ve had patients who hadn’t spoken in years open up and talk to me. When they sense that you love them, and that you are doing something to and for them because you truly believe it is the right thing to do, their world opens up.” Whether you are a dentist or a horse trainer, you might possess the best techniques in the world for “selling” a procedure or a maneuver, but you will not succeed if you do not love the being you are serving. Greg fell off his first horse when he was three. He remembers walking out to the pasture just in shorts, no shoes or socks or shirt, and climbing on top of his little horse Nubbins, who was taking a nap. Nubbins woke up and dumped Greg off his side—“and my mom was right there to pick me up.” Continued On Page 19...
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What Happens in Vegas... 2015 USDF Convention in Las Vegas by Nicole Landreneau
They were excited to report that Region 9 has received the most grants given to GMOs, amounting to over $50,000! This doesn’t happen without support, so if you’re looking for a dressagerelated organization to donate to, please consider The Dressage Foundation. As they like to say, no amount is too little or too much, and goes a long way to assist in dressage education around the country. A lot of Regional business is discussed in these meetings, as well as a recap of the Championships. For 2015, there was an increase in the number of riders competing in the competition (to the point they had to find a judge at the last minute) and the overall impression of the event was positive. Houston Dressage Society again asked for volunteers to help with the competition. There are many perks for people volunteering at the Championships, not the least of which includes meals and lodging … and a bonus of money given to SEDA based on the number of man hours worked by our members. Everyone is encouraged to think about it for next year. It was also reported that Houston hosted the Para Dressage finals and it was a great success with riders and horses coming from all over the country. The CDI Houston will be hosting in 2016 will be a 2* instead of a 3*, which saves them a bit of money on judges. New this year will be an Adult Amateur division with prize money, through I-1. They are
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hoping to encourage many new participants who will be interested in the opportunity to compete at an international level without having to compete against the professionals. If you’re looking for a way to advertise you or your business in an inexpensive way, the SWDC is looking for rider patch sponsorships ($100). SWDC is also looking for new board members, especially someone who is not competing and could be available to hand out awards at the show. Contact them directly if you’re interested in participating in either of these opportunities. There was also a review and a discussion of the potential new USDF logo designs. USDF would like to update their logo and has developed a few options which attendees were allowed to review and comment on. All options presented look very similar to the Dressage Finals logo, so it will be interesting to see which version winds up being chosen. We had a brief review of topics covered in many of the Committee meetings as well. Some items of note included: • a new TD fund available through The Dressage Foundation to help a ‘r’ judge become an ‘R’ judge • a reminder that at Regional Championships, I1 and I2 are NOT consecutive levels and riders cannot qualify for both • it was also stressed the that scores earned across regions may not qualify for championships if the score was earned after the end of show season in the region in which it was earned – the day after the closing date of the current year Championships is the first day of the new season in that region
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• there are going to be requirements for proof of flu vaccinations at FEI/USEF shows • the Jr/YR championships will be held in Colorado, and there is much apprehension about this location because of concerns regarding when to ship horses in to allow them to adjust to the altitude • competitors age 21 and under must now wear helmets at the job at FEI shows • there are not going to be any more USDF Adult Clinic Series for the time being due to lack of participation – USDF will be contacting all the GMOs to find out why there wasn’t much participation and what types of programs they feel will be beneficial In the Regional meetings we also discussed topics which would be coming up at the Board of Governors (BoG) meeting. The hot button issue this year was the location of the US Dressage Finals. For various reasons, Texas and Oklahoma venues were passed over as potential host spots for the Finals, and California was settled on as the most likely spot. There was some heated discussion on this, but it was mostly just a taste of what was going to make the BoG an interesting meeting! The BoG is rather the ‘highlight’ of the Convention. As a delegate, you really get to see the inner workings of USDF – and to participate in that process. It typically begins with a recap of the year, a review of the financials and reports from the Chef d’Equipe and USEF. Like the last couple of years, there was a discussion about the US Dressage Finals and what worked/didn’t work. This was a lead-in to the hot topic of the year. Continued On Page 17...
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Elsa on Horseback is coming to the
Dixie National Freestyle Reining on February 19th at the Coliseum! I hope to see you there
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Louisiana Equine Report • February | March 2016
-DenverAlmost exactly a year ago to the date, I embarked on a journey that would take me places I never knew could be so much fun. As a non-pageant girl, having a crown on my head would be something to get used to, but I took it in stride, and I had many mentors who offered a helping hand along the way. So one year later, I made my final trip out of state as Miss Rodeo Mississippi to the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo. After travelling all year with the girls from other states, I heard so much about this great place. It is where nearly every other queen made their debut as state title holders. Filled with snow, bustling crowds and the all-too-famous Denver Market, I knew I had to try and make it to the National Western on the backside of my reign. Somehow, I made it work on the weekend before I pass down my crown, so I was headed out. The opening day was nothing short of excitement. I flew in on Friday, and Saturday I began all of my queenly duties. I was met with a smile and immediately put to work doing what we rodeo queens do best- exactly what we are told. First stop was the production meeting to find out exactly where I would be throughout the day, and to my amazement, I would be carrying the American Flag all day long. So for three performances straight, I walked into a pitch-black house that erupted at the site of our flag. When the announcer asked, “Do we have any proud Americans out there?” The crowd cheered with an enthusiasm that could not be matched, and they were all staring at the beautiful tall flag that I was holding in the middle of the pen. At that point, the announcer would embrace our free, American spirit to pray, where the crowd went silent in reverence. As soon as it was over, whoops and hollers slipped out from here and there. Then the National Anthem was sung. By the time we got to “Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave,” my trusty black horse Dakota, knew what was coming. The crowd was getting louder, and he knew the words and danced along with them. Next up was a fast run around the arena and out of the gate to signal the beginning of the show. As my last run came to a close, I could not have been any happier. As a queen, holding the American Flag is as good as it gets. It is such a proud moment filled with happiness and warmth for all that is good. It was a great final run for me as Miss Rodeo Mississippi, and a memory I will cherish. On Sunday, I took on a different role. The Ram Invitational Freestyle was held that afternoon, where I switched gears to a different sort of queen.
By Laura Sumrall For the first time ever, I performed a freestyle a second time around. Elsa came to Denver. It ended up being extremely fun because of the snow that I never get to see. So I quickly put on my cape and went to play in it, all the while singing, “Do you want to build a snowman” at the top of my lungs. It made me a bit nervous to do the “Let It Go” performance again. I was on a borrowed horse the first time around, and the same thing happened here. Hauling a horse to Denver in January was much too far and too risky. After talking to Shane Brown of Elbert, CO, he had me all fixed up with a horse out of his barn. Morgan Hinkle, a youth and nonpro rider gladly let me use her Wimpys King Lad for the performance. Once again, I could not have asked for anything better. It all went incredibly smooth. Shane helped me get the hang of my horse, and Morgan came to watch her King in support, and the horse show staff at Denver was incredible with lighting, music and everything in between. The show went off without a hitch. With a different horse, comes different plusses and minuses- literally. I had to adjust my patter ever-so-slightly to fit King and where he excelled. So we executed a few extra spins and a few less backups to play toward his excellence. It worked, and we marked a score to match my first one: 224.5 on both Wimpys King Lad and Wimpys Top Model. There in Denver, the competition was the highest I have ever competed in for freestyle. My 224.5 hung in there for a 5th Place finish. As one of very few nonprofessionals, the youngest competitor and the only girl to place in the Top 5, I was extremely happy. Although the competition was one for the books, what happened afterwards might be my favorite thing of all. For nearly two hours, I took pictures and spoke to little kids, and big kids for that matter, who all looked up to Elsa. What seemed like hundreds of little ones all swarmed the sides of the fence, and eventually the evetn staff just gave up and let them through for pictures and a chat with Elsa. I’ve said it before, and I meant it. That is what it is all about. Seeing the smiles or generating one from the shy child is so heart warming. As Elsa, I had people of every age come up for pictures. One sticks out in particular. A little blond girl came looking for me after my ride. I slipped off to go give my horse some water and myself some too, and on my way back to King there she was. Her mom could hardly get it out of her mouth, “ We just HAD to come and find you.” Before she had finished her sentence, I was knelt down, and the little girl had me in the biggest embrace around my neck. I will never forget that hug and how sweet she was. The last thing she said to me was, “Thank You, Elsa,” but in all reality, Thank you, Little One, for making that a memory of a lifetime.
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LQHBA Announces Inaugural Class for LQHBA Hall Of Fame, Induction Slated April 9 The ceremony, in conjunction with the annual LQHBA Membership Meeting & Awards Banquet, will take place on Saturday, April 9 at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas. The inductees have each played a significant role in the Louisiana Quarter Horse industry. Leverne Perry Since registering his first Quarter Horse foal in 1967, Leverne Perry has been a prominent breeder and owner in Louisiana Quarter Horse racing. Born in Sieper, Louisiana, as a teenager, Perry began roping calves and rodeoing, but Laverne Perry was a longtime became intrigued with executive director of the LQHBA. owning and breeding racehorses. When his father wanted a race-bred mare, Leverne found Scoopie Fein for him for $1,000 and bred her to Streakin La Jolla in 1992. After his father’s passing, Leverne named the colt in honor of the “greatest man he ever knew”, his father, Mr Jess Perry. The Champion producing stallion ranks as the second-highest leading living sire of money earners, with his progeny earning over $47 million. Perry has owned and bred accredited-Louisiana-bred Quarter Horses for close to five decades, including not only LQHBA Champions but also three AQHA Regional Champions; Streakin Carl, Jesse Leigh Perry and Jess Pop My Rocket. Perry played a key role in successful legislative efforts, which resulted in slot machines at Louisiana racetracks. Serving as Executive Director of LQHBA from 19872013, Louisiana Quarter Horse racing flourished into the richest state-bred program in the nation with significant gains in purse money and breeder incentives for mares and stallions of accredited Louisiana-breds. During his tenure, he helped develop the Youth Scholarship program, the first Mardi Gras Futurity and the first $1,000,000-guaranteed
Breeders Futurity for Louisiana-bred foals. His tireless efforts to promote and expand Louisiana racing and breeding helped develop the annual yearling sale into one of the largest state-bred Quarter Horse sales in the country. He has always been very proud to promote and work for the LQHBA and its members.
won 13 of 24 starts and earned $155,498. Bred by Bessie, Mighty Space Bid won the Louisiana Breeders’ Laddie Futurity, 1985 Pelican State Classic at Delta Downs and the Delta Downs Louisiana Breeders’ Derby. He was second in the LQHBA Futurity and third in the Evangeline Downs Breeders Futurity.
Perry has been honored with many distinguished service awards. He was inducted into the Louisiana Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2002. In recognition of his 25th year of service as the executive director of the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association, he was honored by AQHA with the 2011 Gordon Crone Special Achievement award. In 2014 he received the LQHBA Lifetime Achievement award. He served on the AQHA Racing Committee and the AQHA Champions committee. He remains Executive Director Emeritus of LQHBA.
Also bred by Bessie and trained by Claude, Heisajoy was a 1985 gelding by Gusty Hempen from the Heisanative (TB) mare Sheisajoy. Heisajoy compiled a (28) 15-4-2 record while winning eight stakes races and earning nearly $250,000.
Perry, 84, is a devoted family man. He has five daughters: Karen Rush, Julie Normand, Jill Gutierrez, Leigh Lepinski and Amy Grimes, 12 grandchildren and 3 greatgrandchildren. Of course, he always acknowledges how much he learned from his parents and still wears a pair of his dad’s boots. “I can wear his boots, but never fill his shoes,” Perry acknowledged. Claude and Bessie Lea Jeane Claude and Bessie Lea Jeane have bred and owned many noted champions in Louisiana. One of Claude Jeane’s earliest runners was the Le Bold stallion Tonto de Bold out of Tonto Bars Becky by Tonto Bars Claude Jeane and his wife Bessie bred Gill. Bred by W.E. and owned many noted champions Barrett, Tonto de Bold in Louisiana. Courtesy Speedhorse raced for six years Magazine beginning in 1972, compiling a (66) 2214-16 record while winning six stakes races and setting two track records. Mighty Space Bid, a 1982 gelding by Mighty Bionic Bid from the Space Maker (TB) mare Jarousha Ann (TB)
Claude Nolen Jeane, 76, died January 23, 2012, in Alexandria, Louisiana. He was an insulation Contractor for 40 years and an owner/breeder and trainer of Quarter Horses since the 1960’s. He was clear in his priorities: church first, family second and horses third. The Jeane’s have three sons, Randle, Scott and Sam and daughters, Teresa Burgess and Marilyn Jeane. “It would take a lot of time and words to list the nice horses that mom and dad have bred and/or have been a part of,” said Scott Jeane. “Tonto De Bold, Mighty Space Bid and Heisajoy are a few of the ones that were really special to them and made the foundation of their breeding program.” The American Quarter Horse Association awarded all three horses “Superior Race Horse” titles. Oh Black Magic Oh Black Magic, a daughter of All American Futurity winner Three Oh’s out of the Scooper Chick mare Legs La Scoop, was bred by Dr. and Mrs. D. G. Strole and foaled on April 1, 1973. Mr. Donice Thompson, a dairy farmer from Folsom, Louisiana, had an interest in Quarter Horses, and made quite a fascinating acquisition for Oh Black Magic, according to his daughter, Jo Ann. “My dad was quite a character,” explained Jo Ann. “In 1973, he made the trip to Abilene, and came back with four horses, a goat and a windmill!” One of the four was a weanling, Oh Black Magic, and the goat, which they named Horace, became the stalwart companion to the talented mare. As a racemare, she made 33 starts, winning six races before retiring to the breeding shed. Continued On Page 26...
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What Happens in Vegas... 2015 USDF Convention in Las Vegas by Nicole Landreneau
Back when the BoG initially voted to approve having the Finals, there was a lot of skepticism about its eventual success. With that in mind, the BoG voted to move the competition between the East and West Coasts every three years to be fair to competitors on both coasts. Since we have several years of very successful competition under our belts now, with real data to review, the idea of moving it from the Kentucky Horse Park came into question. USDF did put a lot of effort into trying to find a suitable location more centrally located, and then more Western, and finally came up with a facility in Thermal, CA that would meet all the requirements. To say that this stirred a firestorm would be an understatement! Three quarters of the country does not want to travel to Southern California. Even the California representatives didn’t like the facility. It is a known fact that moving the competition will mean a significant revenue loss for at least the first of the three years in that location. So, what to do? Several hours of discussion centered around the pros and cons of moving the competition from the Kentucky Horse Park. Some of the pros for moving it: • More California riders would participate • It is more accessible for West Coast participants • West Coast feels very left out with the competition so far east • The weather will be more predictable than in Kentucky Some of the cons against moving it: • Fewer Midwest and East Coast riders would participate • Everyone likes the KY Horse Park and feels it lends an air of ‘international quality’ to the competition that will be hard to meet elsewhere • Lodging and dining resources near the facility are limited, most are 30 minutes away • The show is established, there is a system in place, volunteers are trained, and therefore it is efficient to manage at the Horse Park
• USDF staff is located right there and they don’t have to figure in travel costs so more staff can help In the end, it was voted to keep the competition at the Kentucky Horse Park until such a time as a more agreeable facility can be found which is located more Central or West. At that time, the BoG will again be asked to vote on moving the competition. In addition to the business meetings, USDF always does a nice job of providing educational sessions. This year, they took advantage of a national veterinary conference also taking place in Las Vegas and thus offered a wide range of horse-health related sessions. These ranged from feeding practices to joint therapies to recognizing lameness in a horse’s back. My favorite session was about the difference between riders and horsemen. It is a nationwide (and likely global) problem in which we find people who want to ride – and may be good riders – but who lack knowledge about their horses. They don’t understand basic horse care or how to recognize when a horse is just ‘off’. All they know how to do is ride. In my limited exposure, I have seen a good deal of this, so it was interesting to hear how it is a real issue in all disciplines. There was a lot of discussion following this presentation: apparently this is a topic which these dedicated horse people are both well aware of and stymied by! In summary, I’d say that again, this was a successful convention. It’s always a pleasure to be part of this organization, and an honor to represent SEDA membership. Next year’s convention is in St. Louis – I hope to see you there!
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Interview with the Neal Family By Mike Milazzo and Barbara Newtown
Tony and Kim Neal and their three daughters, Jossie (26), Chancie (21), and Chesnie (11), all work hard to make their dreams come true. Tony builds custom homes and trains horses; Kim trains and teaches riding; and all three girls compete in barrel racing. Chancie lives in Nashville, where she is a songwriter for Sony. She also performs and will soon release an album of her own songs. Tony, Kim, Jossie, and Chesnie live on the family’s 90-acre Indian Village Farm and Ranch in Calhoun, Louisiana. Kim wants Indian Village Farm and Ranch to become a source for the winning barrel horses of tomorrow. She is developing a broodmare band to complement the best stallions in the nation. “We are breeding for speed and great minds,” she says.
Tony, how did you get involved with horses? I was probably 3 or 4 years old. I went to horse shows and play days, and then I was looking to get into something else, so I rode bulls for 13 years. I had my PRCA card. I won the Northeastern Circuit and then went to the Dodge National Circuit Finals in 1989. When my daughter Jossie was born I decided to hang my hat up. With Jossie and Chancie we started traveling to run barrels. My dad trained horses, so he would put me on the horses first. That’s where I learned the basics of horse training. When I became a teenager I just kept training, and I trained all of our barrel horses. And Jossie wanted to learn how to train, too. Did you and Kim meet because of horses? Pretty much. She said she wanted a cowboy, so she got one! Kim, have you been involved with horses since you were young? Oh, yes. I started riding as a kid. Like Tony, I did some play days, but mainly I rode around the house. If my friends were going, I’d catch a ride with them and compete. When I married Tony he got me a horse and broke it for me. That was the start of my barrel racing. That horse was crazy, and I loved that horse. He bucked me off so hard one time that I literally spit up blood. But I caught him and got back on. I had to ride that horse every day, but he did really well. He broke an arena record in barrel racing. We competed in the Louisiana Rodeo Cowboys Association. We’ve always had horses, and we would trail ride and we taught our girls how to run barrels and poles and stuff like that. We took a break for a while because Jossie was playing fast pitch softball and doing great. But when she was 10 years old the arches in her feet collapsed. We knew we needed to find a different sport, so we got into barrel racing. We are the type of family that, whatever we are going to do, we do it right and we try to win! When Jossie and Chancie were doing high school and junior high school rodeo, we were hitting rodeos just about every weekend. That was a lot of fun. Jossie won a state title, and then Chancie came along and won the National Barrel Horse Association World Title in Jackson, Mississippi, when she was 9 years old. Her horse, Dacota Chiefton, is still teaching these new kids how to compete in barrel racing.
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Jossie, tell me about your love for horses and riding. I love to get into the horse’s mind and figure it out. I love a challenge. If I can take a horse that has a bunch of problems and fix it and make something of it and turn around and sell it, I’m like—“Wow, I did something good!” I give lessons now and I enjoy seeing these kids get better every day. It’s my passion. I won the NBHA state title on Casey, my uncle’s horse. The horse was 18 years old when I started running him. I remember sitting at the table and my dad telling me, “Jossie, you are going to really learn how to ride. I don’t know if you will be able to ride Casey, because he’s tough!” Of course I thought, “I’m going to do it. I’m going to figure him out.” I brought the sucker home and he was a bullhead, just stubborn. But I knew what I needed to do to put this barrel run together, and we started placing here and there. I was so happy because I didn’t give up. After that I started riding Dodger and Chancie rode Casey. I started training as a business when I was about 17 or 18, and I’ve taken in a pretty good bit of outside horses. [Jossie’s dad Tony says:] Jossie has probably trained about 35 or 40 head of horses, not including her own. She’s trained mules for people to hunt off of. She was getting such a good reputation from retraining bad horses, turning them into different horses by the time people came to pick them up, that people started bringing her stuff that was dangerous. Once you get a reputation like that, they bring you crazy ones. She would get out in the arena with them, and I wasn’t home because I was working… When I got home she would tell me some stories! Continued On Page 30..
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Kristi and Greg Folse By Barbara Newtown
His family has always had cattle, and before long Greg was working cattle with his father and other members of the Folse family in south Louisiana. When he was 18 he saw skillful cutting for the first time, and he promised himself that he would own a proper cutting horse someday. When he graduated from dental school he bought Bob, who is still going strong at 25. “When Bob – Lil Sols Bob, by Little Solitario, bred by the Gardner Ranch – was in his prime, he was hard to beat in amateur classes. When he got to be 17, he slowed up, but to this day I can throw a saddle on him and he will squeal when he cuts a cow. He just makes you smile.” When Greg and Kristi load horses up to go to a show, Bob will stand in the pasture and cry. And he cries and cuts up when they are working other horses in the pen. Greg says, “His heart is huge! You know, they say every man has his horse. I’ve actually owned three of them, three horses that I’ve been blessed to have. Bob is one of them, and he will die here on our place.” Greg works his own cutting horses with real cows, of course, but he also has a “flag” in his indoor cutting space. The flag is a fake cow attached to wires stretched across the arena. An electric motor moves the flag right or left, fast or slow, from one side to the other. Greg carries a remote as he rides and he makes sure the movement is appropriate for the skill level of the horse. Kristi lived in east Texas 10 years before she and Greg married two years ago. She is a native of Loveland, Colorado, and she has been around horses all her life. Her mother had a strong agricultural background. Her mother’s father was one of the bigger livestock suppliers and horsemen in South Dakota, and her mother’s extended family is still active in farming and ranching. Kristi has a cousin who is a successful breeder of reining and cutting horses. “My father didn’t know much about horses when I was young, so we all had to learn together. He adapted very well,” she says. In the 1980s, Kristi’s mother and father purchased their first miniature horse. Kristi says that her mother started showing minis because Kristi and her two brothers would be able to handle them without getting hurt. Soon the family had some of the best minis in the country and traveled all through the USA and Canada, winning multiple World and National championships. These days Kristi breeds, trains, and shows ponies. Continued On Page 23...
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A NEW YEAR! by Dave Foster HAPPY NEW YEAR! May the new year 2016 find you healthy and profitable. The big question this year (as in all new years) is what will happen and what events will occur that will effect my farming/ ranching enterprise? Of course, if one knew that answer we all would be ahead of the game. Not knowing what the future will be, especially in agriculture, is extremely challenging but is something that every farmer and rancher deals with. Looking back to 2015 in the cattle business, one can easily say, we reached the mountain top for prices paid for our cattle in the first half of the year, only to slide halfway back in the second half. Cattle prices shattered all records early only to end the year (Nov/ Dec) $400.00-$550.00 per heard less than 2014 prices. Cow/calf pairs and replacement females were bringing half what they brought in the first half of 2015 as the year ended. As we enter into 2016, we are faced with many challenges. The cattle futures market is dysfunctional. The out come of COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) will set the tone for the slaughter cattle market. Cold storage beef, pork and poultry stocks will influence wholesale/ retail price. Below breakeven prices for grains will certainly change the outlook for farmers and certainly influence how stocker and feeder prices react. These examples are just a few of the indicators that will effect ranchers this year, oh and let’s not forget Ma Nature (who thank God we don’t have any control of). We will continue to have to address the issues of our product (beef) as not safe, our cattle are not treated properly and many more criticisms from uninformed people and organizations. Yes, we can get mad. We can continue to complain to each other how wrong those people are, however, that will not stop their outcry and only hurt our industry in the long run. What we can do is face the facts. We in agriculture are small in number. Our voice is but a whisper in the meadow. My suggestion for a 2016 New Year’s resolution is pretty simple. TELL OUR STORY (sound familiar from this columnist)! We all can start this year by informing the uninformed. Who better to tell the story of agriculture but farmers and ranchers who produce all the food and fiber to feed and clothe America? Reach out to our end users (sale barn owners, processors, local grocery stores, schools- you fill in the blanks) and share YOUR personal story and ask them to pass it on. I may in the February issue talk about positioning your cattle operation for 2016, but to start the year on a positive note, please tell your story. The uninformed deserve to hear it from you the farmers and ranchers of this great state. You can contact Cattle Producers of Louisiana by calling 888-528-6999 or go to our website lacattle.org.
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Equine Health
By Neely
Neely Walker, PhD: LSU Ag Center | Equine Extension Specialist
The importance of Equine Genetic Testing
Horses can be affected by a variety of genetically linked disorders. In 2009, the whole horse genome sequence was categorized. This advancement in genetics has produced affordable genetic testing, advanced management and medical treatment of affected animals, and helped to create breeding protocols that focus on reducing the impact genetic diseases have on the horse industry. Of particular interest to owners of Quarter Horses is a five (5) panel test that tests for Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), Malignant Hyperthermia (MH), Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP), Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia (HERDA), and Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED). Additionally, beginning in 2015, the American Quarter Horse Association began requiring that ALL stallions must have a 5-panel genetic test complete before their 2016 foals can be registered. Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM)- is a dominant autosomal hereditary condition caused by the mutation of the glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) gene. This disease creates a muscle condition similar to tying up that affects 11% of Quarter Horses. Since it is a dominant condition, only 1 copy of the GYS1 gene needs to be present for its offspring to be affected. There are three potential test results: • P1/P1- this means your horse is positive for the dominant PSSM gene mutation, and carries two copies of the GYS1 gene. Horses that are homozygous (having 2 copies) will pass the disease to 100% of their offspring. • n/P1- this means your horse has 1 copy of the GYS1 gene, and it is affected by PSSM. Horses that are heterozygous (having 1 copy) will pass the disease to 50% of their offspring. • n/n- this horse is negative for PSSM and cannot pass on the gene mutation to any offspring and should not display any symptoms of the disease.
Horses who have inherited the genetic mutation causing PSSM overproduce glycogen, which leads to excess sugar stored in the muscle that is not easily accessed during exercise. The exercise will cause an energy deficit within the muscle causing muscle pain, stiffness, skin twitching, sweating, weakness, reluctance to move, gait abnormalities, mild colic, and mild muscle wasting. These horses should be maintained on a lowstarch and low-sugar diet with regular and consistent exercise.
Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) - is an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutation in the ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1). This disease creates a rare muscle disorder that affects any horse related to a Quarter Horse. Since it is a dominant disease only 1 copy of RyR1 is required for the condition to exist. There are three potential test results: • MH/MH- this means your horse is positive for the MH mutation and indicates that they carry two copies of the mutated gene. Homozygous horses will pass the disease onto 100% of its offspring. • n/MH- this means your horse has one copy of the MH mutation and indicated the horse is positive for MH. Heterozygous horses have a 50% chance of spreading this disease to its offspring. • n/n- this horse is negative for MH and does not carry the gene mutation. This horse will not pass the condition onto its offspring and will not be affected by the disease. Horses that have inherited the MH gene have a malfunctioning calcium-release channel within skeletal muscle cells. This causes excess calcium to be released into the portion of the cell that causes contractions and increases muscle metabolism. Horses affected by MH may not show any physical signs of the disorder until it is triggered by extreme exercise, stress, or specific anesthetic (halothane). Horses experiencing symptoms of MH will have a fever often exceeding 109 F, excessive sweating, increased heart rate, abnormal heart rate, high blood pressure, acidosis, and muscle damage. If not treated immediately this condition can be fatal. Horses that are affected by MH can be managed during surgery if known prior to the procedure.
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis Disease (HYPP)- is an autosomal dominant disease caused by point mutation in the SCN4A gene that affects 1.5% of Quarter Horses and up to 56% of Halter horses. HYPP is a muscular disease that has been traced back to a Quarter Horse stallion named Impressive. Since it is a dominant disease only one copy of the mutation is needed for the condition to exist. There are three potential test results: • H/H- this means your horse carries two copies of the mutated gene. This horse will pass this disease to 100% of its offspring and is positive for HYPP. • n/H- this means your horse carries one copy of the mutated gene. This horse is affected with HYPP and has a 50% it will pass the disease onto its offspring. • n/n- this horse is negative for HYPP, shows no symptoms, and cannot pass it on to offspring. Horses affected by HYPP have a mutation in the sodiumpotassium pump system that is involved in controlling muscle contraction. This disease causes involuntary muscle contraction that may result in tremors, temporary paralysis and respiratory dysfunction and even death. Positive horses need to be maintained on a strict diet and exercise program to reduce excess potassium in their diet and help them maintain appropriate muscle function. Owners of positive horses should be cautious when riding or handling these horses as HYPP attacks are unpredictable. Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia (HERDA)- is an autosomal recessive diseased caused by a mutation in peptidyl-prolylisomerase B (PPIB) gene that affects 3.5% of Quarter Horses. HERDA is a disease that causes a collagen deficiency in horses that restricts adhesion of the skin layers that has been linked to Quarter Horse stallion Poco Bueno. Since this is a recessive disease a horse must have two copies of the mutated gene to be affected.
There are three potential test results: • Hrd/Hrd- this means your horse is positive for HERDA and carries two copies of the gene. Continued On Page 40...
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Kristi and Greg Folse By Barbara Newtown
The Folse’s pride and joy is a five-year-old black and white World and National Champion pinto stallion named The Sophisticate, aka Larry. He is a pivotal part of their breeding program and will start breeding to outside mares next year. Miniature horses and small ponies were used in Europe as companions and pets for royalty. In 1842, the British government outlawed the use of children in mines, and mine owners switched to very small equines to haul the carts of ore. Minis and small ponies were used as well in mines in North America until the mid-1900s. By the 1970s, breeding miniatures in the USA for showing and companionship started to take off, and two main registries were started. A true mini is 34 inches and under—no taller than 8 ½ hands. The American Miniature Horse Association is a closed registry, formed in 1978, and is dedicated to establishing the mini as a well-defined breed. As a result, the gene pool is limited. An AMHA mini should have the same proportions as a horse; in fact, if there are no clues to its size in a photograph, it should appear to be a full size horse. The American Miniature Horse Registry, in contrast to the Association, was started in 1972 as a part of the American Shetland Pony Club. This registry bases membership on size, not a closed studbook. The “A” division registers minis that are 34 inches tall or smaller; the “B” division, which registers minis 34 to 38 inches tall, is growing in popularity. AMHR minis often contain Shetland Pony and/or Hackney blood. AMHR minis can show “pony” characteristics in their conformation, such as short legs and long backs, or they can show the elegant, high-stepping quality of the Hackney, as well as the “little horse” shape sought in the AMHA’s standards. All that counts is the height. The difference between the AMHR and the AMHA is similar to the difference between the Pinto and the Paint registries: appearance versus breeding. Kristi and Greg favor the AMHR Hackney influence in their breeding program. The classic Shetland has a “pony” shape and a plain head. The modern Shetland, more refined and animated, is the result of much line breeding. You can breed something that looks like a tiny, fiery Arabian, or you can breed something that is sturdy and more “country casual” in its movement. Whatever you breed, if your horse is the right size, the mini and pony show world offers a class for your horse to shine in: costume, agility, trail, liberty, halter, driving, and even hunter-jumper. Kristi says that the mini hunter-jumper classes are just like “big horse” classes, but everything is done in hand, with the handler running alongside the mini. The hunter rounds are judged on style and movement, and the jumps are a moderate height. The jumper courses are either timed or “puissance,” where minis keep jumping higher and higher until no-one leaves the pole up. In 1994, when, as Kristi says, she was in really good shape, she was showing a little stud in jumper classes. “Jessie was only 34 inches tall, but he was a rabbit. He could jump 58 inches!” He too was an AMHA National Champion. When Kristi was a youth, she had a little mini that she showed in halter all over the country. “That little mare used to come in the house and watch TV with me!” Kristi told her mom that she wanted to try driving, and her mom got her a harness and a cart. “The horse and I had no idea what we were doing. I hooked her up and we just went. I would not suggest that anyone do that!” Kristi went on to learn the fundamentals of driving from CeCe Green: keeping straight along the rail and teaching the horse to give at the poll and round the back. “Rick Noffsinger was an extraordinary teacher for me, too. He taught me balance and collection.” Kristi eventually became a world champion in driving. Kristi emphasizes the importance of conformation. “First I want my horse to compete on a conformation level. Then I will graduate them to a performance level. I want an all-around horse.” A successful driving horse has to be able to carry and balance himself. “Temperament is also important for a driving horse. Some horses look like they’d be pretty pulling a cart, but they don’t have the brains to do it. I’ve seen some horses look OK in harness, and then all of a sudden they’ll be flipping over backwards.” Kristi says that driving, like riding, depends on horsemanship and being aware of your surroundings. She stresses that if you don’t know how to harness a horse, find someone to show you how to do it safely. The first rule is: don’t harness alone in a show environment. Someone should hold the horse’s head while you adjust the equipment. “At our Pony Congress Championships in Iowa, they shoot fireworks late at night and we will still be showing in driving classes! In a case like that, it’s anybody’s guess what the horses will do. You just try to deal with it and try not to get somebody else hurt in the meantime. In an emergency, I would try to compromise my own cart and equipment to get us stopped before someone else gets hurt.” Kristi says she’s seen a judge tackle a runaway and she’s seen a driver crash the cart into the wall to make the horse stop. “You do what you have to do.” As I watch Greg working a round-muscled cutting horse, and as I watch Kristi buckling her beautiful black-and-white, high-stepping Hackney-Shetland pony into the harness, I know that horsemanship and love guide both of their sports. The horses’ minds and bodies are suited to their jobs. The humans are attentive, fair, and loving. Kristi and Greg operate Sonrise Horse Walkers and Ranch Supply, (970) 481-8657. They are pleased to announce that they have become dealers for the revitalized Jerald Sulky Company. Jerald makes sulkies for racing and two- and four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicles for show and pleasure.
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LQHBA Announces Inaugural Class for LQHBA Hall Of Fame, Induction Slated April 9 It was her record as a broodmare that made Oh Black Magic a true legend. She produced a remarkable 15 foals, including three stakes winners and three stakes-placed earners of $634,520. The mare’s best runner, Magics Mighty Man (SI 96) was foaled in 1981. A son of the Quarter Horse stallion Rovargas, he won 16 of 27 starts including the Louisiana Breeders’ Laddie Futurity, Delta Downs Louisiana Breeders Derby and Grade 2, Firecracker Derby. Magics Mighty Man earned $305,210 and was honored as an AQHA Superior Race Horse in 1976. Oh Black Magic is the granddam or great-granddam of such stakes horses as 2010 Mile High Futurity(G3) winner Rockin SI 101 (10 wins to 6, 2015, $260,792), Burnett Handicap(G3) winner Bushfire SI 114 ($17 wins, $212,188), West/Southwest Derby Challenge(G3) winner Kakadu SI 108 ($56,550), RG3-placed Black Magic Callin SI 95 ($60,542) and Grade 3 Cajun Kindergarten Futurity winner Shesa Rare Beauty SI 88 ($27,531 at 2). Her female line is still contributing to the Quarter Horse racing gene pool through the likes of 2015 Remington Park Invitational Championship(G1) winner Dashin Brown Streak SI 107 ($513,990) and 2016 stakes winner Scoopies Leaving You SI 109 ($204,780) who set a new track record at Louisiana Downs on January 9. “My dad loved Oh Black Magic and we were blessed to have a mare like her,” Jo Ann said of the inductee, who produced her last foal in 1994 and died in 1998. “She might not have been a super racehorse, but what a producer!” Rocket’s Magic Rocket’s Magic, the son of Rocket Wrangler out of the Uproar (TB) mare Magic Spots was bred by J.R. Adams was first owned by Bill Thomas of New Iberia, and then L/J Farms Inc of Alexandria. He was from the same foal crop and same sire as AQHA Racing World Champion and former leading sire Dash For Cash. Both were out of Thoroughbred mares.
Rocket’s Magic stood several years at Southwest Stallion Station in Elgin, Texas. © Orren Mixer
Rocket’s Magic was certainly a magical racehorse for the entire Romero Family. Lloyd trained the sorrel colt, his son Gerald was his assistant, and other son, Randy, rode the blazing fast juvenile. Randy was just a teenager when he worked Rocket’s Magic for the first time. He boldly predicted he would set a new track record in his racing debut. He did just that at Delta Downs, then went on to win the Old South Futurity, the FQHA Futurity, before winning his trial and running third in the 1975 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. He retired with a record of six wins and earnings of $117,075 and continued his excellence in the breeding shed. In 21 crops, he produced 232 winners, who earned $3.8 million. The 16 stakes winners by Rocket’s Magic included Carnahan’s Magic, Deck of Magic Moon, Magic Magic
Magic and Magic Satin. His legacy also included honors as an exceptional broodmare sire. His 182 daughters produced a steady stream of stakes winners, most notably, multiple graded-stakes champion, Jess Maid Magic, who earned $230,960.
Randy Romero was inducted into the Louisiana Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. He rode many exceptional Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse stakes winners, but had a special fondness for Rocket’s Magic. “Rocket was unbelievable,” he told the AQHA Journal. “Anytime anyone came up to test him, he’d just run away from them. He was freaky fast and had a real good head on him.” Royal Bushwhacker Benjamin C. McCutchin bred Royal Bushwhacker in Texas. The son of Behold A Beduino out of the Easy Jet mare Royalty Comes Easy made 27 starts from 1990-1992 for owner John Soileau. He won 13 career starts and earned $290,770. Ridden by Alvin “Bubba” Brossette, Royal Bushwhacker was trained by Kenneth Roberts, Sr., who regards the grey gelding as one of his most exceptional runners. Royal Bushwhacker winning a trial for the Los Alamitos Derby. © Scott Martinez
After breaking his maiden at Delta Downs on April 29, 1990 and winning the $77,315 Firecracker Futurity, he showed so much potential that he was sent to Ruidoso Downs to compete in trials for the All American Futurity. He won the All American consolation and followed that with two stakes wins, including the Grade 1, QHBC Juvenile Classic at Los Alamitos his freshman year.
During his 3-year-old season he defeated world champion and three-time Champion of Champions winner Refrigerator and stakes winner and leading sire Takin On The Cash in a trial for the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. In a blanket finish in the 1991 All American Derby final, only a head and a neck separated the top three finishers: See Me Gone, Refrigerator and Royal Bushwhacker. The gray gelding moved to the West Coast from the mountain, where he promptly qualified to the Los Alamitos Derby and the Grade 1 QHBC Championship Classic. Royal Bushwhacker closed out his career in 1992 with back-to-back wins at Delta Downs, the same track he broke his maiden on two years earlier. “He gave me the chance to venture out of Louisiana,” stated Roberts. “The horse was special; he took me to different places and played a big part in my career.” **************************** Tony Patterson, LQHBA executive director, is pleased that the LQHBA Hall of Fame will induct its first members as part of the 50th anniversary of the association. “This has been in the works for several years and we are delighted to acknowledge the contributions that these individuals and horses have made to Louisiana breeding and racing,” said Patterson. “Our board of directors join me in congratulating the inaugural class and look forward to a very memorable evening on April 9.”
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TRI STATE RODEO ASSOCIATION- 2016 SCHEDULE
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FEBRUARY 26 & 27 BRANDON, MS MEMBERSHIP RODEO 651 Marquette Rd - Brandon, MS 39042 $1000 added per event ALL FINES MUST BE PAID PRIOR TO CALL IN TO ENTER 7:30 PM Slack after performance Call in February 22 6 to 10 pm APRIL 2 NEW HEBRON, MS Benefit TSRA Rodeo Association ONE DAY RODEO 1143 Rodeo Rd - New Hebron MS 39140 $500 added 7:30 pm Slack after performance Call in March 28 6 to 10 pm APRIL 22 & 23 ST JOSEPH, LA Tensas Classic Rodeo Highway 65 Added: TBD 8:00 p.m. Performances Slack after perf on SATURDAY Night ONLY Call in April 18 6 to 10pm APRIL 22 & 23 MCCOMB, MS PIKE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS 3149 Wardlaw Rd 12th Annual Park Lane Pro Rodeo 7:30 performances Slack after perf on FRIDAY Night ONLY $500 added Call in April 18 6 to 10 pm APRIL 29 LIBERTY MS Bull Riding DISTRICT 5 VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. MS 24W off I55 - arena on left outside of town $1000 added Call in April 25 6 to 10 pm APRIL 30 LIBERTY MS Bull Riding DISTRICT 5 VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. MS 24W off I55 - arena on left outside of town $1000 added Call in April 25 6 to 10 pm
MAY 6 & 7 (Changes have been made to this rodeo) BROOKHAVEN, MS OLE BROOK RODEO & FAIR Lincoln Co Multiplepurpose Bldg 1096 Belt Line Dr NE - Brookhaven, MS 39601 Added $750 Performances 7:30 pm Slack Saturday morning only 9:00 am Concert follows rodeo each night No late Entries Must ride in Grand Entry Call in May 2 6 to 10 pm MAY 13 & 14 GALLMAN MS 19th Annual Copiah County Tri-State Rodeo Copiah County Fairgrounds Exit 65 off I 55 - 1/4 mile west of I55 8:00 pm Slack after each performance Added TBA Call in May 9 6 to 10 pm 601-892-8972 Call In number B and S Rodeo MAY 27 NATCHEZ, MS 6TH ANNUAL ADAMS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF RODEO Wayne Johnson Covered Arena 100 Foster Mound Road $400 added 7:30 performance - Slack after perf No late entries Must ride Grand Entry Call in May 23 6 to 10 pm MAY 28 NATCHEZ, MS 6TH ANNUAL ADAMS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF RODEO Wayne Johnson Covered Arena 100 Foster Mound Road $400 added 7:30 performance - Slack after perf No late entries Must ride Grand Entry Call in May 23 6 to 10 pm
SEPTEMBER 9 1ST ANNUAL HARRISON COUNTY FREE FAIR Harrison County Fairgrounds- Covered Arena County Line Road $400 added 7:30 pm performance - Slack after perf No Late Entries Must ride in Grand Entry Call in September 5 6 to 10 pm SEPTEMBER 10 1ST ANNUAL HARRISON COUNTY FREE FAIR Harrison County Fairgrounds- Covered Arena County Line Road $400 added 7:30 pm performance - Slack after perf No Late Entries Must ride in Grand Entry Call in September 5 6 to 10 pm SEPTEMBER 10 MERIDIAN, MS 4th Annual Dylan Mabry Memorial Bullriding and Rough Stock Challenge Lauderdale County Ag-Center 1022 Highway 19 S - Meridian MS Added TBA Call in September 5 6 to 10 pm SEPTEMBER 16 AMITE, LA ANNUAL TANGIPAHOA MOUNTED SHERIFF DEPARTMENT RODEO Florida Parrish Covered Arena $400 added 7:30 pm Performance - Slack after perf No Late Entries Must ride in Grand Entry Call in September 12 6 to 10 pm
SEPTEMBER 23 & 24 TYLERTOWN, MS WATHALL COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT RODEO Multi Use Covered Arena $500 added 7:30 Performances - Slack after perfs No Late Entries Must ride in Grand Entry Call in September 19 6 to 10 pm
OCTOBER 1 CUTOFF, LA Andy Joe Dufrene Memorial Bull Riding $500 added Saddle to Champion - Buckle to second place Youth events pending Buckles to all youth winners 7:00 pm Call in September 26 6 to 10 pm OCTOBER 20, 21, 22 FRANKLINTON, LA TSRA FINALS AT THE WORLDS LARGEST FREE FAIR CELEBRATING TSRA 50TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY 23168 E. FAIRGROUNDS RD FRANKLINTON, LA 70438 $75,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES PERFORMANCES 7:00 PM EACH NIGHT 2:00 PM PERFORMANCE OCTOBER 22
SEPTEMBER 17 AMITE, LA ANNUAL TANGIPAHOA MOUNTED SHERIFF DEPARTMENT RODEO Florida Parrish Covered Arena $400 added 7:30 pm Performance - Slack after perf No Late Entries Must ride in Grand Entry Call in September 12 6 to 10 pm
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Interview with the Neal Family
By Mike Milazzo and Barbara Newtown
“Daddy” got scared of the type of horses she was getting, ones that hadn’t been broke or ones that would try to run at you and bite you. So I put a stop to that. Now she trains horses that are already broke and that people want to run barrels. Jossie, what is your training philosophy? I like to get a horse to develop the thinking side of its brain. Of course, when I start, it’s like sending a horse to boot camp. But these horses progress so much in such a short period of time that I can build on bonding with them and developing their thinking side.
Wendy Johnson Photography
Once a horse starts thinking, it all goes together really well. To take a horse that nobody wanted and turn it around and make a kid happy, that’s really rewarding. You see a big smile on that kid’s face and you know that you did it—you made that horse into something. [Tony says:] I tell Jossie all the time that she is in the life-changing business. It’s more about training the person. She’s realized that after you train the horse, you train the student to know how to get the horse to react in the right way. You can’t treat a horse like a motorcycle or a four-wheeler. You can’t just run and slam on the brakes. You have to treat the horse with respect so that you will get respect back. Chancie, you told me that your family wasn’t really musical. How did you find out that you have talent? When I was twelve we took a family vacation and stopped at Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We got to the top of the mountain and there were two girls up there playing guitars and singing songs they had written. I was fascinated—I had never heard anyone sing songs they themselves had written. I wouldn’t let us leave. We stayed for two hours. When we got back home, I decided I wanted to take guitar lessons. I just started picking it up really fast. And when you play guitar, the next thing you do is just sing with it. I don’t know what made me think I could write songs, but I would just go up in my room and write one. I started guitar in September and by the end of October I got up on stage at Jossie’s 18th birthday party and planned to sing one song, and ended up singing five. They couldn’t get me off stage! After that I started playing and singing in local restaurants. I’d set up at rodeos and play for tips. That was brave! And I made a lot of money sometimes. I got a lot of early fans, and some of them still keep up with my music. Continued On Page 35..
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Therapeutic Riding Page Sponsored by:
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I’m running this weekend. The last time I ran was back in September. I hopped on a horse that had been in the pasture and I placed 10th out of 500 barrel racers and won a check! If the music thing doesn’t work out, I’ll definitely be going back to horses.
Continued From Page 30..
Interview with the Neal Family
By Mike Milazzo and Barbara Newtown
I decided, “Hey, I like this!” Being a “Neal” and being raised the way I was, I decided if I was going to sing, I might as well go all in and do it right and make a career out of it. What in the world does a 12-year-old write songs about? That’s really funny. At that point I would write songs about Jossie’s ex-boyfriends from her point of view, because I didn’t have any experience! Even now, I write songs for a living, but everything I write isn’t from personal experience. I’ll watch a movie or a TV show and get ideas from the stories, because stories are what songs are. I take things from other people and it makes me a really good listener. What is your style of guitar playing? I’ve never been much of a finger-picker. I strum with my guitar pick and do rhythm guitar. I don’t play soft! I remember that when I first started I broke strings like it was my job. I have an acoustic Taylor guitar. I also have a carbon fiber Composite Acoustics guitar. It sounds really good. Are you a soprano? Yeah, the lead part. I just picked singing up out of nowhere. Nobody else in my family sang or played an instrument. (Now my little sister Chesnie sings.) But singing harmony doesn’t come naturally to me. I had to make myself learn how to do it. Chancie, you write songs for Sony in Nashville. How does that work? Sony provides rooms for the writers. I’ll just show up. It’s great! I write with a lot of the same people, but sometimes Sony arranges for you to write with someone you’ve never met. You get to know people really fast that way: “Hey, great to meet you. Let’s write a song!” We meet at 10:30 or 11:00 and go from there and end when we want to. With song writing, if your mind isn’t in it, you have to just call it a day and come back the next day. It’s really laid back. For the most part it works out better for me if I don’t write for a particular person and just write a great song. Once it’s done, I can think about who would sound good singing it. And then Sony will have opinions, too. How did you get started on a professional career? I met Luke Bryan when I was 14 at the Dixie National Rodeo. He was singing the halftime show, and I had “meet and greet” passes through a friend of ours. But I missed the “meet and greet,” and I was sitting watching the rodeo, and I said to myself, “Man, I’m watching another rodeo that I’ve seen a thousand times, and I
Kim, how old was your youngest daughter, Chesnie, when she started riding? We stuck her on a horse when she was 6 days old! We were in Jackson, watching Chancie win Youth World.
Photo by: Glennon Photography
came here to sing for Luke Bryan!” I wandered around and met people, and Luke Bryan came up to me and talked with me. He went on stage, and then afterwards he saw me and asked me what I thought about the performance. He went to his bus and I went to our truck and got one of my CDs and walked onto his bus…and no-one stopped me! I ended up getting my guitar, too, and playing songs for Luke and his friends, and no-one could believe that a 14-year-old had written these songs. Luke said I needed to go to Nashville because that’s where I would find my success.
Chesnie, tell me about your first horse. Skittles, a little paint pony. He was my favorite horse and he was sweet, but we had to sell him and I was sad. [Tony adds:] You were probably 3 years old when we started doing lead-ins, leading you around the barrels.
Three weeks later we took a trip to Nashville and that’s where it all began. My mom and I then moved to Nashville. Dad and Jossie and Chesnie, who was only 6 or 7 at the time, stayed home in Louisiana. That says a lot about my family, what a sacrifice they made for me. My mom lived with me in Nashville for a year, and then I lived for about two years with my manager, Kerry Edwards. She’s Luke Bryan’s manager, too. I signed with Sony, but it’s a co-venture with Sony and Luke’s company. [Kim, Chancie’s mom, adds:] Chancie signed with Sony when she was sixteen. Since contracts with minors are not legally binding, she had to go before a judge in Nashville and be granted emancipation—that is, have her minor rights removed and be considered an adult. The judge made her play the guitar and prove that she was the “real deal.” He said that Chancie was the youngest person he had granted emancipation to since Taylor Swift! Chancie, how did you fit school into your career? My freshman year I missed a ton of school. I passed, but the principal gave me so much trouble and tried to fail me, even though my grades were good! After that I was homeschooled. I’m glad I was able to get that head start in Nashville. What about horses? I still have moments when I think about going pro for a year and seeing how it goes. I don’t have a horse in Nashville, but whenever I come home I just get it all in.
[Chesnie continues:] I started running on my own around age 5, on Hickory Doc and Dacota Chiefton. Now I run barrels on them and Docota Dodger and Sixey [Streakin Dash Ta Six] and Muffin. Dacota Chiefton is Docota Dodger’s dad. I ride Muffin bareback, because we don’t have a big enough saddle for him. When I started riding him bareback, he was a little stubborn, but I straightened him out. I rode him bareback for the 3D barrels in Jackson and we won. Everyone else was in a saddle. I carried the flag out, too. Do you sing? I can a little bit. I sometimes sing the National Anthem at rodeos. I sing Chancie’s songs. She teaches me. Do you get riding tips from Jossie? Jossie and Daddy and Momma and Chancie, too. My mom tells me every day that I am just in between Jossie and Chancie. I’m like, “Good!”
Be on the lookout for Jossie, Chancie, and Chesnie. The “Neal” blend of hard work, natural talent, and passion is already producing winners!
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Continued From Cover... Tyler Waguespack – 2015 NFR Qualifier in Steer Wrestling By Mike Milazzo and Barbara Newtown
Rodeo experts around Gonzales played a big part in Tyler’s training. When he was 10 years old, Tyler started calf roping under Arthur Smith’s guidance. A typical session at Smith’s facility started with flanking and tying calves and progressed to roping 7 or 8 calves, letting the horses rest a while, and then roping a few more. By the end of high school Tyler was practicing roping at Troy Aucoin’s house, in nearby French Settlement, Louisiana. “We worked 15 or 20 calves every time we went, and we would flank and tie each one of them about 3 or 4 times, as long as they were still feeling good,” Tyler says. Tyler didn’t make it to the National High School Finals Rodeo when he was a freshman. “I would catch about every steer and I never could stop them. I weighed probably 110 to 115 pounds that year. I was a little light in the shorts!” By sophomore year he had gained some weight and refined his techniques, and the hard practice paid off. He made the trip to the National Finals that year and the next two years as well. “Sophomore year, 2008, I ended up winning the state in steer wrestling and doing well in calf roping. In 2009 I won state in steer wrestling again. Senior year I won state in steer wrestling and qualified for the national finals in calf roping.” Tyler says that he asked his dad if he could ride a different bull dogging horse in each go round at the state competition in 2010. He set himself a personal challenge: could he win the average on three different horses that he had trained throughout high school? The answer: yes! Tyler admits that he never had much success at the National High School Finals. In fact, his sophomore year a steer actually flipped his horse. “The year
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after that, 2009, I didn’t have much luck. In 2010 I made a good run on my first steer, and on my second steer I knocked him down and couldn’t get him back up.” But just the week before those disappointing High School Finals, Tyler won the steer wrestling at the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Tyler made the decision after he graduated from high school that he wanted to concentrate on steer wrestling. “I had a pretty nice calf horse. I could sell him and get another bull dogging horse, or I could keep trying to do both. I was having a lot of success in steer wrestling and that was what I really wanted to do...so I sold the calf horse and got another bull dogging horse.” In 2011 Tyler competed in the Louisiana Rodeo Association and the Tristate Rodeo Association and won both year-end titles in steer wrestling. In 2012 he bought his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association card and “went out on the big road,” putting over 60,000 miles on his truck. He ended up just outside the top 50 in 2012. “It was a big, big difference from being a big fish in a little pond down here to being a small fish in the big ocean out there,” he says. 2013 started off with a bang. Tyler was in the top 10 in the world by April and qualified for the Houston rodeo, where he ended up in the top 4. His good fortune didn’t hold, though. At the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo he was chute dogging steers to get them ready for the competition, and, he says, “a steer stopped with me and tore my pec!” Tyler had to come home and recuperate until the summer of 2013 was half over. “Then I loaded up with a good buddy of mine, Daryl Petri from Texas, and he helped me finish the year out,” says Tyler. Despite missing almost half a year of rodeoing, he and Daryl ended up finishing just outside the top 30 in the PRCA.
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In 2014 Tyler “got in the rig” with Ote Berry from Oklahoma, a four-time PRCA champion. “I moved up to his house and practiced with him every day. I rodeo’d with him and rode his horses all year long and ended just outside the top 15, missing the finals by 3 or 4 thousand dollars.” Riding Ote’s horses was part of the deal. However, as the 2015 season started, Tyler was impressed with how his own horse was going, and he wanted to ride him in competition. He decided to go out on his own. He traveled with Tyler Pearson, Kyle Irwin, Rowdy Parrot and Orin Fontenot. “I got to ride my own horse, a palomino named Outlaw, and a sorrel named Sketch that Tyler Pearson had. Kyle and I made the national finals and Tyler Pearson just missed it by a couple thousand bucks.” Tyler knew he’d made the cut for the 2015 National Finals Rodeo as of October 1st. He stood in 7th place and had won $75,000 in the run-up to the competition. He put the next three months to good use practicing specifically for the conditions he knew he’d face at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. “The arena is small and the start is really, really fast. You have to have your horse moving off of the corner of the box before the gates open. It’s kind of a weird feeling, because you are running at a barrier,” he says. “It’s hard to make yourself ride, hoping that the gate is going to open!” Tyler worked on his starts at home in Gonzales. Then, three weeks before the Finals, he, Kyle, and Tyler Pearson loaded up and hauled to California to practice with five-time world champion steer wrestler Luke Branquinho. Continued On Page 43...
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The importance of Equine Genetic Testing.
• Hrd/n- this means your horse is a carrier and only has one copy of the gene. This horse will not show any symptoms of the disease but will have a 50% chance of passing the mutated gene to its offspring. • n/n- this means your horse is negative, it is not affected by HERDA, and will not pass the mutation onto any offspring. Horses that are positive for HERDA will have multiple slow healing skin abrasions and are not typically noticed until they begin training. The friction and pressure caused by training aids and saddles will cause large sheets of skin to separate. There is no cure for the disorder and no way to effectively manage horses with HERDA, however and positive horses are typically euthanized. Breeding carrier animals is also not advised. Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED)- is an autosomal recessive disease cause by a mutation in the GBE1 gene that affects 8-10% of Quarter Horses. Paints, Appaloosas, and other descendent breeds of Quarter Horses can be affected. GBED is a fatal condition that causes the inability to properly store sugar. Since it is a recessive disease a horse must have two copies of the mutated gene to express the condition. There are three potential test results:
Florida Parishes 2015 Event Schedule
• Gb/Gb- this means your horse has two copies of the GBED mutation. The horse is affected with GBED and will not live to pass on disease to offspring.
February 2016 Friday, February 20 Finally Friday 4D Barrel Race.
• n/Gb- this means your horse is a carrier of the disease and has one copy of the GBED mutation. If bred, this horse has a 50% chance of passing the disease on to its offspring.
Saturday, February 19 NBHA LA 06 Barrel Race.
• n/n- this means your horse is not affected by GBED, and will not pass it on to its offspring. Horses who inherit GBED are incapable of producing the enzyme needed to connect glycogen structures which prevents the horse from storing sugar. This prevents the horse from storing energy needed to fuel its organs, muscles, and brain. Foals who are born positive for GBED display a wide range of symptoms including: weakness, difficulty standing, low body temperature, seizures, contracted muscles and death. GBED commonly results in second and third trimester abortions and stillborn foals. Foals who survive foaling and who are not euthanized often die by 8 weeks. Homozygous GBED is always fatal, and carrier animals should not be bred. Understanding the genetic status of your horses is an important tool to use for management and breeding decisions. Fortunately many labs exist and offer affordable genetic panels that can help you make an informed decision. If you have any question regarding your horse’s genetic status, contact your local veterinarian. References: 1. Wade CM, Giulotto E, Sigurdsson S, Zoli M, Gnerre S, Imsland F, Lear TL, Adelson DL, Bailey E, Bellone RR, Blocker H, Distl O, Edgar RC, Garber M, Leeb T, Mauceli E, MacLeod JN, Penedo MCT, Raison JM, Sharpe T, Vogel J, Andersson L, Antczak DF, Biagi T, Binns MM, Chowdhary BP, Coleman SJ, Della Valle G, Fryc S, Guerin G, Hasegawa T, Hill EW, Jurka J, Kiialainen A, Lindgren G, Liu J, Magnani E, Mickelson JR, Murray J, Nergadze SG, Onofrio R, Pedroni S, Piras MF, Raudsepp T, Rocchi M, Roed KH, Ryder OA, Searle S, Skow L, Swinburne JE, Syvanen AC, Tozaki T, Valberg SJ, Vaudin M, White JR, Zody MC, Lander ES, Lindblad-Toh K. Broad Institute Genome Sequencing Platform, Broad Institute Whole Genome Assembly Team. Genomic sequence, comparative analysis and population genetics of the domestic horse.Science. 2009;326:865–867. 2. Broshahan, M.M., Brooks, S.A., & Antczak, D. 2010. Equine Clinical Genomics: a Clinician’s Primer. Equine Vet J. 2010 Oct 42(7):648-670 3. Animal Genetics: Equine Genetic Disease Testing online at: www.horsetesting.com
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march 2016 Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6 Herding Dog Trial. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday March 11-13 Vintage Market Days. Friday, March 18 Finally Friday 4D Barrel Race. Saturday, and Sunday , March 19-20 Bunny Barrel Blast Barrel Race.
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Continued From Page 36... Tyler Waguespack – 2015 NFR Qualifier in Steer Wrestling By Mike Milazzo and Barbara Newtown
“The stock contractors were able to get the steers that would be at the Finals over to Luke’s house for any contestant to practice on. We were able to prepare ourselves.” Tyler says that it was a great help being coached by Luke and Trevor Knowles and other experienced hands who had competed in the past in the Thomas and Mack Center. Despite all his preparation, Tyler was still nervous when the Finals started. He says, “You ride down that alley way in the grand entrance and every contestant is on horseback… The top 15 contestants in the world standings in every event are all in one arena. It’s really, really nerve-wracking.” Like all sports that involve animals, a lot depends on luck. In the first round, Tyler missed the barrier but made a decent run just out of the money. “That got the ice broke,” he says. “After that I drew just okay steers. I made decent runs on them, but never really anything to get deep into the money. By round 5 I finally had a pretty good steer, one that they had placed on earlier in the week. I was 4.1 on him.” Tyler luck had turned around. In round 7 he was 3.2, which not only won him the round, but ended up being the fastest time in the finals. Tyler placed 6th in the average, with one win and two more placings. Tyler rode the sorrel Sketch in the Finals. Sketch is unregistered and, according to Tyler, has a couple of screws loose. But Kyle Irwin had ridden Sketch in the 2014 Finals and Sketch was used to the Thomas and Mack Center. “Sometimes you back him into the box and he can feel you get nervous and then he gets nervous, but that’s on us. He’s trained to go as hard as he can whenever we tell him to. You can’t complain about how he works. He did great out there,” Tyler says. Tyler says that the atmosphere at the Finals is supportive: the competitors joke around and tease each other, even though they’re doing all they can to come out on top. “Everybody is pulling for everybody—slapping each other on the back, high-fiving, wishing each other good luck. When someone has a good run, everybody is congratulating them, and if someone makes a bad run, you have 14 guys there to help him pick his head up.” Tyler has advice for young competitors. “You can’t just expect it to happen. You have to go out and put in the hours and the hard work and make it happen. As far as bull dogging goes, I was too small to compete, but my dad and I talked about it… If I bore down and worked at it and got better in every way but the size, then it would leverage itself out.” On a level playing field, a steer should always win. But successful bull doggers know that horse sense, cow sense, technique sense, and the good sense of a good teacher can give humans the advantage.
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NEW TECHNOLOGY - STOPS COLIC SayWhoa! - To Horses in Distress Can you accept change in the way feed impaction horse colic is being treated? • Would you like a product that you can administer yourself ? • Can you imagine not having to haul your horse to the vet? • Have you experienced the seemingly “forever” wait for HELP while your horse is writhing in pain? • Did you ever wonder when something would be developed that is fast and extremely effective? • 5 year shelf life, horse just swallows, keep in your barn and trailer temperature does not affect. • SayWhoa! oral dose syringe, the horse just swallows the sweet tasting product. • So Easy to give, your care taker can give when you are away. • All natural – it can do no harm – it does not contain drugs. For most of us, making a change requires a leap of faith - and when it comes to our animals, it’s a huge leap of faith - to change a process or procedure regarding our animal’s health. Horse owners have a healthy skepticism and want to be sure new ideas are sound. We have lost too many good, family horses to colic. Colic is the Number 1 cause of death in horses. “Necessity is the mother of invention” A problem encourages creative efforts to solve the problem. Why do you think colic is the Number 1 cause of death in horses for the last 50 years? Because, what they have been doing to correct this, for the last 50 years, with muscle relaxants and mineral oil is NOT WORKING! SayWhoa! vs NSAIDs and Mineral Oil SayWhoa! works the “completely opposite way” that NSAIDs and mineral oils work (which have been used as old science over the last 50 years). NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) were developed for alleviation of inflammation and pain associated with muscle disorders. 1. They are muscle relaxants and pain relievers. It does not solve the problem of impaction colic - it hides the symptoms. Ever wonder WHY YOU are WALKING the horse for hours. The reason is that the “smooth” muscles (which are needed to help food move through the intestinal tract), are actually relaxed even more with use of the NSAIDs. Digestive movement (peristalsis) is already in a bad situation with the impaction, because of lack of fluids in the gut due to dehydration it is not flowing the way that it should. What happens is the peristalsis starts shutting down. When you slow the peristalsis down, the concentrated feed substance will stay there even longer. So, that gives a good understanding why the NSAIDs should not be given, at all. 2. Also, there is a side effect to giving NSAIDs. As long as NSAIDs are present in the system, it triggers the horse’s natural protective acid shields to “turn off” and be inactive. These shields are located in the horse’s stomach lining. Biology facts: Horses do not have gallbladders that regulate when digestive acids are to be released to digest feed. As a result, gastric acids are always dripping constantly this is normal digestive process of a horse. That is why horses need to graze constantly, to neutralize acids. MINERAL OIL Here is some biology facts so you have an understanding on why oils are not working. The colon’s main job is to re-hydrate the horse, so it is constantly pulling moisture from the moving feed stuffs that is flowing through. This is how the fecal balls are made. If the horse drinks less water or eats too much dry feed, the digestive tract starts moving really slow. The colon keeps doing its job as usual, pulling out the moisture to make fecal balls. When movement is slowed down, it actually pulls so much water out of the feed stuff, that it is now sticking (adhering) to the mucosal lining. This is why the mineral oil is not getting through to the other end and you do not see it being eliminated. Now that we know the problem and the way we have been treating over the last 50 years. Let’s talk about the solution “New Science” that works opposite to the Old Way. Continued On Page 50...
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Continued From Page 5.......... February 20th & 21st Mississippi Reigning Horses Assoc. Canton Multipurpose & Equine Facility Info; Tim Allen 228-697-2120 | Canton, MS Southern Junior Rodeo Association Entry & Membership: SJRA, Attn: Welda Smith 8952 Mars Hill Rd., Bauxite, AR 72011 February 21st West Kentucky Horse Sales Dixie National Classic Sale Starts @ 10:00AM Info: Wayne Boyd @ 270-365-7272 or wkhs@bellsouth.net | Jackson, MS February 26th CC’s Jackpots Rice Arena | Info: Cathy Meche 337-526-2281 Crowley, LA February 26th & 27th Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Northeast LA Junior High Ike Hamilton Expo Center Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com West Monroe, LA Turnin Up The Heat 5D Barrel Race Henderson County Regional Fair Park Info: Sharon Calloway 903-724-1181 or Email: turnembra@gmail.com Athens, TX Mississippi High School Rodeo Assoc. MJHSRA Rodeo | Info: www.mshsra.org Purvis, MS February 26th – 28th 2nd Annual St. Jude Barrel Jam Agricenter Showplace Arena Info: BarrelJam@stjude.org | Memphis, TN February 27th ABRA SugArena | Info: Susan Krieg 337-288-5374 or Shannon Roy 337-280-9349 or info@laabra.com | New Iberia, LA 3DOTS 3D Ranch Sorting Info: Van Clayton 601-613-2627 Madden, MS Mississippi Junior High School Rodeo Assoc. MS JR High Rodeo | Info: www.mjhsra.org or msjrhighrodeo@hotmail.com | Purvis, MS
February 27th & 28th Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Northeast LA High School Ike Hamilton Expo Center Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com West Monroe, LA March 1st Sulphur Rodeo Club 4D Barrel Buckle Series West Cal Arena | Sulphur, LA March 4th & 5th Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Southeast LA Junior High Lamar Dixon Expo Center Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com Gonzales, LA Mississippi High School Rodeo Assoc. Lazy J III Rodeo Info: www.mshsra.org | Gallman, MS March 4th -6th Lucky Dog Productions $10,000 BFA Futurity, $1000 BFA Derby, $7500 Future Fortunes Futurity Bonus Money Info: 870-930-7717 or 870-930-7718 or www.luckydograces.com | Texarkana, AR Mid-South Quarter Horse Show Tunica Arena & Expo Center Info: www.midsouthqha.net | Tunica, MS Fire it Up Team Roping Forrest County Multi Purpose Center Info: www.forrestcountycenter.com Hattiesburg, MS Bossier Parish Riding Club BPRC Pt Night/NBHA/WLBRA Benton Arena | Info: Martha 318-560-7583, Sharon 318-469-1366 or Trent 318-422-9335 Benton, LA March 5th Kudzu Klassic Winter Series Marshall County Fairgrounds Info: Bo McCoy 662-544-5290 or Email: coldwatercross@yahoo.com Holly Springs, MS Louisiana Stock Horse Association Info: Judy Weisgerber 337-238-0193(H), 337-208-2336(C), 1-877-335-3072 or jpweisgerbert@outlook.com | New Roads, LA NBHA LA04 Info: Scooter LeBouef 985-209-3531 or Scooterlebouef@aol.com | Port Allen, LA
NBHA LA01 Benton Arena Info: Trent Choate 318-422-9335 or Trent.choate@suddenlink.net | Benton, LA
March 12th MS04 Barrel Race Montgomery County Coliseum Info: Ashley 601-575-8806 or Winona, MS
Mississippi Junior High School Rodeo Assoc. Lazy J Rodeo III | Info: www.mjhsra.org or msjrhighrodeo@hotmail.com | Gallman, MS
Cajun Little Britches Rodeo Beauregard Parish Covered Arena 2 Rodeos #9 & #10 Info: Casey Richard 337-302-1365, Email: cajunlbr@yahoo.com or caseydrichard@bellsouth.net | DeRidder, LA
Southwest Arkansas High School Rodeo Assoc. Info: www.swahsra.org or 870-582-1968 New Boston, TX March 5th & 6th Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Southeast LA High School Lamar Dixon Expo Center Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com Gonzales, LA Acadiana Youth Rodeo Association Acadia Rice Arena Info: Tracia Hebert 337-654-2757 or ayrassociation@yahoo.com Crowley, LA 70526
CENLA Barrel Racers Association Hineston Covered Arena Info: Jodie Bass 318-787-1304 or Email: evangelinebankjodie@ yahoo.com « Hineston, LA Mississippi Junior High School Rodeo Assoc. McBride Rodeo II Info: www.mjhsra.org or msjrhighrodeo@hotmail.com | Wiggins, MS Southwest Arkansas High School Rodeo Assoc. Info: www.swahsra.org or 870-582-1968 Hope, AR
Southern Junior Rodeo Association FINALS Entry & Membership: SJRA, Attn: Welda Smith 8952 Mars Hill Rd., Bauxite, AR 72011
3DOTS 3D Ranch Sorting Youth, Ranch Sorting, Team Penning J3 Arena | Info: Charlie Richardson 504-450-8486, | Troy Crain 985-516-7507 or Blake Chiasson 985-285-0892 | Kentwood, LA
March 6th Baton Rouge Barrel Racing Association Info: bjcotten@gmail.com or 225-281-0605 or www.brbra.com | Port Allen, LA
March 12th & 13th NBHA LA04 Info: Scooter LeBouef 985-209-3531 or Scooterlebouef@aol.com | New Roads, LA
Western Louisiana Barrel Racers Assoc. Info: Pamela Stephenson 318-465-2352 Benton, LA
March 18th CC’s Jackpots Rice Arena | Info: Cathy Meche 337-526-2281 | Crowley, LA
March 11th Bossier Parish Riding Club BPRC Pt Night | Benton Arena Info: Martha 318-560-7583, Sharon 318-469-1366 or Trent 318-422-9335 « Benton, LA
Cross Creek Cowboy Church Family Playday | Clinton Arena 14444 Hwy 10 | Barrels, Poles, Buddy Barrel Pickup, Stick Horse Race | Info: 225-270-8818 Clinton, LA
March 11th & 12th Extreme Mustang Makeover Lamar Dixon Expo Center Info: extrememustagmakeover.com or 512-869-3225 | Gonzales, LA
March 18th & 19th Bossier Parish Riding Club BPRC Pt Night/ NBHA | Benton Arena Info: Martha 318-560-7583, Sharon 318-469-1366 or Trent 318-422-9335 | Benton, LA
Mississippi High School Rodeo Assoc. MC Rodeo Co. III | Info: www.mshsra.org Wiggins, MS
Mississippi High School Rodeo Assoc. Hancock HS II | Info: www.mshsra.org Kiln, MS
March 11th – 13th J x 2 Team Roping Tunica Arena & Expo Center Info: www.jx2events.com | Tunica, MS
March 19th Kudzu Klassic Winter Series Marshall County Fairgrounds Info: Bo McCoy 662-544-5290 or Email: coldwatercross@yahoo.com Holly Springs, MS Continued On Page 52..........
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Louisiana Equine Report • February | March 2016
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NEW TECHNOLOGY - STOPS COLIC SayWhoa! - To Horses in Distress SayWhoa! is “natural” that works completely OPPOSITE than the NSAIDs drugs and mineral oil. How SayWhoa! works: It starts working immediately. It does not need to work its way down to the concentrated site, like mineral oil. That is why within 10 - 30 minutes you should hear stronger gut sounds. These ingredients work in unison assisting the horse’s body to draw fluids back into the intestines. The result is suppling and moistening the mucosal lining which releases the concentrated feed stuff adhering to it. SayWhoa! proprietary mixture of calcium and other minerals then goes to work promoting stimulation of smooth muscles needed for peristalsis which assists in bowel movements. This is why it works opposite the NSAIDs drugs. SayWhoa is promoting flow and normal smooth muscle contractions to assist in moving feed stuff on through, not relaxing muscles to slow down the digestive system. 1. Through new technology there is a product that will do the trick. SayWhoa! by Horse Sense Solutions is a unique formulation that keeps the normal flow of digestion moving. 2. So Easy to give, your care taker can give when you are away. SayWhoa! oral dose syringe, the horse just swallows the sweet tasting product. 3. Promotes loud gut sounds, usually within 30 minutes. This means digestion flow is working normally. 4. Would you believe a 5-year shelf life? You can buy a bottle now and keep it on your shelf in heat or frigid weather. Temperature does not affect product. 5. All natural ingredients – performance horses - drug-free may use on the day of the event. SayWhoa! can do no harm – it’s your first line of defense. Taking the leap of faith and give it a try. Should they take a chance? Yes! It does work, and it works quickly. As horse owners we need to spread the word. Ask your feed store and veterinarian to carry SayWhoa! Currently over 700 feed stores, vet clinics and tack shops are selling ‘SayWhoa! Visit www.StopsColic.com or www.HorseSenseSolutions.com to find a retailer near you. If none close to you, you may buy online. Through feed store managers, riding instructors, veterinarians and professional trainers, the word has spread and now is trusted by thousands of horse owners. Its users include race trainers, roping trainers, barrel racing trainers, jumper, show farms and dressage farms. Educational video is located on website www.SayWhoa. com For more information call 800-448-8180
Horse owners are discovering SayWhoa! -they’re keeping it handy and telling their friends. Blane & Trey Wood - 150 Horses in Training. Top Quarter Horse Trainers in the Industry. SayWhoa formula gives us results every time without fail. I recommend that every horse owner keep this readily available on their shelf”. I take it with me when traveling and keep it at the barn. Easy to administer orally. For horses under stress from shipping, especially the sale colts that seem to be off their feed, the product works in minutes. It is the next thing to a miracle. I will never be without it.
Linda Brown A Wizards Spell Ranch Burleson, TX “Gypsy Horse Stallion “Worthington”. In 17 years I have never seen such a hassle free and quick response to colic. I am happy to report that he is well and ready to continue producing those award winning foals.”
Tee Woolman: Over $2 Million in career earnings in the PRCA, 3 Time World Champion, Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame
Tim Alderso n at Pine C ove Christian C “I have u amps: sed SayW hoa it fo
product m r our ca any times. SayWhoa mp. In the last 3 We depen . No othe years we d on r treatme not called nt was use have used only th a vet out e d o or lost a colic. Su horse in th r needed. We have rge e last 3 y Cove. We ry is not an option ears due for any o will alwa to f our hors ys have it es so Pin on hand.. e ”
Jo-Anne O. Young Equestrian Program Director Houghton College New York “My daughter’s pro barrel mare “Jonetta Fame” that was down and it was all I could do to keep her on her feet. She was up and had good gut sounds within 20 min of dosing her. This made a believer out of me that this really works!”
nal Invitatio s e m a J e ayn l Jones f Charm at was as Krysta g Winner o e V in ame” th She e F c a a r tt l e e n r bar r feet. e “Jo
World Famous Rodeo Clown “Rodeo Protection Athlete” Roper, Commentator, Commercials & Movies PRCA Hall of Fame
veral ti bout ou know a this product se won’t be r e a h u m o n y o l e t r r. r we keep he in of dosing he st wanted to le We have used pro bar y much an m Ju ughter ’s uld do to ula. you ver Jacque Woolm m k r n fo a “My da it was all I co unds within 20 y works!” h a T o d h n W ! a ! y ! e ll so a Sa nd Te ct! down a d had good gut me that this re e produ incerely of Awesom in our barn. S an t u p o u s r e a w it liev without de a be This ma
Leon saved two horses, only hours apart from Colic. His response and testimonial: “It is an amazing product. I have never in my lifetime seen anything that works like this. I had 2 horses colic. Each time I listened with my stethoscope, I could not hear gut sounds on either horse and within 10 minutes after they each received the SayWhoa, gut sounds returned in both. I carry it with me on trips. Leon Coffee
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Qual, g - NFR in c a R l e Barr eserve h the Jacque: TBRA R r experience wit mes.
Louisiana Equine Report • February | March 2016
Staci Anderson - Diaz, known for her spectacular Roman Riding Presentations throughout the U.S. “We have had tremendous results with this product. We firmly believe in this product and would not be without a bottle at the barn or in our trailer for our out-of-town shows. We have used many times with all Great results. This is a must to have for any horse owner!”
February | March 2016 • Louisiana Equine Report
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Continued From Page 47.......... Pineywoods Youth Rodeo Assoc. FINALS | Info: 936-248-5020 or Pineywoodsrodeo.com | Marshall, TX NBHA LA01 Benton Arena Info: Trent Choate 318-422-9335 or Trent.choate@suddenlink.net | Benton, LA Mississippi Junior High School Rodeo Assoc. Hancock Rodeo Club II Info: www.mjhsra.org or msjrhighrodeo@hotmail.com | Kiln, MS South Louisiana Team Sorting Assoc. Louis Mouch Multi Purpose Facility Info: www.sltsa.com | Port Allen, LA Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Corbin Carpenter Memorial Spring Cuttings & Reined Cow Horse Chris Shivers C-Bar Arena Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 or Stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com Jonesville, LA March 19th & 20th Arkansas Reining Horse Assoc. Tunica Arena & Expo Center Info: Tina Laws 870-897-3026 | Tunica, MS March 20th 5D Redbud Barrel Race | $500 Added Hosted By: Red River Riders Info: Sarah 318-751-1198 or Kelsey 318-489-5332 | Vivian, LA March 24th – 27th 1st Annual Senior World Championship Barrel Race | Four States Fairgrounds Info: Patti Moore 903-244-2306 or Jackie Sue Washingtion 903-826-8611 or www.seniorworld.webs.com | Texarkana, AR March 25th – 27th Easter Fun Run Barrel Race Forrest County Multi Purpose Center Info: www.forrestcountycenter.com Hattiesburg, MS March 26th CENLA Barrel Racers Association Hineston Covered Arena Info: Jodie Bass 318-787-1304 or Email: evangelinebankjodie@yahoo.com Hineston, LA
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March 26th & 27th Bossier Parish Riding Club Easter Fun Run | Benton Arena Info: Martha 318-560-7583, Sharon 318-469-1366 or Trent 318-422-9335 Benton, LA April 1st CC’s Jackpots | Rice Arena Info: Cathy Meche 337-526-2281 | Crowley, LA April 1st & 2nd Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Northwest LA Junior High | North Louisiana Exhibition Center | Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail. com | Ruston, LA April 1st – 3rd Lucky Dog Productions $10,000 Future Fortunes Open Bonus Money Info: 870-930-7717 or 870-930-7718 or www.luckydograces.com | Starkville, MS EGGSTRASPECIAL $10,500 Added Money Marshall City Arena | Info: Martha Reyenga 318-560-7583 or www.2heartsbarrelracing.com Marshall, TX April 2nd Kudzu Klassic Winter Series Marshall County Fairgrounds Info: Bo McCoy 662-544-5290 or Email: coldwatercross@yahoo.com Holly Springs, MS NBHA LA04 Info: Scooter LeBouef 985-209-3531 or Scooterlebouef@aol.com | New Roads, LA ABRA SugArena Info: Susan Krieg 337-288-5374 or Shannon Roy 337-280-9349 or info@laabra.com | New Iberia, LA April 2nd & 3rd Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Northwest LA High School North Louisiana Exhibition Center Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com Ruston, LA
Louisiana Equine Report • February | March 2016
April 3rd Baton Rouge Barrel Racing Association Info: bjcotten@gmail.com or 225-281-0605 or www.brbra.com | New Roads, LA Western Louisiana Barrel Racers Assoc. Info: Pamela Stephenson 318-465-2352 Benton, LA April 5th Sulphur Rodeo Club 4D Barrel Buckle Series West Cal Arena | Sulphur, LA April 8th Bossier Parish Riding Club BPRC Pt Night | Benton Arena Info: Martha 318-560-7583, Sharon 318-469-1366 or Trent 318-422-9335 Benton, LA April 8th & 9th Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Vernon Parish Junior High Leesville Lions Club Arena Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com Leesville, LA April 9th Benefit L.S.U.A. Rodeo Team Meylian-Harris Productions Covered Arena 1893 Hwy 121, Hineston, LA $2500 Added Open 5D Barrel Race & 5D Youth (18 & Under) Info: Daleigha Meylian 318-229-7783 | Hineston, LA CENLA Barrel Racers Association Hineston Covered Arena Info: Jodie Bass 318-787-1304 or Email: evangelinebankjodie@yahoo.com Hineston, LA NBHA LA01 Vivian Arena Info: Trent Choate 318-422-9335 or Trent.choate@suddenlink.net | Vivian, LA April 9th & 10th Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. Vernon Parish High School Leesville Lions Club Arena Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com Leesville, LA NBHA LA04 Info: Scooter LeBouef 985-209-3531 or Scooterlebouef@aol.com | Port Allen, LA
Acadiana Youth Rodeo Association Acadia Rice Arena | Info: Tracia Hebert 337-654-2757 orayrassociation@yahoo.com Crowley, LA 70526 MHSRA Cutting Horse Event Scott County Coliseum Info: Linda Clark 205-246-3798 or Lindajeanclark53@gmail.com | Forest, MS April 15th CC’s Jackpots Rice Arena Info: Cathy Meche 337-526-2281 | Crowley, LA Bossier Parish Riding Club BPRC Pt Night Benton Arena Info: Martha 318-560-7583, Sharon 318-469-1366 or Trent 318-422-9335 Benton, LA April 15th & 16th Louisiana High School Rodeo Assoc. LaSalle Riding Club High School LRC Arena Info: Stephanie Rodrigue 337-540-4623 Or stephanied.rodrigue@gmail.com Jena, LA Mississippi High School Rodeo Assoc. Purvis III HS Rodeo Info: www.mshsra.org Purvis, MS April 15th – 17th NBHA LA State Show Lamar Dixon Expo Center | Gonzales, LA April 16th CENLA Barrel Racers Association LSU AG Center Info: Jodie Bass 318-787-1304 or Email: evangelinebankjodie@yahoo.com Alexandria, LA Louisiana Stock Horse Association Info: Judy Weisgerber 337-238-0193(H), 337-208-2336(C), 1-877-335-3072 or jpweisgerbert@outlook.com | New Roads, LA South Louisiana Team Sorting Assoc. Louis Mouch Multi Purpose Facility Info: www.sltsa.com | Port Allen, LA Kudzu Klassic Winter Series Marshall County Fairgrounds Info: Bo McCoy 662-544-5290 or Email: coldwatercross@yahoo.com Holly Springs, MS
Traveling with the Louisiana Equine Report
You never know where you may see us next! February | March 2016 • Louisiana Equine Report 53
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Louisiana Equine Report • February | March 2016
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On the Rodeo Trail with Katie Jo Barber, Miss Rodeo Louisiana 2016
Rodeo season is in full swing here in Louisiana! We’ve already had three of our state’s eight PRCA rodeos. So, I’ve hit the ground running as Miss Rodeo Louisiana. My first stop was in Lafayette, LA, where the Mid Winter Fair and Rodeo was held. I was very excited to be at a Frontier Rodeo Company rodeo, as this company won the honor of 2015 PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. The staff of Frontier includes 1979 Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and eight time PRCA World Champion bull rider Don Gay! I was able to meet Mr. Don and sign autographs next to him all weekend. I also met John Harrison, the 2015 NFR barrel man and comedy act of the year. He was incredibly entertaining and even gave me a run for my money when he showed up as Miss Rodeo Universe one night. Luckily, there’s plenty of room in the arena for two rodeo queens! One of my favorite things that I was able to participate in was running stock out with the pick up men, Jason and Too Tall. They were very nice and showed me the way at my first rodeo as queen. It was fun to be in the arena working during the rodeo. My second stop was in West Monroe, LA for the Stampede at the Ike. John Harrison, Andy Stewart and I started off the weekend with a 5:00am News interview! John’s son Caz even showed up ready to entertain. He showed off his back handspring and other rope tricks. The stock contractor at this rodeo was Pete Carr Rodeo Company. Pete Carr easily has some of the best bucking horses in the industry. It was incredible to watch these animal athletes show off. It’s no surprise that this stock contractor brings quite a few animals to the NFR every year. I was able to run sponsor flags between each event every night. I did so on a wonderful barrel horse named Sonny, borrowed from an Arkansas Jr. High School Rodeo cowgirl named Emma Everett. I borrow a horse at each rodeo that I go to for many reasons, but most importantly because it will help to prepare me for the Miss Rodeo America pageant where I will draw a horse that I have likely never ridden. I couldn’t have asked for a better horse than Sonny. Overall, I really enjoyed working with the Pete Carr Rodeo crew! My last stop was in Lake Charles, LA for the Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo. I was able to teach kids all about rodeo at 5 different schools, deliver king cakes to sponsors in a limo, and visit the children in the Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. I ate lunch with the Western Heritage Trail Riders and rode with them in the grand entry. I led the grand entry, carried the American flag, presented the Reserves flag when we honored our military, and carried the Louisiana flag to kick off the second half of the performance. I also ran stock out during the timed events with my buddies Jason and Too Tall. I shook the hands of the stock show champions. I signed autographs with bull fighters Kenny Bergeron and Darren Robertson. And I was officially crowned in a coronation ceremony with eight former Miss Rodeo Louisianas present. My partner this weekend was a horse that has been running flags in the grand entry for longer than I’ve been alive. The 32 year old gelding named Short Stop is a rodeo queen’s dream, and I’m so excited that I got to take him for a spin. The Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo rodeo committee kept me very busy and I enjoyed every second of it. I’ve enjoyed my adventures so far as Miss Rodeo Louisiana, but this is only the beginning. I hope to see you along the rodeo trail soon!
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DELTA DOWNS BANS HORSES FROM NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA DUE TO RECENT OUTBREAK OF EQUINE HERPESVIRUS SERIOUS NATURE OF DISEASE HAS PROMPTED IMMEDIATE ACTION
VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel today announced that it is banning horses from New Mexico and Arizona due to the recent outbreak of equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) in those states. The ban takes effect immediately and will be in place until further notice in order to protect local horses and horsemen. Equine herpesvirus is a contagious disease that has caused several horse deaths at Sunland Park in New Mexico as well as Turf Paradise in Arizona. Sunland Park suspended live racing for a minimum of 14 days beginning on January 23 and both racetracks, along with certain training centers in their areas, have also been placed under quarantine. “The main goal of this ban is to provide safety and protect the health of our horses and horsemen here at Delta Downs,” said Delta Downs Director of Racing Chris Warren. “We believe this ban is the proper action to take in order to prevent the spread of the EHV-1 virus.” For more information about horse ban at Delta Downs contact racing secretary Matt Crawford at 1-800-589-7441, ext. 1200. Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4 off I-10.
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The LQHBA Insider is a monthly feature written by Martha Claussen for www.lqhba.com. She served as publicity director at Sam Houston Race Park for ten years. She continues to be active in writing, fan education and Quarter Horse racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana and other regions in North America.
LQHBA Insider - By Martha Claussen
PROUD CONNECTIONS BEHIND OPEN ME A CORONA, 2015 AQHA CHAMPION AGED STALLION
LQHBA Insider
However, one thing she noticed as they embarked upon sale prepping was how smart The versatile runner made just two starts at her colt was. Delta Downs as a 3-year-old; added two stakes as a 4-year-old before embarking upon his most “He was quirky, so we had to change up his successful year in 2015. routine; then he did fine,” she recalled. Whirlwind End of the Year It was trainer Bobby Martinez who picked him Emotions ran high for each of the connections out of the 2011 LQHBA Yearling Sale, signing at Fair Grounds on December 12, 2015 when a ticket for $22,000 for owners Charles Forbes Open Me A Corona entered the starting gate Jr. and Dr. Tommy Hays. in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes (RG2). It was expected to be On Wednesday, January 20, the American “I just remember that he was such a good the final race for the stakes-winning 5-year-old, Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) hosted looking yearling,” said Martinez. and he drew off convincingly. its annual Champions Awards Ceremony at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City. One very Success on the Racetrack At the time, the consensus was that if you are special Louisiana-bred racehorse, Open Me His training progressed nicely and he won his going out, leave on a high note, and the victory A Corona, was honored as AQHA Champion debut at Delta Downs, posting the fastest time marked the sixth consecutive stakes win of the Aged Stallion. in trials for the Laddie Futurity. However, due year for Open Me A Corona. So, that evening, to foot issues, he did not compete in the final. Martinez himself vanned him to Robicheaux The Beginning of a Champion Ranch in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana to begin his Open Me A Corona, a son of That’s when co-owner Hays took on an added second career as a stallion. Coronas Leaving You out of the role. He was born in Louisiana, but has lived in Mr Eye Opener mare In the Open Texas for over 30 years. One of most respected However, when Tommy Hays accepted the was bred by Natalie Montgomery, veterinarians in the region, he practices at the bronze when Open Me A Corona was honored DVM, of Pineville, Louisiana. Elgin Veterinary Hospital, and is recognized as Champion AQHA Stallion on January 20, he for his expertise in orthopedic and soft tissue made a very interesting announcement. “Open Me a Corona was an embryo surgery, Hays has tended to many of the top transfer,” explained Montgomery. Quarter Horse Champions in the country. “Our horse is sound and we are going to run “She came out of a Paint mare, who him in 2016,” said the noted equine surgeon. was kind of nutty. She raised him Hays has raced Quarter Horses solely and in and passed on some of her quirks to partnerships. He acknowledges that owners are So, in a much happier state of mind, Martinez him.” faced with many curveballs to keeping a horse returned to Robicheaux Ranch and brought healthy. Open Me A Corona back to his farm in McDade, The mare, who was named Number Texas. 7, wasn’t particularly social; she “I’ve had everything happen to my horses,” he would turn her back to visitors and said. “My goal is to get things fixed and have Two Men and a Lady encouraged her weanling to do the a happy, healthy animal. Not just for one race, As noted, Open Me A Corona has an exceptional same. Montgomery remembers that but for longevity.” breeder, owners and trainer, but there is one Open Me A Corona exhibited some other member of the team, Hay’s beautiful, of the mare’s tendencies. Open Me A Corona made a full recovery, horse-loving girlfriend, Megan Maloney. Both qualifying for the first million dollar edition of Hays and Martinez cite how much she loves the “He gave us fits as a yearling,” the LQHBA Breeders Futurity and winning it champion, and how much he loves her. admitted Montgomery. “It seemed on November 17, 2012. like he thought we were the bad “She comes to the farm to gallop him,” said guys!” “What a huge thrill that was,” added Martinez. Continued On Page 61... Montgomery.
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STORMDRIVER RALLIES TO PULL THE UPSET IN LOUISIANA PREMIER NIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP HEITAI NOTCHES HIS THIRD STRAIGHT LOUISIANA PREMIER NIGHT SPRINT VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted its second richest program of the year on Saturday night as the track played host to Louisiana Premier Night. The annual event featured 10 stakes races for Louisiana-bred horses and over $1,000,000 in total purse money. The featured event on the program was the LAPN Championship for older horses competing at 1 1/16 miles. Fans made The Picket Factor the heavy 3-5 favorite in the race but it was Fruition Racing LLC’s Stormdriver who crashed the party with a come-from-behind victory under jockey Diego Saenz. Stormdriver defeated last year’s winner One King’s Man, by 1-1/4 lengths. The Pickett Factor wound up another half-length behind the runner-up in third. Stormdriver covered the distance over a fast track in a time of 1:45.67. “Diego looked like he was loaded with this horse,” said winning trainer Patrick Devereaux, Jr. after he watching his charge stalk an early speed duel between The Pickett Factor, Deep Bottom and Know You Now through early fractions of 22.57 seconds for the quarter-mile and 47.22 for the half. “After they went about three-eighths of a mile I felt really confident. He handled this racetrack well tonight.” The win by Stormdriver marked the eighth of his 32-race career. He earned $120,000 for his effort and has now placed $451,667 into his lifetime bankroll. Stormdriver is a 6-year-old horse by Discreet Cat out of the Take Me Out mare Prom Date. He was bred in Louisiana by Tigertail Ranch. Sent to the gate at odds of 6-1, Stormdriver returned $14.80 to win, $7.40 to place and $2.60 to show. One King’s Man was worth $4.80 to place and $2.10 to show. The Pickett Factor was worth $2.10 to show. In other action Saturday it was Rowell Enterprises Inc.’s Heitai winning his third consecutive $100,000 LAPN Sprint, also with Diego Saenz in the saddle. The victory marked the first career stakes win for trainer Eduardo Ramirez. All three of Heitai’s LAPN
victories have come for different conditioners. In 2014 he was saddled by Karl Broberg and last year he was sent out by Tom Amoss. This year’s $150,000 LAPN Distaff was taken by Forest Lake, who was ridden to victory by Hector Santiago. Forrest Lake is owned by Set-Hut LLC of former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme and is conditioned by Jake’s father, Jerry Delhomme. The $125,000 LAPN Prince saw Icy Gentleman storm down the stretch to victory under jockey Jorge Guzman. Icy Gentleman is trained by Henry B. Johnson, Jr. and is owned by Ironwater Farms Joint Venture. Smittys Cougar was victorious in the $125,000 LAPN Starlet with jockey Richard Eramia up. Smittys Cougar is conditioned by Ron Faucheux and is owned by Roger G. Smith. This year’s $100,000 LAPN Matron was annexed by World War IV Racing’s Diamond Cutter, who carried jockey Gerardo Mora to victory for trainer Pamela Simpson. To complete the set of 10 rich races on Saturday night were four starter stakes. The $65,000 LAPN Gentlemen Starter was won by Hardy Racing Stables LLC’s Watch My Smoke; the $65,000 LAPN Ladies Starter was taken by Dale White, Sr.’s Tough Jeans; the $50,000 LAPN Bon Temps Starter was won by Randy J. Stone’s Leave Em Counting; and the $50,000 LAPN Ragin Cajun Starter saw Witch Hunt finish first. Delta Downs will begin a new week of live racing on Wednesday night with a 10-race program that is scheduled to begin at 5:40 pm CT. Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4 off I-10.
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PROUD CONNECTIONS BEHIND OPEN ME A CORONA, 2015 AQHA CHAMPION AGED STALLION
“I’m really glad Megan is around; Tommy’s not as grouchy as he used to be!” Hays begs to differ, citing his trainer’s funk when retirement plans were in place.
LQHBA Insider
“Bobby was the one who was grumpy,” declared Hays. “He about fell apart, but is doing much better now!” Kidding aside, there is a deep respect between these two men. “We work together real well,” said Martinez. “He wants his horses to last, and if it means laying them up after a tough race, he’s good with that. “He’s the best vet in the country, in my opinion. He’s worked on all my horses including my (AQHA) world champion Oak Tree Special.” Louisiana Champions Open Me A Corona joined an elite group of Louisiana-bred Quarter Horses to be recipient of prestigious year-end AQHA Champions honors. Mr Jess Perry, Jess Louisiana Blue, Streakin Sin Tacha, Jls Mr Bigtime and Vals Fortune have previously been honored as Quarter Horse industry’s finest. Tony Patterson, executive director of the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association, was pleased that Open Me A Corona received national recognition. “This is an amazing horse and the people behind him have been loyal supporters of Louisiana breeding and racing,” said Patterson. “He will always have a special place in LQHBA history as he won our very first $1,000,000 Guaranteed LQHBA Breeders Futurity. We look forward to seeing him compete this year and further add to his legacy.” Mr Jess Perry Up Next Open Me A Corona will begin his 6-year-old campaign in the Mr Jess Perry Stakes on Saturday, February 27 at Louisiana Downs. He has won the race two years in a row. His previous rider, Saul Ramirez, Jr. has retired; Hays reports that David Alvarez will ride. “David knows the horse,” said Hays. “It won’t be easy facing some of the younger stakes runners, but he is sound and we are looking forward to running.” He has won 12 of 14 career starts and already bankrolled $747,298. Natalie Montgomery was one of many breeders looking forward to sending her mares to Robicheaux Ranch.
“I had some mares lined up,” said Montgomery. “But, I am happy he’s still running. This horse has so much heart.” “It takes a special horse to dominate,” adds Hays. “Six stakes in a row on four different tracks at different distances. Open Me A Corona is fast, smart and game.” Plus, surrounded by very happy, proud and capable connections!
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Trainer: Trey Ellis
Wins Louisiana Downs Maiden Stakes Trials Bonnies Own Fortune goes 350 yards in 18.414 seconds to get the win on February 6, 2016
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February | March 2016
LEIGH COURT PARADES HER CLASS IN MARDI GRAS
NEW ORLEANS (February 9, 2016) – Leigh Court, owned by Peter Fluor’s Speedway Stable, let the good times roll and justified her favoritism in the $60,000 Mardi Gras Stakes on Tuesday, winning her first race since being purchased at auction for $1 million in November of 2014. In what was both her fourth start for Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots’ leading trainer Mike Stidham and 6-year-old debut, Canada’s champion 3-year-old filly of 2013 won for the eighth time in 16 career attempts and tallied her sixth stakes victory. With meet-leading jockey Florent Geroux in the saddle for the first time and making her initial start since early October, the daughter of Grand Slam bobbled slightly at the start, but quickly recovered to take the lead within the first eighth of a mile in the 5½-furlong turf event. Leading through fractions of 22.59, 46.41 and five furlongs in 58.11, she finished up in a time of 1:04.39, while three-quarters of a length in front of two rallying multiple stakes-winning daughters of Mizzen Mast – Lothenbach Stables’ Neil Pessin-trained Eden Prairie and L. T. B. Inc. and Hillerich Racing’s Bernie Flint-trained Mizz Money – who were separated by 1¼ lengths. The victory by Leigh Court, who returned $3.20, $2.60 and $2.40, earned her $36,000 to boost her career earnings to $708,331. “She broke so sharply, she bobbled a little bit, but she was plenty fast,” Geroux said. “She went pretty well the second quarter and when I asked her she showed good acceleration and was very brave.” “This was the race we needed to get back into her to get her confidence back and get a win,” Stidham said. “She didn’t win a race last year and was really close in a couple tries. We’re happy to have her back in the winner’s circle. Thanks to Mr. Fluor and John Adger for giving us the opportunity with such a nice filly.” The continuition of seven-time winner Eden Prairie’s career, a four-time stakes victress over the Stall-Wilson turf course, was dependent on a good effort. Sent off at 16-1, she loomed the only threat late under Brian Hernandez, Jr., and looked sharp in her 6-year-old bow. “Everything went well. We had a great trip,” Hernandez said. “When we got out, we got out a little late, but she ran hard and was just a jump too late.” “I think we’ll give her another (race),” Pessin said. “That was pretty good.” Eden Prairie returned $9.20 and $5.40, while graded stakes winner Mizz Money returned $4.40 to show under Jesus Castanon. The remainder of the Mardi Gras Stakes order of finish was completed by Lindisfarne, Run Zippy Run, Adrianne G, Stoupinator, Prayed For, Angie’s Prim Lady and Sugar Sweet.
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2015 AQHA and NFQHA registered Palomino stud colt Sire: Docs Bar Pudden. Dam: Unexpected Dolly (Mccue/Olena line). Current on shots, microchipped, ties and leads. Beautifully built and gentle. $3,000.00 Sherry Cason 985-345-9278.
2015 chestnut Oldenburg colt. Will probably mature about 16.2 hands. (Balanchine [Bergamon] x Hermione [Coeur de Lion]). Gorgeous and flashy. Call George Newtown, 318-965-9071. Visit our website: http://newtownhorses.com
2013 bay Oldenburg gelding. Will probably mature about 16 hands. (Balanchine [Bergamon] x Zoe [Juventus]). Smart, likes people, great gaits, ready to start. $12,000. Call George Newtown, 318-965-9071. Visit our website: http://newtownhorses.com
2015 bay Oldenburg colt. Will probably mature about 15.3 hands. (Balanchine [Bergamon] x Zoe [Juventus]). Sturdy, cute, smart. $10,000. Call George Newtown, 318-965-9071. Visit our website: http://newtownhorses.com
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Figure 1
The Supplement, SmartGut Ultra®, maintains stomach health after ulcer treatment!
Frank M. Andrews, DVM, MS, DACVIM-LAIM • Director and LVMA Equine Committee Professor Pilar Camacho, DVM • Giavanna Gaymon, DVM • Patrick Loftin, DVM, MS • Frank Garza, MS • Michael L. Keowen, BS • Michael T. Kearney, MS
Equine Health Studies Program, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. As we go into the spring and get our horses tuned up for competition, we have to be thinking about maintaining a healthy stomach and gut. Gastric ulcers, as part of the Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS), are common in exercising and competing horses. Ulcers occur primarily in the nonglandular (squamous) portion of the stomach due to its lack of resistance to the erosive effects of gastric acids (hydrochloric, volatile fatty and bile acids). Horses with this condition perform poorly which makes it a significant economic problem within the horse industry. Currently the FDAapproved pharmaceutical agent GastroGard® (omeprazole; Merial Ltd., Duluth, GA), a proton pump inhibitor, is effective in treating equine ulcers, however long term treatment is expensive and increased gastric juice pH might have a negative effect on digestion. Recently, there has been an interest in using natural products to maintain gut health while horses are in competition. One of these supplements, SmartGut Ultra®, contains a proprietary blend of Sea buckthorn berries, apple pectin, lecithin, aloe vera, and glutamine, among other ingredients that protect the stomach from the erosive effects of gastric acid. The research team at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine evaluated the effects of SmartGut Ultra® on gastric ulcer scores and gastric juice pH in stall-confined Thoroughbred horses during and after omeprazole treatment. SmartGut Ultra® was fed to eight healthy Thoroughbred and Thoroughbred-cross horses for 42 days over 2 periods, so that all horses received the treatment. All horses were housed in stalls to mimic a show environment and fed mixed grass hay and sweet feed (Omolene® 100; Gray Summit, MO). Horses were Figure 1 assigned to the two treatment groups, where one group was fed SmartGut Ultra® (40g, twice daily) added to the sweet feed and the other group (control) received no supplement. The first 14 days of the study all horses were treated with omeprazole (GastroGard® paste, Merial Limited, Duluth, GA; 4mg/kg, orally q24h), and then omeprazole was discontinued for the remainder of the study. All horses remained in their stalls for the remainder of the study. A 9 foot long endoscope was used to see the
lining of the stomach (gastroscopy) and evaluate the presence of ulcers. During gastroscopy, gastric juice was aspirated and pH measured. The results of the study showed that the GastroGard paste was highly effective in treating the ulcers. However, gastric ulcers rapidly returned in the untreated horses after discontinuing GastroGard, whereas the SmartGut Ultra®-treated horses had fewer and less severe ulcers after discontinuation of GastroGard® treatment. In conclusion: SmartGut Ultra® (40 gm, mixed with feed twice daily) was readily eaten by all horses and did not result in adverse reactions in any of the horses in this study. GastroGard® paste was highly effective in treating gastric ulcers. SmartGut Ultra® maintained stomach health after discontinuing GastroGard® treatment, when compared to the untreated horses, which had a recurrence of ulcers.
SmartGut Ultra® supplement (SmartPak® Equine, Plymouth, MA, 40g, twice daily) added to feed prevents the worsening of gastric ulcers in stallconfined horses after omeprazole treatment, without altering gastric juice acid environment. Supplementing with SmartGut Ultra® maintains stomach health in stalled horses after the discontinuation of GastroGard treatment. SmartGut Ultra® should not be used to treat gastric ulcers, but as a supplement to aid in maintaining stomach health in stalled horses and horses during competition.
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72 76 Equine| Email: Report •mike@laequinereport.com June | July 2015 Ph: Louisiana 225-622-5747 | www.laequinereport.com