Professional barrel racer Liana DeWeese and Twisted Chrome clocked the fastest time around the barrels at the 2012 World Show, winning the Turn & Earn Solid Paint-Bred Slots for barrels and poles. They also took home an extra $500 by way of the Awesome Chrome stallion incentive.
Purchased on a whim last July for $800, Speciality Bandit proved he could compete with the best of the best. Owner Margaret Kennedy was thrilled to earn a seventh-place rib- bon in a tough Amateur Barrel Rac- ing class, and she danced her way to the center of the John Justin Arena to accept her prize.
here,” she said. “The people are really friendly. I met somebody last night, and now I have a new friend. I like that—I enjoy the camaraderie.”
Her Turn to Earn When Liana DeWeese fi rst read about APHA’s inaugural Turn & Earn barrel racing and pole bending slot classes at the 2012 World Show, the horsewoman from Claremore, Okla- homa, knew she had the perfect con- tender. Her fi rst time to compete at the premier APHA event, Liana and Twisted Chrome didn’t disappoint— they turned in a pair of smoking runs and took home $1,820. The duo also turned in the show’s fastest barrel rac- ing time, a :15.789, and Liana says “TC” wasn’t even running full speed. “He probably had a half second in
there if I would have let him run full speed,” Liana said. “When I didn’t really let him run around the barrels and have to keep him stood up, he can’t go full speed. But he’s 16-hands and 1,350 pounds and I knew that ground didn’t have a lot of hold in it for him, so I just wanted to be careful and not get him hurt.”
As an added bonus, Liana and
TC also took home the Awesome Chrome stallion incentive, which paid $500 to the Turn & Earn Barrel Racing Slot owner of an Awesome Chrome foal with the fastest overall time. A money-earner in Women’s
18 JANUARY 2013 PAINT HORSE RACING
Professional Rodeo Association com- petition, the 2006 brown solid geld- ing is by Awesome Chrome and out of Miss Twist Bug (QH), a daughter of Shawne Bug (QH). Liana is a fan of the stallion’s get, citing their good minds, athletic ability and speed. “He’s real light, responsive, will- ing and gives you 100 percent every time—just really nice all the way around,” she said about TC.
A Fateful Trip When Margaret Kennedy paid $800 for a laid-back gray tobiano gelding no one else wanted at a National Barrel Horse Association show last July, she had no idea Spe- ciality Bandit would turn into her next barrel prospect. “I had another barrel horse—I ended up giving her some time off and not running her for the rest of this season,” the horsewoman from Contoocook, New Hampshire, said. “I was looking for another horse and I was at an NBHA show, just hanging out, and he was hanging out. One of my friends said, ‘This person has this horse for sale—they don’t really want him, but he’s a really good boy, so go look at him.’ So I did. He’s really super quiet, and I decided to take him.
“I brought him home and took him out to my trainer’s just to work with him and get him in shape,” she said. “When I showed him a barrel, he turned it—I said, ‘I have myself a barrel horse!’ ” Though Margaret qualifi ed “Gil-
ligan” for the APHA World Show just in the nick of time, the young equestrienne wasn’t sure how she
Liana says Twisted Chrome is even faster than his :15.789 time–click here to hear why.
was going to get her Paints to the premier competition—fortunately, Margaret’s mother stepped in, agree- ing to fi nance the trip for her daugh- ter’s 21st
birthday. With Gilligan
and Going All Out tucked into the trailer, Margaret made the 32-hour trek to Fort Worth, Texas. Just happy to attend the World
Show, Margaret’s goals were simple: earn a Top 10 in Amateur Barrel Racing. Gilligan proved he was a profi cient fi rst mate, carrying Mar- garet to seventh-place in the class, along with fi fth in Pole Bending, sixth in Amateur Pole Bending, and seventh in Open and Amateur Stake Race. An over-the-moon Margaret danced her way to the center of the John Justin Arena to accept her rib- bons during the awards ceremony. Impulsively, Margaret entered Gil- ligan in the inaugural Turn & Earn Barrel Racing and Pole Bending slots. Though they ran just out of the money, Margaret fi gured she had nothing to lose by trying. “I fi gured I was here, so I should
give it a chance—you never know,” she said. “No money, but I got a rib- bon and had fun. I was not expect- ing it to go so well—I just wanted to have fun. I had a blast. He’s been a great pony. I couldn’t ask for more.”
Jessica Hein is editor of Paint Horse Racing. To comment on this article, email
jhein@apha.com.
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