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The barrel
racing world and WPRA member Sheri Sinor Estrada lost
a great equine athlete and partner on June 22, when
she had to put down her 16-year old gelding Ali-B-Kat.
Sinor Estrada bought Ali off the
racetrack when he was just two and they soon became
a very strong team. She started training him at four
and started running him at five winning rodeos in the
Turquoise Circuit. In 2004, Sinor Estrada and Ali qualified
for their first Wrangler NFR after going to just 26
rodeos and they finished the year sixth in the world.
They would return to Las Vegas in December of 2005 after
competing at just 30 rodeos. They won the 10th and final
round before finishing sixth in the world for the second
straight year.
"Ali was in a class of his
own like Secretariat was in horse racing," said
Sinor Estrada of her outstanding horse that finished
in a tie for second for the PRCA/WPRA Barrel Racing
Horse of the Year honors in 2004. "The first time
I saw him on the walker at the track, I knew he was
an athlete and we were meant to be a team. I was blessed
to have him as long as I did."
In October of 2006, Sinor Estrada
and Ali were making their third bid for the Wrangler
NFR when some back luck intervened. Ali had to undergo
colic surgery which ended their dreams of a third Wrangler
NFR. Following surgery, Ali was given time off to recover.
They returned to competition beginning in 2007 and captured
the barrel racing title in April at the Clark County
Fair and Rodeo in Logandale, Nev., and later in August
at the Dodge City (Kan.) Round-Up.
"He was still great but never
quite the same following that surgery," Sinor Estrada
said.
Throughout Ali's career, Sinor Estrada
had to pay close attention to his stifles as his ligaments
on both sides had been damaged when he was younger.
In June of 2009, during the NBHA Las Vegas Super Show
he tore one of his two ligaments on this left side making
it very painful and sore. Immediately following this
injury, Sinor Estrada retired him from competition.
Since that time, she has been doing
everything she could to keep him comfortable. In March
of 2010, she took him in for some work on his stifles
and also discovered through x-rays that he had broken
his left SI joint in two places, which had already healed.
The work performed on his stifles made him feel better
and he was able to run once again. However, he would
eventually finish tearing the ligament he injured in
June of 2009, making it tough for him to get around.
Although it was a tough decision to put him down, Sinor
Estrada knew this was the best thing so that Ali didn't
suffer.
As for Sinor Estrada's future, she
has high hopes for Ali's half brother as well as a couple
other horses she is training right now.
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