Name: Kim Kammenzind Born: Kennewick, WA 11/16/78 Residence: Touchet, WA Status: single Family: Mom, Barb Brown Member of the WPRA since: 1994 Accomplishments: 2 Time Columbia River Circuit Finals Qualifier, National High School Rodeo Finals qualifier, College National Finals qualifier (barrel racing and breakaway roping) Photo by Hoot Creek Photography

1. What do you do for a living? I have been a kindergarten teacher in the Milton-Freewater, OR school district for 10 years.

2. What do you enjoy doing outside of riding? I'm the Futurity Director for the Valley Girls Barrel Association and am involved in producing Barrel Daze, which has grown to be the largest futurity on the west coast. I also enjoy writing, and have written articles for several barrel racing organizations and publications over the past few years. I love to shop, online or in a store. Any kind of retail therapy really! Lastly, I love music, all kinds really. I am constantly downloading songs and searching for new and interesting bands.

3. How did you get started in rodeo? All of the women in my family teach and run barrels, so I followed suit. I grew up around horses and competed in horse shows as a youth. I began barrel racing competitively when I was 12 years old.

4. What is your horse's name? How old is he or she? Easy Kipa Dash, aka Chet, a 9 year old gelding, sired by Dash Ta Fame and Black Jack O'Malley, aka O'Malley, a 6 year old gelding. I purchased both of these horses from Cody Hyde, of Blackfoot, ID. Fellow WPRA member and NFR qualifier, Sue Smith borrowed Chet last year for the 2010 DNCFR in Pocatello, where she broke the arena record twice on him. She won $16,000 on him that week and was the high money earner of the event. My good friend, and fellow circuit member Donna Heinen and her husband Kevin flew me to Pocatello in their plane after school so I could watch Sue run. It was so exciting to get to see them in action. We flew back after the first perf and I was back at school the next morning!

5. How would you describe his/her style? Chet is a push style horse. He is 16.2 hands and has very long stride, but is incredibly athletic for his size. He will turn anywhere and his size and strength really help him get through heavy ground. O'Malley runs freely and is better indoors and on the shorter scores and starts. I think as a team they compliment each other really well. I prefer to run Chet in the wide open spaces and O'Malley in the smaller pens.

6. Does he/she have any quirks that make them unique? Chet gets into everything. He chews, bites and constantly unties himself. He is real insecure, so I have to haul him with another horse. His biggest quirk is his behavior when I leave the arena. He will often buck or leap while exiting and usually prances all the way back to the trailer. Apparently, he is very proud of his performances, good or bad. He looks like a race horse being lead to the paddock.

7. What is your riding regiment during rodeo season? I ride everyday if I can, weather permitting. I try not to overwork my horses. I do a lot of long trotting around the ranch. I really believe that less is more. I don't make a lot of practice runs unless I really need to fix something or need a run for my own timing.

8. Do you have any superstitions or quirks when competing? No, I just try to stick with the same routine and be consistent. I am pretty regimented with that.

9. Do you have any hauling partners? I literally think I've hauled with everyone in our circuit at one time or another. The group would be too long to list. Recently, I've been traveling solo most of the time.

10. What is your favorite rodeo to compete at? St. Paul and Pendelton. Chet loves both pens and so do I. I call Pendleton "The Green Mile". There is nothing like running the long course on the grass. It is quite a rush!

11. What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you? My real hair color, a girl has to have a few secrets!

12. What is your goal for this rodeo season? My ultimate goal is to qualify for the circuit finals again. I hope to branch out of the circuit a bit this summer when school is out, and would really like to make qualifications for the winter rodeos.

Name: Kelsie Miller Born: Heppner, OR 5/31/77 Residence: Riley, OR Status: married Family: husband, Mick, daughter Skye, 7 yrs. old and son Coltin, 3 yrs. old Member of the WPRA since: 1996 Accomplishments: 2010 Valley Girls Futurity Champion (Walla Walla, Wa), 2010 Idaho Futurity Reserve Champion, had 2 horses in the Top 7 of the 1D Average at the 2010 BRN4D Finals

1. What do you do for a living? We have a cattle ranch and raise hay. My mom and dad and husband and I own it.

2. What do you enjoy doing outside of riding? Anything we can do together as a family, like fishing, camping or golfing-on the rare occasions when we are all home together. I also coach my daughter's basketball team.

3. How did you get started in rodeo? I showed pleasure horses growing up. That was what my mom did and my dad roped. My uncle trained working cow horses, and I trained one of them to barrel race and went from there.

4. What is your horse's name? How old is he or she? De Montana Floyd, aka Montana, a 13 yr. old gelding, Bridle Bit Riley, aka Sparky, a 6 yr. old gelding and Famed By An Angel, aka Angel, a 12 yr. old mare.

5. How would you describe his/her style? Angel runs hard, but turns hard. She is 4-wheel drive through her turn and is pretty ratey. I traded a horse for her and got really lucky. Montana is just a flat runner. He is phenomenally fast. Due to his previous injuries, I don't run him on bad ground, so he is more of an indoor horse. Sparky is all cow horse. He is turny and really quick. All three of my horses are very different, so it keeps me paying attention.

6. Does he/she have any quirks that make them unique? Angel is crazy. She will freak out and go nuts at the trailer and she is hard to haul with other horses. She is a typical high maintenance Dash Ta Fame mare, but when she runs, she is all business, so she makes up for it. She has been out since July, but I'm legging her back up for the spring. Montana is head of barn security. He only likes me and my dad. He is definitely my horse. I've had him since he was 2, and even though he can be a handful, he's a lifer. My colt Sparky is the most sane of the bunch, but he has even bucked me off a few times. I feel very fortunate to have three nice horses though.

7. What is your riding regiment during rodeo season? I ride everyday. I usually give a day off after the weekend. I rarely work on barrels.

8. Do you have any superstitions or quirks when competing? I'm the most superstitious person in the world. Not only can my hat not touch the bed, it can't touch anything that you could sleep on either, like the couch. I don't wear yellow, I don't ride with money in my pocket, I don't pick up my checks till the end and I have a lucky shirt. My friends think I'm crazy. I always yawn before I run too.

9. Do you have any hauling partners? My mom. She is my number 1 supporter. With her help, I can take my kids while my husband and dad stay home and work on the ranch. We sometimes haul with my friend Gretchen Schultz and her girls. If we are not in the same rig, we at least follow each other.

10. What is your favorite rodeo to compete at? Prineville, OR. You can count on them having good ground. Sisters, OR, since it is close to home. I've always wanted to run at Pendleton, OR, but I can't get up the nerve :)

11. What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you? I don't think there is anything. I'm not real shy, so they probably already know everything about me, because I've already told them.

12. What is your goal for this rodeo season? Go to as many rodeos as I can and make money at it. We get super busy during hay season, so it's hard for me to go later on in the summer. I also want to season my colt at some rodeos.

Name: Michele Lyons Born: Beaverton, OR 11/10/87 Residence: Walla Walla, WA Status: single Family: mom, Brenda, step dad, Jerry Lennox, dad, Curt Lyons, step mom, Karen Member of the WPRA since: 2009 Accomplishments: Columbia River Circuit Permit Finals Reserve Average Champion, placed at first prorodeo entered (Elgin, OR), Northwest Regional College Breakaway Champion, National College Finals Breakaway Reserve Champion, Oregon High School Rodeo Breakaway Champion, Reserve Goat Tying Champion and Barrel Racing Top 10.

1. What do you do for a living? Currently working at a feed store.

2. What do you enjoy doing outside of riding? Nothing really, just rodeo.

3. How did you get started in rodeo? My parents have always been competitive in the rodeo atmosphere. My mom has run barrels for several years. Years ago my dad rode saddle bronc horses and my step dad rode bareback and they both used to team rope and rope calves. I started out barrel racing, and then got into breakaway roping and team roping a little. I did pee wee, youth rodeo, high school rodeo, then college rodeo and some of the amateur rodeos throughout.

4. What is your horse's name? How old is he or she? Ima Son of a Biankus aka Poopsie. He is a nine year old gelding out of the famous Bogie Biankus stud who Sid and Randy Rae Britt of Echo, Oregon own. I bought him as a 5 year old just barley started on the barrels.

5. How would you describe his/her style? He is a free runner.

6. Does he/she have any quirks that make them unique? He kind of has an attitude. He is not real pleasant to be around on the ground, he likes to try to bite ya every time you saddle him and you can't tie him by other horses, but I put up with it :)

7. What is your riding regiment during rodeo season? I usually try to ride 4-5 days per week and a couple of those days I will rope on my barrel horse (Thanks to BJ and JaiDee Taruscio :). It depends on the weather. During the summer months there are barrel races or roping just about every weekend to go to within a close radius.

8. Do you have any superstitions or quirks when competing? No.

9. Do you have any hauling partners? Not really, sometimes I travel with Bobo McMillan (who puts on wonderful barrel races in the Northwest) or my parents when they are in the area.

10. What is your favorite rodeo to compete at? Elgin, OR. It is where I won my first check at a pro rodeo.

11. What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
???? I dun know..lol

12. What is your goal for this rodeo season? Go to as many rodeos as I can and try to make it to the circuit finals

Name: Judi Macdonald Born: Seattle ,WA 3/15/56 Residence: Maple Valley, WA Status: Married Family: husband, Tom, son, Scott, daughter, Nina Member of the WPRA since: 1992 Accomplishments: 6 time Columbia River Circuit Finals qualifier, won Puyallup, Wa., won rounds at Houston Tx., won Walla Walla Wa., Elgin, Or., Tacoma Wa., Longview, Wa. (Photo by Bill Lawless)

1. What do you do for a living? I train horses, give lessons and sell quality products for horses.

2. What do you enjoy doing outside of riding? I love to cook.

3. Name something that most people don't know about you? That I have Fibromyalgia.

4. How did you get started in rodeo? I was 36 when I got my pro card. I had grown up with horses, since my dad was a trainer, but I never did rodeo. I did showing and gaming when I was younger. I got married when I was 17 and started a family early. When my kids were older we got back into gaming and then progressed to the amateur rodeos and now pro rodeo.

5. What has been your greatest accomplishment? Winning Puyallup, Wa. My father took me to the rodeo there when I was 7 years old. I had never seen a rodeo before and when I watched the barrel racers I knew that was what I wanted to do. Puyallup is the closest rodeo to my home so I consider it my hometown rodeo and to win it ment so much to me. I'm also proud to have raised and trained the 6 year old gelding named Harley that Deb Renger went to the 2008 NFR on. It was the next best thing to being there myself.

6. Do you have any superstitions or quirks when competing? I have a routine. I always tell myself that I'm only competing against myself and doesn't matter what anyone else does. I just try to better myself.

7. What is your favorite rodeo to compete at? Ellensburg, WA and Houston, TX. They are both very exciting.

8. Do you have any hauling partners? Who? My husband, he drives me everywhere. I couldn't do it without him. He is super supportive.

9. What is your favorite rodeo memory? Winning Puyallup, WA.

10. What is your horse's name? How old is he or she? Paradocs Tivio,aka Tucker. He is a 13 year old gelding I trained myself. He is out of Doc Joe Tucker.

11. How would you describe his/her style? He is super smooth. His turns are amazing. He is not the fastest horse out there on the straight away but he has no wasted movements in his turns and is very long strided. He looks decieving but clocks amazingly fast. He has ran multiple 16.9's on a standard pattern. He wants to please and loves to run barrels. He was the easiest horse to train I have ever had. In his 7 year career he has only tipped 5 barrels.

12. Does he/she have any quirks that make them a unique partner? Yes, he spooks in place. He jumps, but he doesn't go anywhere. He is super sensitive and has always been that way. I have tried many different things to get him over it but that is just who he is. Other than that he doesn't do anything wrong. I have always had a hard time with his feet. He never had good feet and he started showing signs of navicular. I decided to try him barefoot a year ago, and it has been an unbelievable change. He no longer has any signs of navicular, his body soreness has completely gone away, his times have improved and he feels more sure footed on bad ground.

13. What is your riding regiment during rodeo season? This year I only got to go to 3 rodeos because I was not feeling well. I try to ride 5 days a week when I'm competing to keep in shape.

14. What is your goal for this rodeo season? Go to as many circuit rodeos as I can and make the circuit finals.

Name: Ashley Alsup Born: Veneta, OR, 1/2/85 Residence: Veneta, OR Status: Married Family: husband, Dustin, son, Brayden, 4 years old, daughter Brooke, 7 years old Member of the WPRA since: 2009 Accomplishments: Qualified for Columbia River Permit Finals in 2009 and finished 4th in a go round and 4th in the Average, Northwest Professional Rodeo Association (NPRA) Finals qualifier, placed 3rd at the Joey Jr. Worlds in 1998, broke the record of 14.02 in Western Horseman of Oregon with a 13.51 on my good horse Bill that was trained by my family and I.

13. What is your riding regiment during rodeo season? I ride light every day and give my horse off Monday if we've competed over the weekend. I mostly walk, trot and lope circles to make sure he stays soft. I only work a little on barrels.

Sabrina Lay….

Sabrina has been a member of the WPRA since 2003.

Background/Accomplishments: Won 2nd in state High School rodeo, won the SW Region in college.

1. What is your greatest accomplishment?
Winning Rookie of the Year in 2004.

2. What are your goals for this rodeo season?
My good horse broke his leg at Hermiston 4 years ago and is just now coming back so I would love to make the circuit finals on him. I am also running my 4 year old so I want to continue to compete at some futurities.

3. What do you enjoy doing outside of your horses?
I spend most of my time riding but I also enjoy hanging out with family and friends.

4. Do you have someone special that you admire?
Mean Momma aka Kristie Hurn!! :

5. Name something that most people don't know about you?
I was born with a birth defect, part of my brain is missing but it does not affect me at all. I broke my back at a barrel race in 2007. My horses and I are accident prone because we have one incident after another happen.

6. Do you have any superstitions or quirks when competing?
I try not to believe in all of that I just believe that good things happen to good people.

7. How do you travel to/from rodeos?
With Jodi Hoctor and Manda Mellergaard.

8. What is your horse's name?
Stewie

9. How old is he?
12 year old gelding

10. What makes him special?
He has a great personality, he is constantly into everything.

11. How would you describe his style?
If I could describe his style it might help me ride him, he has a different style every time I run him. He always throws something different at me.

12. Does he have any quirks that make him a unique partner?
He is an escape artist.

13. What do you do to give your horse the 'edge' on the competition?
I supplement his nutrition and do routine maintenance with Adequan and Legend as well as laser treatments.

Natalie Deking Background/Accomplishments: She won the 2nd go of the Ellensburg rodeo; qualified for the circuit finals her first year and also won a round at the circuit finals.

1. What is your greatest accomplishment?
I won Rookie of the Year for 2009!

2. Do you have any goals for this rodeo season?
I would like to attend every circuit rodeo, to win the year end at the circuit finals and ultimately qualify for the DNCFR.

3. What do you enjoy doing outside of your horses?
I enjoy working out at the gym and shopping but more than anything I enjoy working and being around my horses.

4. Do you have someone special that you admire?
My Aunt Linda is one of my biggest supporters, as well as Danyelle Campbell in the horse world.

5. Name something that most people don’t know about you?
I have been hearing impaired since birth. I received a cochlear implant when I was 15 years old.

6. Do you have any superstitions or quirks when competing?
I keep a consistent routine every time I compete, I always run barrels in certain reins and I make sure to grain my horse before each competition.

7. How do you travel to/from rodeos?
I travel by myself which allows me to maintain my focus at all times.

8. What is your horse’s name?
Cashe’

9. How old is she?
8 Year Old Mare

10. What makes her special?
She has a gigantic heart! Sometimes she tries too hard. We have such a close connection that I have never had with any other horse.

11. How would you describe her style?
She definitely has a push and kick style, I have to keep her round in the turn and put her in the correct position to keep the barrels up. She never goes by a barrel.

12. Does she have any quirks that make her a unique partner?
She doesn’t like anyone other than me. If someone else comes up to her and I am around she will be nice because she know she has to but the minute I walk away she pins her ears and makes it clear that she is a one owner horse.

13. What do you do to give your horse the ‘edge’ on the competition?
Her feed is top notch, I keep her routine the same, and I have short warm-up times.

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