TEXAS NEWS •

March 2 , 2010. 2009 Wrangler NFR qualifier Shelley Morgan of Eustace, Texas, had to say goodbye to her 7-year old gray gelding My Playboy Champ, better known as Short Go after an unfortunate happening prior to the final round of the San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo. Prior to the rodeo, Short Go kicked through the fence in the pen where he was being held, which resulted in his leg being stuck in an awkard position. As a result of the injury he had to be put down. Our thoughts are with Shelley and her family.

March 1 , 2010. Kenna Squires lost her beloved gelding Fire And Flit on Thursday, February 18, to colitis.

While Squires was competing in Kinder, La., a 4-year-old gelding that had remained at her home in Fredonia, Texas, came down with colitis and died. Fire And Flit, who had also stayed in Fredonia, later became ill and died suddenly. A third horse, a 2-year-old, is currently holding his own against the disease.

Affectionately known as "Little Bit," Fire And Flit was the "old warrior" of Squires' talented stable. The 10-year-old gelding was by legendary sire Fire Water Flit out of the blue hen mare My Easter Flame, by Flaming Jet. He was bred by National Finals Rodeo qualifier and longtime family friend Shanna Bush, daughter of legends Wanda and Stanley Bush.

Little Bit ran out more than $100,000 in his career, with more than $90,000 of that total accounted for in Equi-Stat, the statistical division of Cowboy Publishing Group.

"He was the one that got us started in the futurities," said Brad, who was a fixture at her side throughout this horrible ordeal. "She used to rodeo, and that all changed with Little Bit."

The tough Palomino gelding also won his share of rodeo money, placing at such rodeos as Pecos, Texas; Dodge City, Kansas; and Greeley, Colo. Little Bit also held the arena record in Reliant Stadium until 2008. Savanah (Koenig) Reeves had borrowed him for Rodeo Houston.

"He was a special little guy," said Brad. "He was part of the family."

Fire And Flit, 2000-2010

February 22, 2010. WPRA member, Carol Chesher, recently had back surgery to repair a disc. She will be rehabilitating and recovering for at least 3 to 6 months. She rides an impressive On the Money Red gelding, Glory Divine. And she campaigns a Bullys On Fire gelding, Redemptive Fire, that placed in the Old Fort Days Derby Finals a couple of years ago. Carol has been my traveling partner as well as Jean Winters'. Cards or encouragement could be sent to Carol Chesher, P.O. Box 956, Stratford, TX, 79084. Thanks for your consideration, always racing, Tamara Hammons-Reinhardt, Canadian, TX 806-664-2607.

January 3, 2010. As I am sure many of you know, Kim Ulbright has tragically lost her husband Don . I apologize for not posting anything sooner. I wanted to wait until everyone that needed to be contacted was contacted. Thank you for that respect of privacy.

The funeral arrangements are:

Visitation Monday the 4th from 5 to 8 pm at
Champions Cowboy Church
28155 Kickapoo Rd
Hockley, Texas 77447

Services will be Tues the 5th at 11 am at the Champion Cowboy Church. Graveside service at the family cemetery off Goodson Loop. Please come to the Ulbricht home following the graveside services to continue our celebration of the life of our Uncle Don. BJ Services - Don's coworkers - have been a blessing to Kim and want to provide lunch for all of you afterwards.

In lieu of any flowers - Kim has asked that donations be made to Champions Cowboy Church Building Fund (use same address as above). Please make notation in memory of Don Ulbricht. This was something very special to Don.

Please fell free to come by the house and visit with her, she needs all her friends to help her through this.

Lois Ferguson
Texas WPRA Director
254-744-2878

January 3, 2010. Fischer Hopes to Add a Texas Year-End Circuit Title to her Resume... It's hard to believe that anything could be missing from Tammy Fischer's resume. The Ledbetter, Texas cowgirl has taken the professional rodeo barrel racing world by storm since bursting on the scene in 2002-that year, she made a memorable Wrangler NFR appearance with super horse Easy Dash Oak, "Roundpen," winning five of ten go rounds and setting an arena record.

Fischer has racked up wins from Reno, Nev., to Odessa, Texas, from Hermiston, Ore., to Houston, and made her way to five Wrangler NFR's. She has made nine Texas Circuit Finals appearances, winning the average twice (2001-2002). After knocking on the door for several years, in 2009 she claimed the championship at the world renowned Calgary Stampede, a win worth over $100K.

One of the few things missing from the former librarian's full rodeo resume is a Texas Circuit championship.

"I have been second and third but never won the year end title," says Fischer. That could all change as Fischer leads a tough contingent of WPRA barrel racers into the Dodge Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo into the Heart of Texas Fair Complex in Waco January 7-9, 2010.

Fischer started her 2009 season with a bang, winning the average and nearly $8K at Odessa. The win was Fischer's favorite within her circuit this season.

"I had never won it before," she says. The win at Odessa came aboard Roundpen, now 14. The tough gelding by Victory Dash has found his way to the winner's circle at barrel races for 10 years now, winning $120K in his first year of competition which included a win at the World Championship Barrel Futurity in Oklahoma City by three tenths of a second over future WPRA/AQHA Barrel Horse of the Year, Top Tally.

Aboard Roundpen in 2009, Fischer collected checks at Rodeo Austin, Gladewater, Lufkin, Fort Worth, and Bay City to sprint out to the lead with $33,275 won in Texas alone. The horse trainer and clinician leads fellow Wrangler NFR qualifier Cassie Moseley by just over $3,000 going into the Texas CFR.

She will be fighting for her first Texas Championship without her championship partner: Roundpen went out with an injury in September and is not expected back in action until March. Fischer will call on the services of her young back-up, Money. Registered as MP Quick Money, Money made eight runs at the Wrangler NFR and will be bearing the weight of the championship run in Waco.

"We'll see if we can get him settled down a bit after the Finals," Fischer laughs. "I ran him at the World Barrel Racing Productions finals (also held in Waco) and he finished 10th out of like 3,000 runners. So he's done good there in the past."

Fischer won about $10,000 nationally on Money in 2009 and has collected over $5,000 for the 2010 season on the big grey.

Winning in the massive Texas Circuit is quite an accomplishment.

"It's like hauling for the NFR," Fischer says,"Texas is so big with 99 rodeos."

Fischer, who is sponsored by Wrangler, Ariat, Nutrena, Wildfire Trailers, Western Hauler, Impact Gel, PRO, Equifitness, Luann's Leathers, Sports Saddles, Soft Ride Boots, will face tough competition in Waco. In addition to Moseley, eight other past and current NFR qualifiers will compete including WPRA World Champs Brittany Pozzi and Lindsay Sears.

The Texas Championship would be icing on a bittersweet year for Fischer. She lost her son Riley Key in an automobile accident in June which claimed the lives of two of Riley's friends as well. Riley had just graduated high school.

In his memory, Fischer set up the Riley Key Memorial Scholarship which is being funded by proceeds from barrel races and sales of t-shirts, bracelets, and hooded sweatshirts. Visit Fischer's website for more information and to make a purchase or donation, www.tammykey.com. In addition, Martha and R.E. Josey have established a Junior World Champion Scholarship to be given in Riley's honor to the 2010 Junior Champion of the Josey Junior World Championships, a title Riley won aboard Roundpen back in 2003.

by Jolee Lautaret

December 29, 2009. I feel like it's been forever since I wrote a column and I hate it. I know that I missed out on the WPRA finals and the NFR, but I do have a fairly good excuse. I started having some trouble with my pregnancy at the end of October which resulted in about two weeks on and off in the hospital, but this isn't a sad story because on December 3rd it was all over and I had a perfectly healthy 5lb 6 oz baby boy - Colt Douglas Carpenter. Myself, my husband John Clay, and my other baby Luke could not be prouder.

Ok so back to business! Hats off to the committee of the Ft. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo for giving everyone the chance to compete this year. As everyone knows, this is the way San Angelo runs their rodeo, as well. This is so great and important. These are two rodeos that add a lot of money and open the doors for rookies or ladies that weren't in the top 50 last year to possibly make the NFR in 2010. The Ft. Worth Stock show and rodeo also won the best footing award this year. There is something to be said about keeping the ground even for 20-plus performances. This is also true of San Angelo. When 200 girls run the barrels in one day and you have to drag an area 20 times chances of ground conditions changing are quite high, but when fast times are run at the beginning and the end you know that you got a fair shot. I bet that San Angelo wasn't far down the best footing award list.

Congratulations to Brittany Pozzi on her World Championship. This was the toughest race for the World Title in a long time. I think it came down to a few one hundredths of a second!?!?!

It was so nice that the NFR came on a little earlier than it has in previous years. Although all of the other events get a commentator that actually has competed in that event, Butch Knowles does a very good job with the play by play of the barrel race.

The WPRA Texas Circuit face book page now has 222 members. People are now posting pictures and doing a little bit of advertising on the page. If you are looking for a gift for your horse this Christmas, Dick Huntzinger has posted pictures and information about an Equisports massager on the page. You should be able to contact him directly from the face book page.

The WPRA finals in Tulsa OK were a big success this year again. Congratulations to Jackie Hobbs, of Abilene on her success in the roping events.

Be sure and read the Spotlight on Rules section on the WPRA website. Some changes have been made that could possibly result in fines and nobody likes fines.

January is right around the corner and you don't even have to leave Texas to get a good start on the 2010 season. All card holders are eligible to enter Odessa and Ft. Worth so enter up and let's see some more new faces at the 2010 NFR.

I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Cassidy Carpenter