On paper the race for the Turquoise Circuit championship during the Ram Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo looked like it could be a one woman show. Three-time and reigning WPRA World Champion Sherry Cervi led the field by about $1,500. During the late 1990's, Cervi dominated the Turquoise Circuit, rattling off seven straight championships.

But Cervi's last title came in 2000 and a pair of contenders--2010 Turquoise Circuit Rookie of the Year Kelly Waide and 21-time RTCFR qualifier Dolli Lautaret--was hoping to move ahead of the champ to claim their own titles.

Cervi led the circuit during the regular season from wire-to-wire, seizing the lead with a reserve championship at the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque in September of 2010 to start the year. Because of the dates of the RTCFR in early October, the circuit's cut-off date is in early September, making Albuquerque the first rodeo of the year for Turquoise Circuit cowgirls.

Cervi was seeking a return to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City following a good showing there in 2010; she claimed the Reserve Championship. Cervi has made the RNCFR 10 times in the past, winning the championship in 2000. Winning the circuit championship would be icing on the cake.

"I wanted to make it back to Oklahoma City," she said. "Fortunately it worked out."

The RTCFR was once again held in conjunction with the Southern New Mexico State Fair in Las Cruces, N.M., September 29 through October 1.

Riding first in the opening go round, Cervi piloted Stingray - MP Meter My Hay - through the pattern in a quick time of 15.94 seconds. Waide followed on Hummer, a 15-year old gelding registered as Zee Slash Cash. She stopped the clock in 16.15.

Riding Down Home Daisy, a 6-year old dun mare, Lautaret was next, taking the go round win with a 15.81. Her time would hold up as the rodeo's fastest run.

In go two, Cervi ran last but still clocked in at 16.10, good enough for second behind last minute replacement Jordan Bassett. Bassett borrow Poppys the Daddy, a son of PESI stallion, the late Dash ta Fame, from New Mexico cowgirl Susan Siggins. Bassett was 16.05. Cervi's chase for her first circuit title in 11 years began to look inevitable after Lautaret fell from contention with a penalty and Waide failed to cash a check in the round.

With less than ideal ground conditions, several horses had trouble slipping and sliding. In fact, by day three, three barrel racers were forced to turn out due to soreness of their horses. Recognizing the problem, the committee tried to correct it for the final round.

In the tough conditions, the experience of Stingray and Cervi shined through. The 9-year old mare by PESI stallion PC Frenchmans Hayday (Dinero) out of Miss Meter Jet was recently voted by the top 30 WPRA barrel racers as the AQHA/WPRA Horse of the Year. Stingray is now the first of Cervi's three World Champion horses to be so honored.

"I'm still a little in shock," Cervi laughed. "It's such a cool award because it's voted on by your peers. There are so many tough horses out there these days that I feel fortunate to win it."

In the final round, Lautaret rebounded and capitalized on top of the ground, posting a 16.23. Bassett and Cervi would push her time, posting 16.24 and 16.29 respectively, but Lautaret would hold on for her second round win. Waide won the final spot in the third go round.

Solid through three runs, Cervi and Stingray took home the average win by two tenths ahead of Bassett.

"It was a good barrel race. I was happy with the way Stingray worked and I'm glad it all worked out," said Cerv, who is sponsored by Classic Equine, Martin Saddlery, Toyota, Justin Boots, Western Hauler, Resistol, Renew Gold, Silver Lining, Fiddler's Trailers, and Daily 72.

Cervi swept to her eighth Turquoise championship and will make her 11th appearance at the RNCFR next April.

Joining Cervi in Oklahoma City is Waide. With two round checks and a third place finish in the average, she collected $1,742, enough to hold off Lautaret to finish as the reserve champion.

For Cervi, her title was earned on the backs of two of her homegrown horses, products of her father Mel Potter's breeding program. In addition to Stingray, Cervi captured two circuit rodeo titles on another get of Dinero: MP A Man with Roses, better known as George. Cervi piloted the lanky gelding to a pair of wins during the Safford (Arizona) Rodeo series in May.

With all of the championships to her credit, there is still one title that Cervi has not won: her hometown rodeo, La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson. She says that's her favorite circuit rodeo, just up the road from her Marana home.

"I've never won Tucson, so that is definitely something I would love to do before I am done."

Cervi had high praise for her home circuit as well. "We have a good circuit. We have a lot of really good committees who try hard for the barrel racers; they try to make their ground conditions good. They keep making their rodeos better."

Six contestants cashed checks from the Ram Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo: Cervi, $4,067; Bassett, $3,631; Lautaret, $2,324; Waide, $1,743; Denise Chambliss, $1,017; and Carly Todd, $290.

Ram Turquoise Circuit Finals
Las Cruces, N.M., Sept. 29-Oct. 1

First round: 1. Dolli Lautaret, 15.81 seconds, $1,162; 2. Sherry Cervi, 15.94, $871; 3. Kelly Waide, 16.15, $581; 4. Jordan Bassett, 16.29, $290. Second round: 1. Jordan Bassett, 16.05 seconds, $1,162; 2. Sherry Cervi, 16.10, $871; 3. Denise Chambliss, 16.36, $581; 4. Carly Todd, 16.43, $290. Third round: 1. Dolli Lautaret, 16.23 seconds, $1,162; 2. Jordan Bassett, 16.24, $871; 3. Sherry Cervi, 16.29, $581; 4. Kelly Waide, 16.39, $290. Average: 1. Sherry Cervi, 48.33 seconds on three runs, $1,743; 2. Jordan Bassett, 48.58, $1,307; 3. Kelly Waide, 49.05, $871; 4. Denise Chambliss, 49.29, $436.