ProRodeo Sports News - October 18, 2019

TEAM ROPING-HEADING Horse: Jewels Smoke Screen “Smoke” Owner: Brad Lands Riders: Tate Kirchenschlager Key 2019 wins: San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo Why the horse is great: Smoke hit the ProRodeo scene in the spring of 2018. Now 12 years old, this 15.1-hands-tall, 1,200-pound gelding American Quarter Horse has caught the eye of ropers and spectators alike. Kirchenschlager bought him about four years ago and will be making his Wrangler NFR debut with Smoke. Hear it from Tate: “I wouldn’t say he works better than any other horse, but he catches your eye. He’s a pretty horse and scores good and runs hard and can really run. He just looks cool when he runs, and he can really go. He stands out at the longer-score rodeos – he scores good and can pull the steer. He’s a stout-made horse. It feels good to make the Finals, but to get the Horse of the Year with a horse that you worked with through his whole career feels good. I honestly didn’t think he would win head horse of the year – I was pretty excited and shocked really. He has a good personality. He is a little bit watchy, but he is a bit of a one-person horse. ... He’s upbeat. If you turned him out in a pasture he would survive on his own and will find food and water on his own.” Hear it from Cole: “He always stays out of your way and never costs you anywhere. He’s pretty good-minded and doesn’t get too fired up about anything, scores good, stays on the ground all the time and stays out of my way in the arena. He’s always been a good fit for me. He never cost me anywhere, and I cost myself enough, so if we’re both costing me then we won’t win anything. He’s really laid back and doesn’t get fired up about anything. He just likes to eat and hang out, so when we practice, he gets through it, but he’s more excited about being done.” Owner: Dixon Flowers QH Riders: Billie Jack Saebens Key 2019 wins: Rooftop Rodeo (Estes Park, Colo.), Lawton (Okla.) Rangers Rodeo, Gooding (Idaho) Pro Rodeo Why the horse is great: In her first year of ProRodeo competition, this 1,100-pound, 9-year-old mare proved that good things come in small packages, standing at 14.2 hands tall. Hear it from Billie Jack: “She’s easy and adapts to every situation and is as good in smaller setups as she is in longer deals. That’s a hard transition to make, but she’s super adaptable. We did the right thing by her to let her mature and get ready to go and used to being hauled around. She was incredible to begin with, and we took the right steps in her training. J.D. Yates had a good hand in her training, and then I put my own spin on a few things to make her fit me. With a great horse, you can tell by how they move and their presence. She was a good show horse, but I didn’t know how well she would adapt to rodeoing. She is the sweetest horse, especially if she has a buddy. Kids can ride her, anyone can ride her. I was excited for her owners and her, too. I’m proud to be riding her.” STEER ROPING Horse: Mr. Blackburn Chex 113 “Dunny” Owner: Rocky Patterson Riders: Cole Patterson, Rocky Patterson Key 2019 Wins: Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo (Rosenberg, Texas) Why the horse is great: Dunny made his ProRodeo debut along with Cole Patterson, the 2019 Steer Roping Rookie of the Year. At 14.2 hands tall, this 1,100-pound, 9-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding is easygoing outside the arena and pulls a 180 when it’s time to compete. TEAM ROPING-HEELING Horse: DT Sugar Chex Whiz “Sugar”

Kent Soule photo

Stu Hagen photo

Billie-Jean Duff photo

ProRodeo Sports News 10/18/2019

ProRodeo.com

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