Rodeo Interviews

Jolee what are your plans for the 2010 season and who will be in the trailer?
I plan to mostly retire Belle this coming season but I do plan to run her some places, like Tucson, where she has excelled in the past.  But she won’t be hauling full time.  We are going to take the futurity horses and start them at the rodeos, mostly in the circuit, and get the two year olds trained and start taking them to the jackpots for time onlys.  That is a time consuming process, especially for us as there are no jackpots closer than about three hours from the house.  Rodeo time will be pretty limited, just hoping to make the CFR.  I did qualify for the Dodge National CFR this year so we will go to Pocatello in April.  I am so excited for that, it is an awesome rodeo, one of my favorites.  I am not sure who I will run but it will be a good time regardless.

Is there any type of snack food, you all like to have in the trailer when you get ready to leave for the rodeo?
 I can drive a million miles with a bag of cheddar Chex mix.  That stuff is addicting.  I really try to avoid junk food but I do like an occasion candy bar.  And bananas, we eat lots of those on the road.

We generally try to eat at least one good meal a day, solid, non-fast food.  Then we can go with a pb&j or something like that for a snack.

What advice would each of you give someone starting out in rodeo?
It’s so tough out there, and so expensive.  I see lots of barrel racers get a horse going good and get excited about trying to haul and make the NFR.  They go hard in the winter and get their horses sore and themselves broke .  Their confidence bottoms out.  I think the best thing someone starting out can do is find someone they trust who has been there, done that to give them some guidance.  A veteran can lower your stress by helping you with where to go, where to keep horses, what a particular arena is like, and helping you pick the right rodeos to enter.  I think the key to success is picking your situations.  Some horses can handle all ground and all conditions but most are stronger in certain set ups.  Just because your horse might have trouble with the ground in Denver or doesn’t run good in wide open arenas like Tucson, for example, doesn’t mean you can’t be successful in plenty of other places.  I think if you have someone helping you out so you don’t have to do so much trial and error to figure out where you can have the most success, that can be a huge advantage to your animal’s heath and to your own pocketbook. 

Could you take a moment and tell us about your experience about the WPRA Finals this year!
The Finals this year was kinda tough for us.  Mom had a brain tumor removed about a month prior to the Finals and she wasn’t able to ride during that time.  I was actually just happy that we were there, together, and she was able to ride and rope.  The past three years we have been very involved in the production of the Finals, as I was a director of the WPRA, so it was so stressful, hoping everything came together the right way. It was nice to go this year and just be a competitor.

I ran Daisy and finished fifth in the futurity, which was awesome.  She really worked great.  Mom and Sophie entered the Finals just one point behind the leader for the year end title but had some tough luck with runs that weren’t quite quick enough.  I know, had they been at full strength, they would have been tough to beat for the championship. But I also believe they are champions anyway, just being there and competing given the situation.

We placed in a round of the roping, which was awesome.  We didn’t get to practice together at all for six weeks prior to competition and I only roped a few days during that time.  Plus, I was riding a colt—it was only his second time away from home so there were lots of challenges there.  Certainly not the ideal situation coming into a yearend event, but we did alright for the circumstances.  I am proud of us!

Be sure and visits Jolee’s website! http://www.gojolee.com/

We would like to give a HUGE thanks to Jolee for taking the time to be a part of OTRR!! Good Luck this season Jolee!

Do of you take any down time throughout the year? If so what do you enjoy doing, outside of the arena?
With all the horses at home, “down time” is tough to find.  We live close to Las Vegas so sometimes my fiancée and I will ease up there and have a nice dinner and hang out.  At home I like to read and watch movies.  We also like to catch NCIS and Law & Order on tv.  We try to take a real vacation every year – last year, we went on a cruise, which was a lot of fun and very relaxing.

Do you have any younger horses you are seasoning right now…if so, tell us a little about them?
We have lots of young horses right now – in fact, we have Belle and Twinkie, who will be eighteen next year, and then it goes to a six year old.  We have two super nice futurity horses this year, Sophie and Daisy, that Mom trained.  They will start easing into rodeos next year.  Mom actually ran Sophie at some rodeos this year, including the CFR.  Sophie is five and out of Other Brotha Daryl, by Clabber Pinto.  Daisy is out of a Down Home Dash daughter.  Both have tons of ability and Mom has done a phenomenal job training them.  We are really excited about the future with these two.

We have a three year old out of Frenchmans Guy that we will probably wait to futurity until she is five.  And we have two really nice two year olds.  Mayday is out of Sticks an Stones, like Belle, and is also a half sister to the Frenchmans Guy filly.  Their mom is Easy Jet-Bugs Alive bred and was a great horse for us, we headed and ran barrels on her.  The other two year old, Rosie, is out of Blushing Bug and a daughter of Dash ta Fame.  Both the two year olds are very athletic and we think they will make super barrel horses.  So, we may have three futurity horses in 2011.

What must be in the truck before you pull out to head down the road?
The dogs – we can’t get out of the driveway without ‘em.

Do you have any superstitions?
No hats on the bed, no fifty dollar bills in your pocket (that’s not tough!!!)  That’s about all.

Jolee, when it comes to hauling your horses, what is the one thing they cant do without?
We always hang water buckets for them in the trailer.  We pack their vitamins, grain, and hay from home.  We usually can’t find good alfalfa when hauling like we have at the house.  We also always bring blankets, heavy and lighter ones so there is a choice if the weather gets cooler.

**Be sure and check out her website at http://gojolee.com

Jolee of all the rodeos you attend a year, is there one you look forward to the most?

I would have to say Salinas for a number of reasons.  First, the committee there is so good to the contestants; it makes it nice to go.  Second, you make three go rounds and possible a fourth with the short go so you get to hang out there in one place and it’s almost like a vacation.  The last few years, my fiancé Allan Jordan was judging the rodeo, so it meant time to spend with him, which is in short supply during the summer when we are both on the road quite a lot.  The weather is great and the conditions are good for the barrel racers – you don’t have to worry that you’ll make the long drive and the ground will be bad or things like that.

I always love going to Pendleton, though we don’t go every year due to the distance from home.  That is just one of the most fun barrel races you can compete in.  Who wouldn’t love getting to just run that much?

Williams, Arizona was a favorite of mine, but it is no longer a pro rodeo.  But they were also wonderful to the contestants and really took care of the ground.

Jolee I noticed you are going to sell 2 Embryos from Belle, tell us about Belle, and your relationship with her, and how you came to this decision?

Belle is an awesome mare and I just love her.  She can be challenging but I think that makes the wins more special.  She definitely has her own opinion on things and makes me work.  She is out of the great sire Sticks an Stones and a half thoroughbred mare so she can really run.  She is AAA rated on the track and has her AQHA Register of Merit for Racing.  Her speed has won me lots of barrel races.  She is so athletic and doesn’t always make the prettiest turns, but she can turn as quick as anyone.  I have run sixteen second patterns on standard sets and won in little buildings like at the NFR.  She is very versatile that way.  And, especially when she was younger, she could stand up on anything, which is exactly what you need to rodeo.  She very rarely slipped and only fell once, at Ellensburg.  She has a ton of heart and is a very gutsy mare.

I didn’t get her until she was eight.  She had been on the track until the age of five and then sold to be used for calf roping.  I have often thought how much I would have loved to get her as a young horse and be able to put my own foundation into her.  Unfortunately, when you buy an older horse, there is a certain amount of old habits and things they were taught prior to you with which you are dealing.  She has so many great traits to her, that I have always wanted to raise some babies and see how those abilities pass to the next generation and to have the chance to start them in our program, and therefore, not be dealing with anyone else’s issues.  In hindsight, I wish I had pulled an embryo or two back when she was still running full time because the babies would be old enough to be competing now, but it just wasn’t on my radar at the time.  I am hoping we can put a few out there now and I can get one too.  Because of her age, I know we are limited in the number of babies we might be able to get now.  I would love to see several Belle babies competing and winning in the future.

Jolee since you have qualified for 3 NFR’s is there one run that sticks out to you?

There actually are several runs that I remember.  I was lucky enough to win two go rounds in my three trips there, so both of those runs are special to me.  The first, round 7 in 2002, I won on my Mom’s horse Twinkie.  Belle wasn’t right that year so I got on him in the fourth go.  It was tough to get off my main horse and then, in the sixth round, Twinkie propped me going into the second barrel and I nearly fell off.  I was so embarrassed!  Then, we came back and won the round the next night.  That was cool.

I won the second go in 2003 on Belle.  I was so excited so win one on her.  She was doing so well that year, and to win one on my number one horse was fun.  She ran a 13.7 that night, which was just a few one hundredths off the arena record at that time.  To do that that early in the rodeo was unusual and very cool.

The last run I made at the Finals, tenth go in 2004, is another I will remember and cherish.  That year, Belle was off her game a bit and not clocking good in the rounds.  We had made nine clean runs that year so I knew if I could get through that tenth go, I was going to win a good average check.  When she took off in the lane, I hung up my belt buckle to the saddle horn!  I was stuck over the front end all the way into and around the first barrel and I was just sure I was going to screw up nine go’s worth of work.  Luckily, I came loose between first and second and finished the run cleanly.  For anyone to make it clean ten runs in a row in that set up is quite an accomplishment.  I took a lot of pride in it, because Belle was always tough to get through clean indoors; her big stride into the turns often put me by enough to drag the barrels leaving the turn.  At any rate, that run was an adventure, and the accomplishment of a big goal for me.

Full name, Event and Circuit?

Kristen Roby
Barrel Racing
Great Lakes Circuit

When did you get into rodeo and what brought you to this great sport?
In 1990, I went to TX for 6 weeks with my cousin; while I was there my parents purchased a mare for me, Little Miss Bambi “Bonnie”, that a girl was currently rodeoing on. When I got her, we hit the road and never looked back. 

Tell us about your rodeo horses, and how long you have had them?

 -Little Miss Bambi is now retired, she was 16 when we bought her and is now 34, she is older than I am. She enabled me to do so many things and win so much.  She taught me so much, she was always all business in and out of the arena. I am just so lucky to have her.

-Slightly Smashed “the Roan Ranger” is 16 and is such a fun horse to be around. He has so much personality and really does love his job. He seems to love both big and small pens and loves hard ground where he can drag his ass and slide around a barrel.

-Dancin With Drums is out of Little Miss Bambi and I just started hauling him last year. He is like her in so many ways, if I can just get him handling bad ground. He slips a lot if the ground is not perfect. I think since we have been going to so many futurities the ground is always good, so that’s all he knows. He has really big shoes to fill, but he currently wears a size 5…lol

-First Down Guy is our 4 yr old futurity colt that Brian is currently running. He will be turning over the reins after the OKC Barrel Futurity in December. He loves big pens and is a 4 wheel drive kinda horse, just like most of the FG’s. He has a lot of moves like NFR qualifier Jordan Peterson’s current mount, Frenchmans Jester. Hopefully he will take to rodeos as well as he has.

What are your accomplishments in the rodeo arena?
I have placed at many IRA and RCA rodeos. 
WPRA Divisional Tour Finalist
2006 Worlds Toughest Bulls & Broncs -2nd in Year End Standings 
Open Rodeo Circuit Champion

A lot of my time was spent horse showing at futurities and AQHA shows when I was younger
1991 Won AQHA High Point Honor Roll Barrel Racing in Sr and Youth Barrels
2x All American Quarter Horse Congress Champion

What are your 2010 goals both in and out of the arena?I would really like to season out our 4yr old FG and take him to the rodeo arena by the middle of the year, hopefully hitting some of the big outdoor pens. I would also like to take Ranger to the Longhorn rodeos this winter, then on to the circuit rodeos to try to win enough to qualify for circuit finals. I don’t want to hit every rodeo, but try to make the ones that I do go to count.

Who are your sponsors going into the 2010 season?
Total Health Enhancement has been behind me since 2005. I am certain that T.H.E. is one of the main reasons my horses stay sound and healthy going up and down the road. FlamOxide, which is THE’s joint product, keeps Ranger at the top of his game.

I understand you are a sales rep for THE, how did you come to use their products?
I had read about their products on Barrel Horse World, then my retired mare Bonnie was chased into a fence by a coyote. About where she is branded on the right side, she had a straight line gash split open about 10″ long. I took her to the vet and they stitched her up but said it probably wouldn’t hold. Said she needed to be stalled-up for 12 weeks, which is very hard on a 30 yr old mare at the time. I started her on T.H.E.’s NutraWound, 2 doses daily. Six weeks later all but 4 stitches had busted, but she was healed up and back outside. T.H.E. healed her up in half the time and her scar is barely noticable. This is when I became a believer in T.H.E. products and have been product loyal ever since!

What is your favorite rodeo of the season?
My favorite rodeo is actually a local open rodeo in my family’s hometown, Bardstown KY. They have a Beauty(Barrels) and the Beast(Bulls) during their county fair. This is one of the few times that my grandmothers and aunts are able to come and watch, so it means a lot to have my family there. Ranger seems to love the pen as well. He is great in arenas that are blind to the first barrel. This is one of those arenas and he has won this B&B the last 3 years.

I also love Sikeston, Kansas City, and Dodge City. These are all great rodeos and I can’t wait to go this year.

How would you describe yourself?
Driven!  I am very disciplined when it comes to my horses. I want them to have every opportunity to be the best. I like to have fun and I want my horses to have fun and love their job.

What is something you cant live without while out on the road?
My dogs. Dax is my 13 yr old Shiapoo and Pepper is my mini Aussie. They have been many, many miles, more than most people.
The Radio (my iPod), I love music and love to sing while driving.
Flip Flops, I love warm weather and love having on my flip flops, so there are always a few pairs in the trailer
For the horses: Poultice, and my Soft Rides. I think they have made a world of difference in Ranger. He still feels good after being in the trailer many hours.

Do you have any superstitions?
 I won’t lay a hat on the bed.

Who do you look up to in the rodeo arena?
I think those girls that always put the well being of their horses first. As well as the ones that only go to a certain number of rodeos and accomplish their goals without making it a trailer race.

Who inspired you to get involved in rodeo?
My cousin knew the caliber of horse my parents bought me and he urged me to get out there and go. In 1991, if you were east of the Mississippi River you mainly went to IRA rodeos, not RCA’s. I wish my family had known more about rodeo then. I was only 12 and I had the kind of horse that made it to the NFR.  I just wish we would have known to try back then.

Favorite Food?
I love American, Mexican, Italian, and Chinese. I am a pretty picky eater.  I love appetizers and I love to cook.

Other hobbies?
I love to snow ski. I am also pretty crafty, I paint western signs, make jewelry, etc. I love to try and make things that I have seen (that are too pricey).

What horses won a spot in your trailer for the 2010 year?
Ranger will definitely be in the trailer in 2010, as well as the FG to get seasoned out. We have 5 others, 3 open horses, a derby horse and a futurity colt to choose from depending on the arena size and type of ground.

How do you keep your mind right while out on the road?
Staying grounded is one of the hardest things to do. When I was young, I was told getting to “the top” is easy, it’s staying there that is hard. That is so true. I think when you get to the top you start relaxing and second guessing whether you need to keep doing the same things. I would always think if he’s winning I will let him rest and not school/tune on him today, he will be fresh and feel better with a little break. Now I don’t do that.  The hard work and tuning is the reason he is winning, so I try not to change my routine.

**Kristen will be checking back with us after her rodeos in 2010, so be sure to look for her updates!!

What are some of the obstacles that you face being the director for the GLC?
That’s a great question! It is very difficult to be both a barrel racer and a director! I have learned to handle both jobs but it has been very hard to do so. There are times when I am getting ready to barrel race and I am needed as a director. Many times people forget that I am there to compete like they are, and come up to me as I am getting ready to run and have questions. All I can say is that I have learned to multi-task very well!

What type of music do you listen to that pumps you up for your run? Do you have a theme song?
I really don’t listen to any certain type of music but I do have certain songs that remind me of how fun rodeoing is! I always get pumped at intermission listening to the music before the barrel race!

I know that most rodeo athletes try to eat healthy while out on the road, what do you grab for when you want to splurge?
Ha! Pepsi is my favorite but when I really splurge I get kwik Trip sugar cookies! Yummmm!

Do any of your horses that you are currently hauling have an annoying habits that drives you crazy?  
YES!!!!!! They all think they need to be together so when one leaves, they all throw a fit. Drives me CRAZY!!!!

When you are not doing something with your horses, what do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy spending time with my family! Evenings together watching TV and eating popcorn are what I call great fun! I also enjoy cooking! Yes cooking! I have stacks of cookbooks that I drag out every night and try to find something new to try!

OTRR would like to give a huge THANK YOU to Lisa Novak, for taking the time to be a part of our website!! We hope to have you back soon!

Chelsea in Egypt on the Great Pyramid of Giza in August 2008.

So, what are your favorite barrel racing jeans and why??

      Stetson! I’m addicted to them, but I ripped my favorite pair pretty badly when I had a horse fall on me at a rodeo a couple months ago. At the Congress, though, I bought a pair of Cowgirl Up jeans, and I’ve never owned them before. They fit awesome and I’m definitely digging them!

When you are out on the road with your ponies, what is something that has to be in the truck with you?

      My dog! I have a little heeler-mix that I don’t go anywhere without. That’s probably a pretty typical barrel racer’s answer, because I know I’ve done an interview with Natalie Overholt (IFR-winner), and she said the same thing. Otherwise, though, I usually don’t go to a rodeo without a bag of Doritos and Hostess chocolate covered donuts. It’s been a tradition since I was a kid.  

And your Favorite barrel racing saddle?

      My Dale Martin saddle is amazing. After riding other saddles at work or not riding for awhile, sitting on my old mare in that saddle feels like coming home. It’s just perfect. I also have an old smooth seat Circle Y that my trainer had custom made for her 20 years ago, and I’ve had it since I was 10. I love it, too!

Favorite rodeo/barrel race?

      I always have and always will love the BullRide Mania at Shartlesville, Penn. It’s held at Mountain Springs Arena and although the ground can vary, the pen is the perfect size and on a sunny day the sand lets the horses really fly. Great barrel racers always show up for the $500 added, and the party afterwards is always the best!

What are your goals for 2010 for your horses/barrel racing and your website?

      2010 is going to be all about moving and changing. My horses, boyfriend and I will be moving southwest (hopefully), and looking for a job in the equine journalism or public relations industry. So, after all of that real-life stuff, I really want my six-year-old to be running 1D. I’m going to take a hit this winter and haul as much as possible to get her seasoned so she’ll be ready for where ever I end up this time next year. As for the site, I am expanding and moving to a WordPress format so I can have different pages, and I am going to be writing some long features on keeping barrel horses healthy and on nailing your first barrel. I would love to get in touch with some more top Ohio and Pennsylvania barrel racers to interview, continuing to provide exposure to some barrel racing athletes that other publications and media outlets might miss.

Thanks so much Chelsea!!!

Don’t forget to visit her at The Barrel Racing Blog!

Also, Don’t forget to sign up for a FREE bag of  THE Daily Edge Supplement!!!!! Scroll down to learn more!! We draw a winner on Thursday!

Chelsea and Zippos Three Dee in June at NBHA Show

Thank you so much Chelsea for taking the time to sit down with OTRR and tell us about yourself and your website.

Okay,  start from the beginning, where are you from?

         I’m originally from a little town called Apollo, Penn., about 40 minutes east of Pittsburgh. I am currently in school in Athens, Ohio, at Ohio University’s Scripps School of Journalism.

 Did you grow up with barrel horses? Tell us a bit about your  background.

         That’s a good question. Kind of. I showed jumping ponies rather unsuccessfully from the time I was five until I was nine, and then I got a barrel pony. My parents are not horse people at all but did everything they could to help and got me the best trainer in the world (or so I think), Ginny Bowman. She trained a warn-out pleasure horse and made her into my first barrel horse, and that mare took me to five Congress placings and a lot of great rodeo wins. So, if growing up counts as running peewees, then no, but I did run as a youth. I also showed a little snaffle bit and even did some reining with an old roping horse we had.  

So I understand from your blog, that you have done a LOT of traveling….tell me the most exciting place you have been and why?

         The most exciting place – that’s really tough. My favorite place in the world is definitely South Africa. I spent two months there interning first at a communications firm in East London and then at a magazine in Cape Town. It was heaven on Earth – white sandy beaches, amazing mountains, wildlife and rolling hills. The people were amazing and welcoming, and the food was great. I was so comfortable there, it felt like home. But it’s hard to say that the rain forests of Borneo aren’t exciting, or the Great Pyramids of Giza aren’t the most amazing pieces of human work in the world.

I know on OTRR, we have some barrel racing fans, take this time to tell them about your site….we are a big fan!

         TheBarrelRacingBlog is more than just a general interest barrel racing site. It covers all levels of barrel racing, mainly in the Ohio and Pennsylvania region. It’s a site where you can see coverage of shows and rodeos that you can’t get anywhere else. I try very hard to get a good mix of shows and rodeo coverage (depending upon where I go that weekend with my own horses). I take photos of the ground and videos of runs so barrel racers can decide whether or not they would like to go to that show or rodeo the next time. The website also features extensive, five-part interviews with barrel racers that have something to offer to the regional audience. I’ve interviewed men and women, young and old about their backgrounds, training techniques, arena preferences and more. We also partner with NFR barrel racer Tana Poppino to get great insights from a real pro, and we follow her triumphs as she looks to make the NFR in 2010. 

So How many horses do you have and how many are you currently running? Do you travel a lot during the summer rodeoing/barrel racing?

         If you would have asked me this question last week, the answer would have been very different! I am down to one that is actually running and two that are retired. I’m running a six-year-old sorrel mare that’s actually a solid Appaloosa. Some might cringe at that, but she’s as red as can be with only a blaze, and she’s built so cute! I just decided last week that my 16-year-old black quarter horse mare should retire, but that’s the horse I ran most of the summer.

         I traveled a lot more when I was a teenager. I followed Dave Martin’s BullRide Mania tour and hauled all over the East Coast every week during the summer with that. This summer I stayed pretty much in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland rodeoing, but I’m definitely gone every weekend getting my horses out somewhere. We also hit a lot of ropings with my team roping boyfriend, who right now uses my six-year-old as his heel horse.

Stay tuned……………More to come from Chelsea! This is just Part 1! Please check her out at: The Barrel Racing Blog

From a fellow blogger, barrel racer, and journalist…..you will get to hear from this lovely lady in the morning… stay tuned!!