Sanger, Calif., cowgirl Hannah
Steagall waits for the second round
of competition in the Sherry Cervi
Championship. Hannah was the
champion in the 12 & Under.

Barrel Racers
Brave The Elements
At Spring Run Classic

By Jaime Hinton
Special To Ropers Sports News

      If there is a lesson to be learned from the Spring Run Classic held April 13-15 in Ceres, Calif., it is that Mother Nature darn sure has her own agenda.
     Contestants from Arizona, California, Nevada and Oregon started pulling in on the Tuesday of the second week of April to Shane and Kim Parson’s Diamond Bar Arena for the 5th Annual Spring Run Classic and Sherry Cervi West Coast Youth Championships.

Spring Run Classic Open 1D Average winners were Cheri Graves (7th), Angie Hardin (2) and champion, Lita Scott, pictured with her daughter Stevie Mae Scott. (Photo by Gene McFerran/Capture Photography) 

The weather forecast predicted stormy days with continued rainfall, thunderstorms and even tornado warnings! If you’ve ever been to Diamond Bar Arena, you will know that the big sandy outdoor pen can handle a lot of water; however, it was definitely unprepared for the river of rainfall that blasted central California Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Starting Wednesday night, Shane Parson and crew were running vacuum pumps and frantically pulling tarps over the big arena. By Thursday, rigs were being towed in and out of the driveway but the pastures were full of parked contestants tying up EZ Up tents for their horses and preparing to make the best of it. Friday morning had Shane and his posse standing in the middle of Diamond Bar’s new dressage arena, scratching their heads and wondering if it were possible to convert the new arena into barrel racing pandemonium in less than an hour. Workers started tearing down the dressage court as an electrician was called to get power supplied to the makeshift timers stand on the west side of the new pen. The sorting pens were torn apart and stretched into a new fence and banners hung across panels thrown up between the arena and the almond trees. Barrel racers watched as the driest piece of land on the Diamond Bar property was converted into West Coast Barrel Racing Arena in a manner of minutes.

     147 open barrel racers broke in the new ground in Friday’s open race. Lita Scott, from Reno Nevada posted the winning time on the short pattern with a 16.439 on her great little sorrel horse, Julie. The open was followed by the first round of the 4th Annual Sherry Cervi West Coast Youth Championships at 7 p.m. 135 contestants making up two age divisions (12 & Under, 13-17) compete for 8 Crown C Trophy Saddles, $2,500 added cash, and thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes. Before the first round grey skies and thunder clouds threatened to put a damper on the evening activities but 100+ smiling faces topped with cowboy hats and high expectations lined up to meet 3 time World Champion Sherry Cervi and receive their Cowgirl Tuff Contestant Bags. Any person watching would have been rewarded with the sight of young people meeting a truly positive role model, willing to donate her time, effort and expertise to what has rapidly become one of the best youth events on the west coast.
     Saturday Mother Nature weakened a little but contestants stayed in new arena for both the first round of the Jud Little sponsored Futurity and the second round of the Spring Run open race. Jolee Lauteret from Kingman Arizona aboard Classy Rose Bug won both rounds of the Futurity and the Championship. She was also awarded a Farnam Gift Basket, courtesy of Farnam Horse Health and Steve Nash. Arizona continued its winning streak with Prescott resident Sarah Kieckhefer and her electric bay gelding, Stingray Booger. The duo smoked off a 16.221 to win the open at the end of the day before they loaded up and headed back home.
     The second round of the youth championships found itself back in the big arena as Shane’s tarps, pumps, mass tractoring and possibly some prayers, had paid off. The second round was wickedly fast and doubly exciting as contestants set their sights on eight Crown C Saddles donated by; Parson Commodities, Potter Ranch, Jud Little Ranch, Renew Gold, Aldren Brothers, Hotline Construction, Equibrand/Classic Equine and Beard’s Quality Nut.
     After posting a 17.681 on a standard pattern, Cassidy Cook (Clovis, CA) walked away with a new Resistol Black Gold Cowboy hat, the Championship saddle and the title of the 2012 12 & Under Youth 1D Champion. Cassidy also was the high money winning youth and won a Chavez belt buckle donated from Protint (Glen Keenom and Berta Richardson) from Modesto. Caitlyn Wood (Cotati, CA) won both 3rd in the 1D average and also won the 2D saddle with her two horses. Hannah Steagall (Sanger, CA) and her fancy paint horse, Tinks’ Jazzy Reed won the 3D Crown C and Cheyann Hughes (Hilmar, CA) and Nitro rode off with the 4D Championship.
Arizona struck gold again with Lake Mehalic and Raisen. The pair won the 13-17 age division and received a 20X Black Gold Resistol Cowboy Hat and a brand new Crown C 1D Championship saddle. The 2D was won by Emily Roesset (Brentwood, CA) and Smokum Satin. Kaitlyn Lane (Sanger, CA) and Darlin’ Max took home the 3D title, and Katie Price (Lemoore, CA) aboard Bare Lee Bar were all grins as their names were called out as the 4D Champions.
     The Saturday night awards ceremony was something to see as Sherry Cervi, Corlanne Shewmaker, Jeye Johnson of Equibrand, Kathy Branco and Shane Parson handed out dozens of average awards and lined up contestants for win pictures. Proud parents snapped shots and shook hands as contestants climbed aboard their new saddles, rummaged around in their Buck Fart n Run Horse Cookie Award Bags, or eyed one another’s Classic Equine merchandise.
     The “save our lives” announcer Taffy Stansbury (thank you a thousand times over) started the last day of the Spring Run by finishing up the futurity and rolling right into the last day of the open race. 198 contestants cruised the big pattern Sunday but none faster than Rachael Myllymaki Boyle on her big yellow horse, Custer. The pair posted a 17.010 at the end of the day to wrap up a whirlwind weekend of barrel racing at Diamond Bar. The three day average saw Lita Scott and her sorrel horse Julie at the top of the podium, while Waterford resident Sandy Wall won the 2D riding Heza Haulin’ Cash. The Steagall family from Sanger, CA cashed in again as mom, Michelle won the 3D average with Mailman, and Awesome Sugar Bars with jockey John Algire took home the open 4D average title.
     As the last rig rolled out of Diamond Bar arena Sunday night, the lights were turned off and the gates swung shut, no one could accuse Shane & Kim Parson, the crew of Diamond Bar Arena, sponsors, contestants, volunteers or anyone involved in the barrel race of not giving 100% to put on a first class production. Mother Nature might not have received the good weather memo, but with over $50,000 cash in payout, thousands of dollars of awards and plenty of happy contestants, the 2012 Spring Run Classic was definitely a success.
     Complete results can be seen at www.westcoastbarrelracing.com.

Bobbie Rideout, Grants Pass, Ore., riding My Sue City Sue, was the winner of the first go-round of the Sherry Cervi 12 & Under.