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EXTREME
COWBOY RACE
By Lenice Basham
Pair-A-Dice Mules
Belle, MO |
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Many of us have been watching Craig Cameron’s Extreme Cowboy Race from
the very beginning on RFD-TV. We have watched Ty Murray ride a colt in
only a halter and lead rope, Jerry Diaz do unbelievable roping, and
every day working cowboys ride the course, and all the while thinking
to ourselves, “We could do that”. My husband, Loren got the
opportunity to do just that June 23-24 at the Saddle and Sirloin Club
in Kansas City, MO.
The Extreme Cowboy Race was created by
Horsecity.com and Cameron. The
course ideas are designed by Cameron, a nationally recognized horse
clinician, who also has a show on RFD-TV. “Horsecity.com decided to
name the event the Extreme Cowboy Race in an attempt to challenge
typical reality shows with an infusion of horseback thrills” (Horsecity.com
2007). The result of their ideas is outstanding. It is one of the few
reality shows that don’t require stabbing each other in the back or
taking their shirts off. The cowboys are good natured and real
gentlemen. Horse and mule lovers all across the nation are hooked.
“The race is a timed race with obstacles designed to not only push
horse and rider out of their traditional comfort zone, but also test
the communication and horsemanship of each team.” (RFD-TV.com,
2007).
Cameron is a horse clinician from Texas who has been providing riders
with topics ranging from basic to advance horsemanship for 23 years.
He hosts the race, as well as providing ‘play by play’ announcing of
each ride.
Just like everyone in the nation….our family has been watching since
the first episode. While watching the last season we saw a list of the
next season’s locations….Kansas City, MO was on the list. Loren
completed the application, mailed it off and waited. We received a
letter a month or so later indicating he was going to be headed to the
race.
The race is divided into open and non-pro. Because Loren’s profession
is that of training mules, he and Hoosier Daddy, our daughter Cori’s
show mule, were going to be competing in the open division. The event
began on Friday with the non-pro division. It was a lot of fun to
watch….the pace is fast and the racers were fantastic. There were a
lot of women in this division. Robert Larson competed in this
division. Robert and his family, from Medicine Lodge, KS, stand a
jack, raise mules and host the Gypsum Hills Trail Ride. Robert was
riding a young stallion from their ranch.
Saturday morning the open division started with a meeting where
competitors drew their ride number and then walked the course with
Cameron. The course is kept secret until the walk-through. Looking at
the course from the sidelines, it didn’t look that challenging; from
the saddle, however…it was much tougher than it looked. It’s a long
course…requiring a great deal of stamina from the rider and the
animal. Competitors started by loping a slow circle, completing a
flying lead change into a fast circle.
Riders then chose a jump to cross…ranging from 1-1/2 feet tall to
4-1/2 feet tall. The Rider then picked up a horse to lead down a
brushy path, across a bridge and up a hill where they passed the horse
off to a handler on the ground. Competitors then raced down a rocky
ravine Cameron called the ‘extreme ravine’, and back up a big hill.
The ‘cowboy curtain’ was next: the cowboy curtain is a beam going from
one tree to another horizontal, with ropes tied to it, hanging almost
all the way to the ground. The rider passes through the curtain, which
caused some horses to balk. The competitor then rode across a white
chat pond bank, doubling back into the pond that allowed the rider to
choose the depth of water he wanted to ride through. The temperature
was in the mid-90’s, and a lot of the horses stopped to get a drink
while crossing.
Riders then doubled back on the upper side of the pond, crossing a
wooden bridge, they then completed two roll backs at the end of the
bridge. From there they entered a box and demonstrated turns on the
rear end, in both directions.
The team ran over to the jump down. In Texas it’s called a Texas Three
Step…a rider jumps his horse or mule down a series of decreasing jumps
(basically big logs at the edge with sand below). In Missouri, this
consisted of six steps; the first jump was approximately a four foot
drop. Following the jumps, the team raced across a field to retrieve a
piece of mail, race back to drop that mail in a barrel, and then run
back up the Texas Six Step jumps.
They then headed down the hill to load their animal into a trailer,
shut the door of the trailer and run on foot back up the hill to the
finish line. They are then expected to have a conversation with
Cameron. Loren’s first statement was, “And they said I couldn’t run.”
Our family really felt he wouldn’t be able to run with his chinks
on…but he did. The entire course took Loren just a little over five
minutes.
As Loren was the only mule competing against 29 professional riders on
horseback, I feel like he carried an extra load….wanting to make sure
the mule performed well. In the eyes of the two judges, it’s easy to
confuse three sorrel horses, but there was no one to confuse Hoosier
with. Spectators and other competitors were very supportive. The crowd
really got excited about Hoosier….chanting his name with Cameron.
Craig announced to the crowd that he used to have a mule, Jefferson
Davis. He also stated multiple times that mules always have the
coolest names. It was nice to see the support given by Cameron to the
mule.
The top ten riders, plus one ‘wild card’ rider got to come back for
the Sunday finals; Loren ended up #10. The competition was
extraordinary. The other nine finalists had all previously competed in
multiple Extreme Cowboy Races, and most had attended several of
Cameron’s clinics back in Texas. It was a really big deal to have made
the top ten.
Teryn Muensch of Texas was a previous winner. Wendy Stephens had
competed in four different Extreme Cowboy Races with her white pony.
Jerry Diaz had previously qualified with a different horse, and well,
I don’t think I have to say how tough of a competitor he was.
Sunday began with another draw for runs, and a walk through the new
course. There were several changes to the final course. The ponying of
the horse was taken out, a side pass over a u-shape was added, as well
as adding a jump over a deep ditch, and the roll back was taken out.
There were two really big additions----roping a green horse after
opening the gate into the pen, unsaddling and riding half the course
bareback. Loren’s biggest concern was jumping back up the six
step riding Hoosier bareback….horses had a big advantage; they had a
mane to hold on to.
I shouldn’t have been concerned; Loren and Hoosier rode like they did
this every day. They rode the course really well…a little trouble with
the flying lead change, but everything else was great. They did better
than I could have ever imagined. Turns out the judges didn’t see it
exactly as I did. I truly believe the judges had the same standards
for the mule as they did the horses. Loren and Hoosier ended up
eighth….with the top seven headed back to the finals in November.
Normally only the top four would return, but three of the top four had
already qualified to come back to the finals (I told you the
competition was incredibly tough!!!!). It was a huge disappointment.
However, there will be a mule in the finals. Lori Montgomery of
Crittenden, KY had already qualified by placing second in the Extreme
Cowboy Race in Ohio on her mule, Willie.
Loren is already looking forward to next season’s competitions; he
wanted to know when he could compete again as we were driving out the
gate. It’s apparently incredibly addicting….but what an amazing
addiction.
Come cheer on Lori and Willie, and join the fun November 2-4 as the
finals are held at the Saddle and Sirloin Club in Kansas City, MO.
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Mules and More Magazine
September 2007 |
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