Dear Montana WPRA Circuit Members:

How would you like to know how much money your rodeo horse has won? We are starting a pilot program this year to do exactly that. In this letter, I will explain why I think this is so important to you as well as what we need from each of you to get the program rolling.

Some of you have one rodeo horse and may plan to keep him or her for the rest of the horse’s life. That is great. But you can never rule out the “what if” factor. What if your life or career suddenly changes? What if you need to sell your rodeo horse? A prospective buyer will most likely want to know what your horse has accomplished. Most people don’t buy a horse without some criteria. Usually that criteria involves the earnings of the horse, where it has competed,
the level of competition, etc.

Although there are owners who may have been tracking their horse’s earnings throughout the years, wouldn’t it be nice to have the statistics come from a third party? Unless the buyer and the seller know each other extremely well, any statistics coming from a third party or going to look more credible in the buyer’s eyes. And considering how the internet has expanded our marketing area, chances are that you won’t know a lot of the prospective buyers of your horse.

If you look at any other horse industries, earnings are already being reported to a third party. The Quarter Horse Racing industry reports their earnings to the AQHA, the reining, cutting and barrel futurity horse industries report their earnings to Equi-Stat, a statistical division of Cowboy Publishing Group. When a horse is entered in any of these events, a copy of the horse’s papers are sent in with the entry. The producer of the event tabulates the results and mails them to Equi-Stat. They are then available to anyone who requests the information.

I am sure the majority of you either have a subscription to Barrel Horse News or have heard of it. Statistics are covered in this magazine during different times of the year. For example, there is the Annual Horse & Rider Statistical Issue in March, the Annual Owner & Breeder Statistical Issue in April and the Annual 10 Year Barrel Racing Statistics in September. You see everything covered--from leading barrel horse by money earned, to leading sire, leading rider, etc. This is where I think the rodeo sector falls short. Since earnings are only tracked with a horse’s registered name, none of the rodeo horse earnings are being reported. This is a big disservice to the rodeo horse and the barrel racing market.

Lindsay Sears is our reigning WPRA world champion. Yet her mare, Martha, is not listed as a leading barrel horse by money earned. Yes, most of us know Martha is a great, great horse, but doesn’t it make sense that she gets the credit she deserves? How about the gal who was 20th this year in the standings? Do you know how much she won, how her horse is bred, where that horse placed? Yet that horse deserves some recognition as well.

If the Montana Circuit can track the earnings this year, I believe it will make other circuits take notice and follow suit. It is estimated that only 10% of the entire barrel racing industry’s events are being reported. Imagine how different the results will look if we can get horses tracked at the rodeos.

So, here is what we need from you. Send Lana a copy of your horse’s registration papers. Kitty Herrin and I will track the earnings as the season progresses. If you are riding more than one horse, we will need you to tell us which horse won the money. Since we have a smaller circuit, we believe we will keep each other honest.

Kitty and I will report the earnings during and after the rodeo season. They will be published in the Barrel Racing Report as well as to Equi-Stat. That is all you have to do!

I would love to write more about this and maybe later I will send out an article addressing frequently asked questions. In the meantime, please send me any questions or comments you have to: jilllane@3rivers.net. I look forward to seeing all of you this summer and thanks ahead of time for getting in your papers.

Jill Lane