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Location: Rocky Ford, Colo.
Business: Tanner Time Training Center and Cowgirl Candy Store (Tack Store)
Family: Husband; Shane Pritchard, my best friend and my coach
Daughter: Sky Mae Bogner, runs barrel horses and ropes when she can. She Jr. rodeo’d and High School rodeo’d and won lots of titles.
Son: Tyrel Trainor competed and rode when he was very young but did sports like football and wrestling in Jr. High and High School.
College: Otero Jr. College – Rodeo Team
Websites: http://www.tannertime.com/ and http://www.cowgirlcandystore.com/
Lanette and Pistol
Tell me about your history with barrel racing and big wins: Believe it or not I roped long before I started running barrels. In college I roped and tied goats. I joined the New Mexico State Rodeo Association in the 80’s because it offered breakaway roping before Colorado did. I always loved running barrels but, my dad trained roping horses. The roping horses had to run barrels so they while they were good at local stuff, we were not really competitive in barrels at big rodeos.
I have not kept up with all my winnings and titles. Back in 90’s I ran a gray horse named Spinner that really got me into the barrel racing scene. I was one of the first members of COBRA, which was a numbered organization, like team roping is now. They numbered the horse and rider and you entered your number combination class. Spinner was just loping when we started in 1995 and by 1997 we were competing in rodeo’s, winning the Rocky Mountain Rodeo Association barrel racing title in 1997, along with the Horse of the Year title for 1997. I started the NBHA District 6 in Southern Colorado in the early 90’s and did that until we moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1998 to start doing Tanner Time. At that time we started hauling to big races like NBHA Super Shows and NASHORSE barrel races around the country. We would be in Florida one weekend and Reno, Nev., the next weekend. While doing Tanner Time and teaching barrel racing clinics with Lynn McKenzie we would pack up the motor home and leave in March and not get back to Colorado until July. So it was really hard to keep a horse going. My daughter started running Spinner at High School rodeos, and, did very well until he got hurt.
Tell me about the challenges of living in Southern Colorado such as 1. traveling to have to compete and 2. trying to put on events and get people to travel to you: Living in South East Colorado is a blessing and a curse. We have great winter weather, not much snow and we usually get to ride all winter long in outdoor arenas. The curse is we have to travel an hour or longer to get to any of the barrel races. It is really hard to get to go north to the barrel races in the winter.
Therefore we do not get a lot of northern runners down here either. When the weather is good, we have lots of barrel racers that come and stay the whole weekend to run in our jackpots and use the Tanner Time system to work on their runs. We do not have a lot going on outside of the TTC (Tanner Time Training Center) arena in the winter. I do not get to barrel race very much in the winter, because I do not compete at the barrel races I produce. The TTC is a business to Shane and me. We have been privileged to be a part of producing some of the biggest barrel races around the United States so when we put on a race at our arena we try to do it the right way.
Shane runs the tractor and keeps the ground great, and videos all the runs. I run the office, announcing, timing and taking entries. I want every rider to feel welcome and be glad they are coming to our races, therefore I want to take the time to help them. I never run at our races because we never want the runners to feel slighted or that the only reason they are there is for me to take their money. I am always looking for other barrel races to run at, but they can be hard to find without having to travel several hours. When God spoke to me and told me to build the Tanner Time Training Center in Rocky Ford, Colo., I tried to explain to him that I lived in Southern Colorado where if 15 barrel racers showed up for a barrel race that was great. But, he has blessed us with great turn outs for our barrel races and super people to work with for the clinics. He always knows what he is doing and does it with people that would not be able to do it on their own.
Where are you putting on events and what are they? We offer barrel races to the public with Tanner Time reports and video available for each run for the barrel racer to study. We hope to be able to buy the land next to us so we can have more parking in the future so that we can offer two-day barrel races with much more added money and church services for the barrel racers. We offer barrel racing clinics, pole bending clinics and horsemanship clinics here at the TTC. I give private riding and barrel racing lessons here at the TTC. I provide horse and saddle for people that want to learn to ride but do not have a horse. A lot of people come from out of state with their friends and family to train here at the TTC.
Do you train as well? I train my own horses as well as client’s horses. I have two really nice finished mares for sale right now that run barrels and poles.
If so, what do you love about training? I love training horses and helping the client with their barrel racing which in turn helps the horse. I love showing a horse an easier way of running barrels, one that is not hard on them and is easier and faster to learn. Horses can only do so much, and a lot of times riders are asking them to do something they can not do physically. We have to show them a way that is as fast in each part of the pattern (verified by Tanner Time) but also physically possible for the horse. I introduce them to the proper saddle and tack to also help them become a better barrel racer. You would be surprised what a good saddle can do for your riding and how happy it can make your horse when it really fits.
How many horses do you have - your own, outside horses? I own six and have three outside horses right now.
Tell me about your main mount: Skip’s Knut, aka Pistol, is a beautiful bay mare. She is a registered Paint. I have had her since she was a year-old, and she is now a finished barrel horse that is also running 22 second poles. This mare is so much fun to ride and I love her but, she has proven to run better for a younger rider so I have her for sale. We have been running in the 1D locally and I believe she is now ready for bigger shows and rodeo.
Lanette and her horse Easy - 16.445 at a Mile Hi event
Tell me about Tanner Time and why it works (or is a good thing)? Tanner Time is one of the most awesome tools a barrel racer can use. It breaks up your time into seven segments to tell you how fast or slow you are running in your barrel pattern and compares your time segments to the top three runners of that barrel race. With this, we can help you find those tenths or seconds that are hurting your run. I have saved a lot of horses that the husband thought could not run very fast when TT proved them able to run just not fast enough in the turns. When I go over the TT report, I can usually find one good segment to make the rider feel good about their run. Lots of times I have helped the rider find what is costing them the most time in their run. We discuss how to change it and in their next run they improve.
Tell me about the saddle line and your tack shop: Because my store is very small I try to carry only top quality saddles, pads, bits and tack. I can get almost anything the rider is looking for; I just have to order it. I primarily carry Double J Saddles because I think they are the best barrel saddle being built.
Because they offer four different trees, we can find a saddle that really fits the horse and the rider. I love riding them. I also carry Alamo saddles and lots of used saddles that I have on consignment. I have new and used tack at the store and I bring it with me to larger barrel races where we set up our tack trailer. The Cowgirl Candy Store is my on-line web site where you can buy it now.
Don't you have tester bits and everything you haul with you? That's a real bonus! Yes, I have bits from the Lynn McKenzie Signature Myler line and other bits for riders to try, as well as saddles and pads. When you have to pay a lot of money for good quality equipment its nice to get to try it out first and make sure it is going to work for you and your horse. We offer this to anyone that comes to the TTC or the tack trailer.
How many shows do you travel to a year? I usually start traveling in March and try to hit at least two local barrel races during the week and three bigger shows a month on the weekends. I try to spend at least one weekend a month with my husband doing what he likes to do, riding motorcycles. This year my goal is to buy my WPRA permit and hit some rodeos, before I turn 50!
What is your dream show that you'd like to get to? I timed some of the first World Barrel Races and I always wanted to run at one, now I guess I will never get to. I loved running at the Mile Hi slot race this fall. It was exciting. I hope to get to run at many slot races in the future. Like everyone, I have always dreamed of running at the NFR!
Are you competing? Yes, and even at my age I am still competitive and I am blessed to get to ride really nice horses. I have learned a lot from Lynn McKenzie over the years and it has really helped me in my training and competition. She is a great role model for barrel racers that want God in their life as well as barrel racing.
What is your fondest (or funniest) memory of racing or training? My fondest memory is of my biggest rodeo. In 1997, I got to go to South Carolina and run at the NARC (North American Rodeo Commission) finals, the run was on TV and I got to sign autographs. The worst thing that happened to me was also at that rodeo. I really messed up my first run because of stage fright. My horse had to make the run pretty much on his own therefore, we ended up second in the average and I could have won it. Another great memory was this year, when I was running at the Mile Hi Finals slot race. I felt like I was running for all my friends and family that were cheering for me. I think I made them proud and it was so exciting. I ran a mare that I had only been riding since July so we were still trying to get it all together. I hope to be back there this year and do even better.
Is there anything that you want to add that I'm not thinking to ask? I just love teaching and running barrels and God has blessed me with the greatest play pen in the world here at the TTC, I get to compare my runs with Tanner Time and the world’s greatest horses. I have a wonderful husband that makes it possible and supports everything I do. I feel so blessed and I just want to share it with others.
Thanks Lanette!
