Laura Lambert, WPRA Mountain States Director and proud mother

Name: Laura Lambert

Business: Lambert Horses http://www.lamberthorses.com/
Location: Wiggins, Colo.

Family: Husband, Ricky; sons, Brayden, 8, Boedy, 1.

College: University of Northern Colorado

Give us a brief background on where you grew up and how long you've been racing?

We lived around Brighton, Colo., until I was about 9-years-old and then my family bought a small ranch in the Wiggins, Colo., area. My husband and I just recently returned to the area to be closer to our parents and keep the kids close to their grandparents. I grew up on a horse, no doubt. I can remember using a bucket to saddle my horse and climbing up on him like a monkey. So, I've been a barrel racer for as long as I can remember. I guess I've been competing for about 30 years.



Tell us what is keeping you busy right now?

Currently, I have a lot of things that keep me busy, I am the general manager for Great West Trailer and Truck in Fort Morgan, Colo.; I am a freelance writer for Barrel Horse News and the Rodeo Insider; I ride barrel horses both for myself and for clients; and my biggest and most important job of being a mom and wife. My two boys keep me busy all the time.

Why did you decide to run for a position with the WPRA?

The WPRA is in an important time of change. I am thankful for all the WPRA has done for me over the years. I can't say that I really had full intentions of running for the director. There were a lot of people calling me asking me to run and I guess over the course of time I realized that I wanted to give back.

What is that like?

I'm not going to lie . . . being a director is a lot more than I expected. There have been a lot of trying times and there are going to be many more challenging struggles ahead. I enjoy what I am doing and I really try to make the right decisions. I think the members really need to educate themselves on what it means to be the director and what our duties really include. There are a lot of misconceptions out there as to what the director can and should do.

What do you do as a Mountain States Director?

I'm not sure I could list all the things a director does as I'm sure I would leave some things out but just to give a small example: the director approves all of the rodeo submittals including the slack times; contacts the committees to work out slacks, setting the pattern, and answers any questions they may have; answers contestants questions regarding rules, Procom, entries, etc.; sets the patterns at major rodeos, and for that matter any rodeo where the committee requests your help; attends all board meetings; deals with the business of the association (this is the one that I know most contestants have no idea what it entails); serves on multiple committees; etc, etc, etc. Like I said, this is just a sampling. There is so much more. It truly is a huge commitment.

What is the best part of it?

The best part of being the director for me is continuing to make relationships. I am the judging liaison and I really enjoy that. I get to meet a lot of great people and I enjoy building friendships and moving our sport forward for the betterment of everyone involved.

What is the hardest part of it?

The hardest part would be two things for me: one of the hardest things for me is that I really take pride in what I do and when you get "crucified" by contestants when they don't understand your role or all of the things that you have done behind the scenes, it is pretty hard sometimes. One thing that I have learned through serving as a director is that as a contestant, you really need to take a step back and look at all the factors before you criticize what someone is doing. In the heat of the moment sometimes that's really hard because you can only see what has just happened to you, but it's pretty important because most of the time the director, the judge, the tractor man, whoever it is, has been giving their all. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to make mistakes and I hope that I learn from each situation, but I know that the directors have the best intentions. The second thing is the time commitment. There are many days that all I do is work on the WPRA issues. The phone time is incredible. Many times, I feel like all I do is answer the phone regarding the WPRA. I know the choice I made and I know what I promised to do, so I'm doing it the best way I can.

Tell us about your writing experience and how you ended up with BHN?

I truly enjoy writing. Through many life experiences, I learned that you really need to love what you do every day. I set out with the intention to set my life up so that I could enjoy every day. There are so many people out there that don't enjoy their work. I am a truly blessed to be able to say that I love what I do. I love to write, I love to ride barrel horses and when you can combine the two—who wouldn't be thrilled?

Tell us about your own racing, how long, big wins, etc.?

I have been competing for about 30 years now. I started out in 4-H, Little Britches and High School Rodeo. I am, what I call an "old timer" because back when I decided to buy my permit in the WPRA, you couldn't go to amateur rodeos if you had your card. So, I chose to just keep buying my permit so that I could go to all of the rodeos. I was really blessed to have a great horse Estee when I bought my permit. Every year I filled all three permits and had to quit going (that was the rule back then). I've qualified for the Mountain States Circuit Finals 12 or 13 times. I've been to the Dodge National Circuit Finals once and I'm headed back there again in April. I was certainly blessed to become the Mountain States Circuit Champion in 2009. I won the Colorado Professional Rodeo Association in 2007 along with winning the average at the finals. There have been a lot of wins that are special to me over the years but I would say winning the short round at Cheyenne Frontier Days this year would be one of the highlights. That is my biggest career win as far as the most money won at one rodeo.

Who is your main mount right now?

Frenchmans Easy Snip is the main guy right now. I have a few others that help him along the way but he is the one I can count on every single time. He is a joy to own.

How many horses are you working with (outside or your own)?

I have five horses that are rodeo ready. Then I always have a few colts. I don't ever take more than two outside horses in the winter and then I decide every summer how many I'll take depending on the rodeo schedule I intend to keep. It's important to me that I do what I say I'm going to do so I try not to overload the riding schedule because I'm the kind that I'll give up sleep in order to get everything done and then I end up making myself sick. So, I try to keep a balance. I am sure I take on too much sometimes, but in the end I feel like I make sure I "do right" by people. That includes the horses that I sell.

Where do your kids compete, if applicable?

My son Brayden doesn't have the passion for horses like we do so he doesn't compete with the horses. He plays football and is getting ready to start basketball. He likes computers and probably knows more about them than I do. Boedy isn't old enough yet, but I can already tell he is going to be a competitor. He loves the horses and goes non-stop. I keep telling my husband that he better get ready because Boedy is going to need a horse and he is going to be one of those "full-time" competitors.

Where does your husband compete, if applicable?

Ricky is a calf roper and he competes in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Colorado Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA), United States Calf Roping Association (USCRA), Nebraska State Rodeo Association (NSRA), and at jackpots. He also team ropes, but his love is certainly calf roping. He trains some incredible horses and always has some for sale. (I’m tired just reading that!)

Where do you compete?

I compete in the WPRA, CPRA, NSRA, Mile Hi Barrel Horse Association, some futurities, and lots of jackpots.

What are you goals for rodeo/racing?

I guess I would have to say right now that my goals are to continue to have nice horses and enjoy what I do, wherever that may be. I also enjoying selling and training horses and seeing others go on and do great on my horses or horses that I have helped them with. That's where I'm starting to focus a lot of my time and energy.

Favorite rodeo?

I enjoy Cheyenne and Casper, Wyo. But, there are so many it's hard to pick a favorite.

Favorite movie?

We just watched The Hangover and it was hilarious but my favorite movie would be Tombstone.

Traveling with rodeo dogs?

We have a Maltese, Haylee, and she is with us most of the time. She's sort of a prissy rodeo dog because she is pure white and I'm pretty protective of her. She's so little that I don't let her around the horses much. I guess it wasn't the best choice of "rodeo" dogs. We also have two border collies here at the house, but they don't travel with us.

Hardest rodeo you've ever competed at?

Each and every rodeo is tough in its own way.

Most fun rodeo you've ever competed at?

Cheyenne, Wyo.

Thanks Laura !!

Bonnie Wheatley, Barrel Horse News Editor and Race Producer

Name: Bonnie Wheatley
Business: Hobby/side business: Spin3 Productions www.spin3productions.com
Location: Calhan, CO
Brief Background:
Born in Bozeman, Mont., and moved to Colorado about 15 years ago. I grew up a horse trainer's kid so we lived in some different places over the years. I have the best parents ever.

Watch Bonnie run at Fountain on a Friday night from this summer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urkqUimpL-c

Family:
Sage, 3, and Regan, 7 - they are awesome kids! We're blessed beyond measure. My husband, Scot, is a former bull rider who converted to team roping a few years back

College:
UC Davis, with a BA in Literature. I've learned a lot through the years from the mistakes I've made!

Tell me about your career:
I was honored to get the position of Editor with BHN after freelancing for BHN for quite a few years. I also worked for the WPRA for a couple of years before managing the PBR's Challenger Tour. I later worked in the PR/Marketing Dept for the PBR and learned a great deal in my 10 years with the PBR. It's incredible to be part of the growth of such an organization. I met some very fantastic people there and now at BHN I work with and interview some really awesome people.

Future plans:
Just keep doing what I love to do, work hard and raise two great kids. I pray for strength every day to get it all done.

Bonnie runs the Super Race in May and in September. How did you come into that business?
Nancy Rinaldo offered to let me purchase her business after the passing of her parents. It has been a real learning process but it's a fulfilling business. I think our first one was in September '07. I got into doing the races because basically I didn't want to see them go away and Nancy and Ty had done an awesome job with them over the years. Between her and her sister they had done them for almost 20 years when I came on the scene.

Tell me about the race:
In a nutshell the events pay out approximately $90,000 annually in cash and awards combined. We do two big races – one in September and one in May - 2010 dates are May 8-10 and Sept 5-7, 2010 and once in a while a smaller one in between.

One thing about events is that they are only as good as the people you have working. That's number one - a great crew and I'm thankful to have one! Every single crew member is integral - you can't do it without them all knowing and loving what they do. I'd say the rakers we have are the very best I've ever seen anywhere.

Best memory so far:
I'd say my best memory so far would be our September 2009 event - it was truly our best and they continue to get better. When you present a Bob Berg buckle to someone that is truly gracious and proud to wear it because they understand how tough the competition
at our event is, that is gratifying every single time.

The hardest part?
Hardest part is for sure trying to keep everyone happy. And the weather.

Who are you affiliated with?
We are affiliated with MHBHA, SCBRA, AW4D, BBR, ABRA - we get a lot of approvals because I feel it's important for the barrel racers to have options. These organizations are all well-established and also help promote us.

What sets your races apart?
In my mind it is the ground and overall production quality that sets the races apart. It's always been my goal for it to be a tough race where legitimate professionals can showcase their horses’ right along with the novice riders and horses, the kids, etc. I think when you draw the top names it gives all of us something cool to watch. It raises the bar. We had a 16.8 run on a standard pattern at the September event and it was truly awesome - I think everyone there could appreciate that it was a special moment.

Tell me about the novice program:
The Novice programs are awesome because it gives every level of horse and rider a place to compete and excel in a non-intimidating atmosphere where great prizes and payouts are available.

Personal goals with barrel racing:
My personal goals are always to do the best I can with what I have. I like a horse that is calm, broke and wants to run the barrels. My ultimate goal is to have a horse that is nice to ride at the rodeo or at the ranch. I know it doesn't always go that way with barrel horses but that's the kind of horse I prefer. My goal for the next couple of years is to have a snaffle bit horse in training with my dad. I've always loved showing at RHAA shows and to do that and rodeo is just a special mix to me. It's what I grew up around and what I want my kids to be exposed to. Great horsemanship is, at the end of the day, what it's all about to me. I love doing cowboy stuff, just about anytime I can. I love that lifestyle and want it for my kids. I love it when we get invited to a branding or get to go to a show. Just being around good hands is a treat and they always tend to have the best manners too - it's special.

Who is your main mount right now?
My main mount right now is a Sun Frost/Flaming Jet bred horse called Shadow that I recently bought from Laura Lambert. He is wonderful and is a young horse that I have high hopes for. He has a great mind and is very athletic and enjoyable.

Tell us about your sponsors:
My sponsors are great because they have the same desires I do - to promote barrel racing, the Western lifestyle and family-oriented activities. We all want an event that caters to the family where you can bring your kids to ride and enjoy safe, wholesome entertainment. Great West Truck and Trailer has been a major sponsor the past couple of years and we've had people just jump on board and want to help since we started this, like Emerald Ranch and the Colorado Springs Visitor's Bureau. Sponsorship is a huge challenge especially in these times.

Tell us your funniest story so far:
There are always funny things that happen that you don't really think are funny at the time and that maybe you hope that no one else noticed except for you! I guess the first race we did was the biggest cluster ever and I'm really happy to say that they're a whole lot more organized now. Once in the very beginning I thought Ty Rinaldo had the rakers lined up and he didn't and it made for a pretty hilarious first day (I can say it was hilarious now, but it was very tense then). That was pretty epic and quite an initiation. People just pitched in and helped out and that's what makes any event work is when the barrel racers are helpful and the crew is working hard . . . even if it's a rough day, you get through it. And if you can laugh at the end of the day then you know you have your priorities straight anyway! It can be exhausting and fun all at the same time.

Anything you want to add?
My goal is just that people have a fun time and enjoy each other in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where they want to return. I love that people camp out and enjoy each other after the race is done. It's like being at a big camp full of horses and people you like! That's what I want as a producer: FUN.