Send your news for future columns to jenn@equinejournal.com.
BY JENNIFER ROBERTS
Western news
[LEFT] Lexi Buckheit, Miss Rodeo New York (center), at Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, pictured with Miss Rodeo Wisconsin and Miss Rodeo Texas. [RIGHT] Dan James and Smart Little Mustang placed fourth in the prestigious Zoetis Freestyle Finals and were announced as the 2013 Mustang Million Fan Favorite.
PAINTED RANCH HORSES Popularity is growing in the stock horse world for Ranch Horse Pleasure classes, and the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) has opted to include a new class for the discipline at the upcoming APHA Open/Amateur World Championship Paint Horse Show. The second of two premier events hosted by the association annually, the Open/Amateur World Show is slated to take place November 6-17 at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, TX.
attend and introduce themselves to the massive crowds at the concerts. Buckheit will still be traveling to the Adirondack Stampede Charity Rodeo in Glens Falls, NY in November; where she will crown her successor, Miss Rodeo New York 2014. Lexi’s year will culminate in Las Vegas, NV, representing New York State at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, which runs in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
FAN FAVORITES! HEADED WEST
PHOTO: RIGHT
Miss Rodeo New York 2013, Lexi Buckheit, recently traveled to the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Wyoming. During her trip, Buckheit not only got to watch competitors in action, but got to commentate during live events in the finals. Each state queen is invited as “Rodeo Royalty” for three to four days during the rodeo, in which they work a charity pancake breakfast, ride in one of the vast Cheyenne Frontier Days’ Parades, and
Dan James and Smart Little Mustang, also known as “Punk,” demonstrated what can be achieved in the Double Dan Horsemanship Program at the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s Mustang Million. After several days of competition in the Legends division, James and Punk earned their way to the Mustang Million Zoetis Freestyle Finals with 19 other competitors. Inspired by the Tonto character in the recent film The Lone Ranger, James and Punk brought
the audience to their feet with a performance that showcased the horsemanship and entertainment that Double Dan Horsemanship is known for. Performing bare back and at liberty, James illustrated the partnership and trust he has developed with this once wild mustang.
CONDOLENCES Elizabeth Ellen Buechler, 65, of Terre Haute, IN, passed away on September 19, 2013, in her residence after an eight-month battle with cancer. Survivors include her husband, Dr. James R. Buechler; one daughter, Michele E. Truxal; one step-son, Raymond Buechler; two stepdaughters, Betsy Pennington and Nancy Buechler; two grandchildren, Nicholas Truxal and Mia Truxal; and her dog, Eli. Elizabeth was a member of the American Paint Horse Association. She loved her horses and dogs.
MAKING A COMEBACK Six-time World Champion Dan Mortensen has announced he will come out of retirement
to compete in The American Rodeo on March 2, 2014. He will be competing in the broncriding event, where he will face the top 10 in the world after the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Mortensen won one All-Around World Champion title and six World Championships in bronc-riding, tying for most all-time wins with the legendary cowboy, Casey Tibbs. In 2003, he became the first roughstock cowboy in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association history to exceed $2 million in career earnings. He retired from the sport in 2008 and was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2009.
BE THERE! Reining fans: make plans to be in Oklahoma City on Thursday, December 5 for the $75,000added National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Open World Championship Shootout. This “Open to the World” class is one of the largest, added-money, NRHA Category 1 classes in
continued on page 134
November 2013
| EQUINEJOURNAL.COM 133