If Judy Hyde had it her way, her horse Twiggy would be accepting the award as the B.C. Rodeo Association barrel racing season champion.
That's because Twiggy did most of the leg work cutting the barrels fast enough over the past six months to give Hyde the third BCRA barrel racing title of her career.
Hyde and Twiggy won their first rodeo and they stayed in the lead until the end, claiming the title with a season total of $6,894.52, $33 more than second-place Judy Dostal of Falkland ($6,861.60)
Hyde's championship season is even more remarkable considering Twiggy, a 10-year-old quarterhorse whose registered name is Streakin' Ta Paradise, did not finish the season. She got hurt at the Chilliwack Fall Fair rodeo Aug. 9-11 and was sidelined the rest of the season.
"She was out all of August and for our very big-money finals (which wrapped up Sept. 2 in Barriere) and it's really something that she still wound up winning it for the year," said Hyde. "She missed quite a few rodeos (four of the 15) but she held in there. She had a very good lead because she usually placed at every one and was in the top."
Hyde had to lean on a younger horse and an older retired veteran to get her through the end of the season. They didn't place high enough to earn money but Twiggy's substantial lead was enough to keep them on top of the standings.
"I held my breath while everyone was winning money at the finals," Hyde said.
Hyde said Twiggy recognized right away something wasn't right when the injury flared up in Chilliwack, which prevented what could have been a career-ending injury.
"She just rotated her femur a little bit, which, if she had turned her normal way, probably would have blown her stifle (joint), but she took care of herself and didn't turn her normal way," said Hyde, an equine body worker trained in acupuncture and chiropracty. "She saved herself and she's totally fine now, but she wasn't fine and I wasn't going to take a chance on losing her, even though she was in the lead."
Dena Millard of Vanderhoof finished fourth in the 2019 season standings, earning $4.516.45, just ahead of fifth-place Cherry Taylor of Vanderhoof ($4,501.11). Kim Meise of Prince George ended up 10th ($2,597.71).
Hyde will be presented her champion's saddle on Oct. 8 at the BCRA awards banquet in Barriere. Twiggy's accomplishments in 2019 won't go unrecognized. The horse she began training as a two-year-old addition to the family has been chosen by Hyde's peers for the horse of the year award.
"That's my biggest (honour)," said Hyde. "This is a horse you raised and trained and brought on, and that's voted on by the girls. That's very special to me, that they think your horse is that good."
Hyde has been competing in rodeos since 1985, having won the BCRA barrel racing title in 2010 and 2016. At 61, she's showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, she's getting better with age.
"Barrel racing keeps you young," she said. "Most people who do ride keep themselves in good shape. I don't go to the gym, I don't have time to go the gym."
"I'm not running, I'm riding the horse, and that's very physical and a lot of activity. But by your 40s, 50s and on, you've figured out horses and you can train them a lot better. Your mind is a lot calmer, you've raised your kids and that's actually the best time to go. You're more focused on what you're doing instead of your family."
Hyde's husband Karl is a team roper and Judy takes part in that event in the winter. Karl also serves as a rodeo judge which kept him out of many of the rodeos on the BCRA circuit. Their two daughters, Megan Keith of Clyde, Alta., and Caitlin Gulbranson of Vanderhoof also compete in barrel racing events, as do their daughters.
The season started in April and Hyde was on the road with her truck and horse trailer virtually ever weekend throughout the summer traveling to rodeos and her sponsor, Bob Mero of Parallel Welding in Quesnel, helped pay some of the fuel bills.
She and Twiggy are done for the year as far as rodeos are concerned but they will continue to work out regularly indoors with her horses at the Agriplex at Exhibition Park through the cold-winter months.
"I'm very serious about their fitness and they usually don't get hurt because I'm serious but you can't guarantee you'll have the best ground all the time and things can happen," Hyde said.
Two Prince George cowboys cracked the top-four in the BCRA bareback standings. Jared Marshall finished third, earning $4,093.59, while Chase McClary was fourth ($992.87).
In peewee barrel racing, Nevada Jones placed sixth overall ($298.24) and Ainslee Meise was 11th ($101.96). Fallon Jones ended up fifth in junior barrel racing ($1,636.80) and was 24th in the ladies standings ($86.63).
Cherry won the ladies all-around title (46,956.31); tie-down roping/team roping heeler champion Steve Lloyd of Quesnel was second in the men's all-around standings ($15,638.46); while junior breakaway champ Riley Beier of Vanderhoof captured the junior all-around title.
