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Outside Circle for Jan Swan Wood: Triple Crown winner, mini bulls and broncs, junior rodeo entries, barrels, breakaway, clinics

I see some hay getting put up around the country. It’s nice seeing those bales out across the fields, especially against the empty stack yards. It’s going to take a while to catch up on inventory. Most two-year olds could count high enough to get a tally on the leftover hay after the last few years.

It’s pretty amazing to think that there is another three year old Thoroughbred that was tough enough, sound enough, and had heart enough to take the grueling schedule of the Triple Crown, but Justify did it with style and wire to wire. Ridden by the equally amazing Mike Smith, whose delicate touch on the reins and handling of the young horse, showed that even though he’s not a kid anymore, he’s clearly the master horseman of racing.

The Crook County Horseman’s Association will be holding a youth rodeo June 23-24 in Sundance, Wyo. You can enter there that day until 9:30 a.m. and the playday starts at 10. Events are barrels, poles, flag race, goats, breakaway, dummy roping, and a surprise event. The Crook County kids will earn points toward the year end awards, out of county kids will get day money. There will also be open barrels with the same point system. For more info, call Shannon Haugen at 307-680-7243.



Humps and Horns Mini Bulls and Rocky Mountain Mini Broncs will be at Potter Rodeo Arena, Potter, Neb., at 6:30 p.m. June 30. There will be two full rounds, a long and short go if enough enter up. You can enter your kiddos now through June 27. Call J.R. Yearous at (308) 249-7834 to enter or for details. There will be a bunch of other great activities going on in town during that time.

The Weston County Junior rodeo entry forms are available on-line on the Facebook page. They have to be in by July 1 for the Aug.4-5 rodeo. Call (307) 629-0654.



The annual Bobbie Johnson Memorial Barrel Race will be July 7 at Besler’s Cadillac Ranch, Belle Fourche, S.D. It will be a 5D if there are 50 or more entries, $55 entry fee. It has a new time table with exhibitions from 9 a.m. to noon. Race will start at 1 p.m. It is NWBRA approved.

Havre, Mont., is the place to be on July 19 for the Great Northern Ladies Breakaway Roping. It will start at noon and has $1,000 added. It’s $150 entry, enter twice, for two full rounds and a top 10 short go. Pre-entries can be done July 9, noon to 8 p.m. Call (406) 390-5060.

If you want to have a good practice or just a good time watching, take in the Wild West Wednesdays at Hart Ranch, Rapid City, S.D. It’s a rough stock and barrel series and will run July 11 through Aug. 29, with the exception of Aug. 22. The gates open at 6 p.m., performance at 7. You can call in your barrel entries to Amanda at (605) 490-7661 and rough stock entries at (605) 515-4313.

There will be a Bryan Neubert Clinic for colt starting and horsemanship on July 19-21 at Chugwater, Wyo. It’s $550 for each clinic, with $150 non-refundable deposit. Balance due before clinic starts. You can audit for $35/day. Call Kimberly at (307) 715-9518.

Rodeo Bible Camp at Crow Agency Fairgrounds, Crow Agency, Mont., will be July 25-27. It’s a free for kids deal, though donations are always happily accepted. It will have team roping, breakaway, barrels, goat tying and steer riding offered. Age divisions are 8-12 and 12-16. There’s also a youth rodeo on the 25th, enter at 9 a.m., start at 10, and you must be part of the Bible camp to enter. Call David at (254) 723-4598 or Greg at (281) 770-5734.

If you like bronc riding, you’d better put this on your calendar. This will be the last memorial event they’ll hold to honor these two phenomenal young bronc riders who left us way too soon. It will be August 31 and is the KC Longbrake Saddle Bronc Challenge and Jake T. Longbrake Memorial Wild Ride. It will feature 30 of the best bronc riders matched with the top saddle broncs in the country.

There is a ranch roping clinic coming up Sept. 5-7 at Hinsdale, Mont., with Dave Weaver and Gwynn Turnbull Weaver. The three day clinic is $640 and open to only 10-14 students. You can audit for $20/day. Clinic will start at 10 a.m. You can learn more at http://www.californios.com.

I just recently heard of a nice two year old AQHA gelding that grass foundered when turned out the end of May. Keep an eye on your horses if your grass is really green. Grass founder can happen to any equine, though there are certain breeds and types that are more prone to it. Draft horses, ponies, burros, Arabs and BLM horses are real candidates, but obviously, if a two year old gelding can founder, anything can. The horse will stand with it’s front feet extended forward like it’s trying to get the weight rocked back off of them. It may be laying down when other horses aren’t too. If you even suspect it, get them off that grass and into a dry lot immediately, then call your vet.

Well, that’s my circle for another week. Have a blessed week and pray for rain for the west.