Outside Circle by Jan Swan Wood: Derby trainers from S.D., playday series, ropings, Belle horse sale, stud colts

    It’s a blustery morning here with a little dab of rain driven ahead of the wind. I hope that its raining, even lightly, on all the fires that are burning in the region. This spring has sure been more like summer for fires and the relentless wind wears everything out.

    The Kentucky Derby will be run on May 2 and South Dakota is being represented well with three trainers with roots here. Bill Mott has Chief Wallabee in the race while his son Riley has two contenders Albus and Incredibolt. Steve Assmussen has Chip Honcho in the race. I’ve watched all three horses in training videos and all are beautiful, correct specimens of Thoroughbred breeding. I wish our native sons and a grandson well! Bill Mott trained last year’s winner Sovereignty.

    Entries are open now for the Wyo-Co Rodeo #2 Bull Riding Double Header at Goshen Co. Fairgrounds, Torrington, Wyo. May 2, 11 a.m. There are seven divisions from little walk/trot on up to open bulls. To enter or to learn more, call Willis 307-256-4041.

    Moorcroft Rodeo Club Team Ropings will be the first and third Wednesday of the month, May through August. The first one is May 6.

     Hermosa Playdays are coming up and they will each have a fun theme. May 9 will be a favorite cartoon character; June 27 baseball theme; July 25 red/white/blue theme; Aug. 29 beach theme; Sept. 26 Christmas theme and Oct. 10 Halloween theme. All will start at 10 a.m. and will be at the rodeo grounds in Hermosa, S.D.

    There will be some roping jackpots following some Wyo. High School rodeos. May 2 is team roping only at Newcastle; May 9, Gillette, is team roping and breakaway; May 15, Casper, is both. Team roping is a #12.5 slide and breakaway is open. Enter there during the last event of the high school rodeo, the roping will start right after the rodeo. For more information call Travis 307-431-5071.

    Chase The Ace Series will be at New Underwood, S.D. again. Events are barrels, poles, goats and breakaway. Dates are May 12, 19, 26; June 2, 9 and finals on June 25. For more details, call Maegan Mcpherson 605-685-4182.

     Belle Fourche Livestock has a horse sale scheduled for May 14, following the cattle sale. To learn more call Fred at 970-518-3453.

    This is always an interesting event and one I’ve enjoyed in the past. The Rocky Mountain Trade Show and World Leather Debut is May 15-17 at Sheridan, Wyo. If there’s a tool, hardware or leather you need, you can undoubtedly find it there.

    The South Dakota Versatility Ranch Horse Association clinics and show dates have been set for the season. Each weekend will have a clinic on Saturday and the show on Sunday. Dates are May 16-17, June 27-28, September 5 and a double show on the 6^th and 7^th. All will be held at Circle T Arena, Hermosa, S.D.  and everyone is welcome to participate. For more information contact Sherry Sidle 605-381-3781.

     There will be a Goat Tying Clinic with Jaysee Jones at H and M Arena near Howes, S.D. May 19 is for beginners, May 20 for more advanced. It’s $100 for one day, $150 for both. To sign up call 605-441-6580.

     Hermosa Roping Club Team Roping Series at Hermosa, S.D. will be kicking off soon. Now pay attention, as there will be both weekdays and weekends involved. Weekdays you’ll enter at 6 p.m. and rope at 7. Weekends you enter at noon and rope at 1 p.m. They’ll use World Series and Wrangler numbers. Dates are May 21, June 14, 28, July 12, 26, Aug. 16, 30 (finals). For further info, call Les Tiltrum at 605-858-9968.

     The 6^th Back When They Bucked is May 24, 1 p.m., at the beautiful Days of 76 Arena in Deadwood, S.D. Tickets are available at http://www.backwhentheybucked.org. This is a PRCA Xtreme Broncs events.

    The 4^th Annual Steer Riding school for young athletes around 8 to 12 years of age will be May 26-27. It’s $250/student. Instructors are Jeff Bertus, Jestyn Woodward and Mason Moody. To sign up, send a private Facebook message to Tracy Flatten Moody.

    Here’s another reminder to get those yearling colts and fillies separated and your stud colts gelded. Also, remember that a fresh cut gelding still has some semen in his system and can still breed a mare for a while after the procedure. A guy I know in Wyoming posted a picture of a two-year-old filly (bred as a yearling) with her brand new baby at her side. He said with a straight face that he had no idea how that happened. I’ll bet I do. Thankfully she had the foal without problems as she was out in the pasture with the other young horses and definitely not in the broodmare band.

     Well, that’s my cool and windy circle for this week. Pray for moisture of any kind, pray for the firefighters and first responders and for our military. May God Bless America!