WADDELL STRIKES AGAINNBHA DIXIE NATIONALS PAY OUT $66,769By Kenneth Springer
A change in strategy worked as planned for Add
Waddell, Ruby, S.C. Feeling
his horses would prefer the Morris indoor arena in North Augusta,
S.C., site of the April 21-23 NBHA Dixie National Championships,
Waddell opted to compete there rather than at his usual choice of
the Colonial Nationals in Lexington, Va. His game plan proved to be a good one
with a 6-year-old gelding, Panama Direct Perks, being his ticket
to a third NBHA National championship. Waddell was the fastest of the 486 Open entries that competed for a share of the $57,927 payout. Florida got credit for the fastest Youth entry with 11-year-old Danielle Clark, Jacksonville, Fla., outrunning 163 other youth who ran for a portion of the $5,994 total purse. Carl Wise, Williamson, Ga., found his way back to the top of the Seniors leader board after finishing ahead of 88 Senior entries who wanted a part of the $2,848 paid out. Including the $15,000 in added money provided by the NBHA,
total payout for the 2006 Dixie Nationals came to $66,769--up 25%
from 2005. The contestant's
preference to run inside the Morris indoor arena, rather than the
covered Hippodrome, was reflected in an additional 52 entries over
2005. In addition to prize money, 12 trophy saddles (one to each champion), 12 belt buckles (one to each champion), 12 halters (one to each 2nd place finisher) and 12 duffel bags (one to each 3rd place finisher) were presented along with 36 wildcards to the NBHA World Championships (top three in each division of Open, Youth and Seniors). Other national champions crowned at the 2006 Dixie Nationals were: Open 2D, Janett Dykes, Baxley, Ga.; Open 3D, Sarah Haigler Vinson, Kershaw, S.C.; Open 4D, Becky Terry, St. Augustine, Fla.; Youth 2D, Kayley Darden, Lilburn, Ga.; Youth 3D, Tobi West, Americas, Ga.; Youth 4D, Brianna Dunbar, Hudson Falls, N.Y.; Senior 2D, James Archer, Kite, Ga.; Senior 3D, Sandy Creech, South Charleston, W.V.; and Senior 4D, Linton Cason, McDonough, Ga. With the Dixie Nationals being held less than 5 miles from the headquarters of the National Barrel Horse Assn. in downtown Augusta, Ga., NBHA Executive Director Sherry Fulmer was able to use the event to cross-train her entire staff to better equip them to work road shows in the future. It also gave NBHA Commissioner Pete May an opportunity to observe one of the major shows of the year. "Being around all of the NBHA barrel racers recharges my batteries," said May. "It excites me all over again to see people and families out having fun doing what they love with their horses. It makes me proud of what the NBHA represents." OPEN CHAMPIONS
1D NBHA Dixie Open champion Add Waddell is a two-time champion of the NBHA Colonial Nationals held annually in Lexington, Va. In 2002 he won the Open 1D riding the NBHA and WPRA World champion gelding Risky Chris. His first NBHA national title was earned in the same arena aboard the Paint gelding Little Joe in 2001. Although the Dixie Nationals are actually Waddell's home region, he has always felt the Lexington arena best suited his horses. This year he decided to switch for the same reason. And as usual Waddell had more than one horse tied to his trailer. "I ran five head here and placed on three," said Waddell, 44. "I just felt that the point where these horses were in their training that the smaller size of this arena vs. Lexington would be more in their favor." Waddell's latest win came aboard Judy and Adolph Galindo's 6-year-old gelding Panama Direct Perks aka AJ. The gelding is royally bred being by the famed barrel horse, now turned barrel horse sire, Panama Edition owned by Mike Workman. His dam is a daughter of Dash For Perks. "I've had this horse since he was three," explained Waddell. "The Galindo's have been wonderful customers who let me bring their horses along slowly, like I prefer to do. This colt got hurt when he was four which was a set back and he was a late bloomer that needed some time to grow and mature but I could always feel some special ability in him. He's just now coming around, especially in the last few months." Waddell took the pressure off of qualifying for the Open Short Go by clocking a 14.739 on his first run at the Dixie Nationals. Only two stood ahead of him--Brett Monroe on Homer and Ada Nell Beasley's SR Red Ryder with a 14.526 and Heather Kuhn aboard her bay mare Shesa Mergie with a 14.729. While their checks were for $954 and $715, Waddell's third place paid him $620. A longer run of 15.000 put the team one spot above the 2D in the second go round. Going into the Short Go Finals, where all previous times were discarded, a 14.503 posted by Susie Justus, Hendersonville, N.C. was the fastest time of the weekend. The fast time had put Justus on top of the Open second go riding This Bullys For You. When Waddell and AJ toured the course in 14.474, everyone knew it would take a letter perfect, smoking run to beat it. Waddell took the lead in the Short Go, running in the 53rd position of 80 finalists. Prior to his run, Tammy Daniels, Lexington, N.C. led with a 14.715. Two runners later Heather Kuhn, Middleburg, Fla., squeaked in between Waddell and Daniels with a 14.638. Eight runners later, Monroe and SR Red Ryder clocked a 14.603 to land in the runner up position. The winning time paid Waddell $1,907 for his efforts. "My first run was really nice," said Waddell. "On my second run, he had a little trouble keeping his feet under him. In the Short Go, I let him roll and everything worked to near perfection. He stayed right where he needed to stay and I was really proud of him because I sent him a lot harder on that run and he kept it all together."
Reflecting on the training of AJ, Waddell stated, "He's a horse you have to treat a lot like Risky Chris, you have to give and take. You have to back off of him or you could blow him up. Last year I let him be a half second to a second off because I knew he wasn't ready to use all the speed that he has. This year my goal has been to pick up the pace and take him to some of the bigger shows where there's more pressure." Waddell, who makes is living training barrel horses, recognizes the importance of owners like the Galindo's of Fort Mill, S.C. "If I didn't have good customers like them, I wouldn't be where I am today," said Waddell. "I've learned that in this business of training barrel horses when you start a colt you are going to have more bad days than good days. And without loyal customers who will stick with you through the bad times until the good times come, you can't survive. I've been very, very fortunate to have some great customers." While almost without exception, NBHA champions list as a goal to some day qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev., Waddell hopes to some day soon see his Dixie National champion gelding running there. "That's the plan with AJ," said Waddell. "To continue working with him until he's rodeo solid and sell him to one of my rodeo customers. The Galindos love to see their horses go on and make good horses for other riders. Hopefully AJ will be another of them." Plans for Add Waddell's future are to continue his training program with a goal of developing futurity colts into solid rodeo and Open event horses. In an effort to be more centrally located, Waddell is hoping to move to Oklahoma before year's end if a deal on the right piece of property can be made. 2D Open Champion Janett Dykes shares at least two things in common with World champion barrel racer Kristie Peterson and NFR qualifier Delores Toole. One, they love barrel racing and two, they know how to drive a school bus. Dykes drives a school bus for the Appling Board of Education during the school year. She also shares a common background with thousands of other barrel racers—her first horse was a pony and from there she was hooked. "I was given a pony when I was five," said Dykes. "From there I graduated to a big horse, so I've been riding most of my life. I started barrel racing about 16 years ago. It's a family sport for us as my husband, Gary, and daughter, Katie, also barrel race and we all love it." It was Reds Pot Of Gold aka Dollar, an 8-year-old gelding, that took Dykes to the Dixie winner's circle. She purchased the gelding, sired by On The Money Red, in 2005 from Kenny Hodges and credits Hodges for doing an outstanding job of training her dream horse. 3D Open Champion Sarah Haigler Vinson hopes winning an NBHA national championship is only a stepping stone to a bigger title in the fall as she has three horses qualified for the 2006 NBHA Open World Championships. Her winning mount at the Dixie Nationals was her 9-year-old gelding Noble Diamonds aka Diamonds that she has owned for slightly over a year. A charter member of the NBHA, thanks to the influence of North Carolina's Beth Kidd, Vinson has been to four Dixie Nationals and appreciates living only two hours from the Hippodrome. Her 8-year-old daughter, Amber Lynn Vinson, competed for the first time at this year's Dixie Nationals alongside her mother. Prior to becoming a barrel racer, Vinson successfully showed horses at halter, English, western pleasure and games at the Appaloosa World and Nationals. In 1993 she won the Reserve halter championship at the Appaloosa World Show in Fort Worth, Texas with My Candyman. In 2004, after switching to barrel racing, she earned the North Carolina 3D Open championship on another Appaloosa, Skips Lucky Friday. "Showing in events that are judged got too political for me," said Vinson. "The electric timer can't lie and I like that about barrel racing. And it is a thrill for me to not only win a national championship but have my daughter competing with me. She finished 16th in the 4D and I'm so proud of her because this is her first national show." 4D Open champion Becky Terry admits it was a lucky break that earned her a championship. The title was earned aboard one of the youngest mounts at the Dixie Nationals—Looks To Easy, a 4-year-old gelding. "Easy has been on the barrels for only seven months," explained Terry. "Boo Flournoy started him and I'm just bringing him along and seasoning him. I brought him here to school on him and give him more experience. This was his first big show so there was lots of things for him to see. He really had a bad run in the Finals, we just got lucky." A bookkeeper for First Coast Landscape Tractor Corp., Terry credits her sister, Kim Gray, and her fiancˇ, Mike Vizcaino, for helping her the most with her barrel racing. YOUTH CHAMPIONS
Youth 1D champion Danielle Clark, 11, had never won a trophy saddle before the Dixie Nationals. She and her 8-year-old mare, Easy Little Liza Jane, did it in top form running the third fastest time of the 1,303 runs made during the three-day show. Clocking a letter perfect 14.504 to win the Youth 1D, only two times were faster—Add Waddell's 14.474 in the Open Finals and Susie Justus' 14.503 in the Open second go round. A more familiar sight than Danielle aboard Liza Jane is her mom, Tiffanie Clark. With mom in the saddle, the mare took a go round win at the NBHA President's Cup Super Show last fall. But Liza Jane has always belonged to Danielle. "My mom and dad bought Liza Jane from my Aunt Terri," said Clark. "She was a Christmas present three years ago and I just love my aunt for selling her to us because she's the one who trained her." Describing her mare as having "a big heart and short legs", Clark, a fourth grader, had no idea what her time was going to be as she made her run. "I just knew she was running very fast and she worked her barrels really close," said Clark. "She likes to run in this arena because we would have been second in the first go round of the Open but we tipped a barrel." Youth 2D champion Kayley Darden, 17, wasn't born into the horse world like so many of the current champions. With no one in her family riding and living in an area where barrel racing is not a common sport, Darden has had to take the long road to victory. "It's taken me a while to get in the loop of barrel racing," said the high school junior. "Terry Darby taught me the basics of riding horses in general and Buck Harrelson has helped me with the finer points of barrel racing and has helped me become much better at it." Darden's winning mount, Sixums Rocket aka Roxy, is only a 5-year-old and was only loping the barrel pattern when she purchased her two years ago. "We have learned together," said Darden. "Roxy has exceeded everyone's expectations and I was especially proud of her because she got faster with every run at the Dixie Nationals. In the Open I ran a 15.6 in the first go and a 15.4 in the second go. In the Youth I ran a 15.009. I ran 11th so I had to wait through 152 runners before I knew how things were going to turn out." Youth 3D champion Tobi West has been riding a son of Bully Bullion for the past three years. Registered with the AQHA as Just Bully Joe, the 12-year-old gelding earned West her fourth trophy saddle by topping the Youth 3D. West, 13, attends Southland Academy where she is in the 8th grade. In addition to her barrel racing, she enjoys a variety of other sports including softball, basketball, track and cheerleading. Youth 4D champion Brianna Dunbar traveled over 900 miles one way to compete at her first Dixie National Show. "It was cold at home in New York," said Dunbar, a 4-time NBHA Youth World qualifier. "We were ready to enjoy some nice weather." Dunbar's 5-year-old Paint gelding, Zips Bailey Bar aka Bailey, was her equine partner at the Dixie Nationals. Dunbar bought the gelding a year ago because she thought he was "handsome" even though he didn't know the barrel pattern. She felt like he had the right look to make a champion. "My run wasn't the best," admitted the 11-year-old fifth grader. "He tripped at the second barrel and I lost my reins. But I never gave up and our time was right to win the 4D." A New York State 2D and 3D champion, Dunbar only works Bailey slow on the barrels at home and waits until she's at a show to take him fast. "Most of the time when we go to the arena at home, we just play and I do a lot of slow work around the barrels." SENIOR CHAMPIONS
A man of few words when it comes to bragging about his wins, Carl Wise has yet another championship to add to his long resume of wins that started back in the early 1980's when he proved himself to be a top trainer and rider. At the time, Wise often ventured to barrel racing futurities held west of the Mississippi where he gained a reputation for continually training top notch futurity colts. At 64, Wise is still turning out winners. His latest project, a 7-year-old gelding registered with the AQHA as Lobos Feature Jet aka Lobo, took him to the Dixie Senior 1D title. Sired by Streakin Six, the speedy gelding clocked a 14.678 to take the win and keep the caliber of competition at the NBHA Dixie Nationals on a high plain. Wise's time was in line with the other 1D champions with a 14.474 winning the Open, a 14.504 winning the Youth and his 14.678 winning the Seniors. Wise proved his versatility as a trainer and rider by also taking Reserve honors in the Senior 1D riding his ever consistent and solid gelding KC. It was KC that took Wise to the 2005 Dixie Senior 1D championship. "Lobo is making a nice horse," said Wise a self employed horse trainer and farrier. "I hope to get him where he makes the same run every time. He just needs a little more experience." Senior 2D champion James Archer is no stranger to the NBHA winner's circle. In 2004 he earned the Senior 3D World Championship riding the same mare, Kits Movin Violation aka Kit. At the time she was only three, now she's five. A home grown product, Kit was broke when she was only two. Because she was so quick to catch on to whatever she was shown, her training came in stages with lots of time off to keep her from beating her rider to the punch. "My wife, Robin, runs barrels and loves to go," explained Archer who owns and operates his own plumbing company. "Kit is supposed to be my wife's horse but she gave her to me to keep me interested in barrel racing." Senior 3D champion Sandy Creech will be missed when the NBHA Colonial Nationals roll into Lexington, Va. in August. She's been a fixture there since the beginning but decided to travel 8 hours south and give the Dixie Nationals a try. Like Add Waddell, she's glad she switched. "This was my first competition show of the year," said Creech. "I came here for a change of pace as I usually go to Lexington. But we enjoy coming to Georgia so I thought I would give it a try." Creech earned her title riding her 10-year-old mare Justa Bay Relay aka Justin. A reverse of the 2D Senior champion's story, Justin was originally purchased for Creech's husband, Joey, but he decided to give her to his wife. "I'm so grateful Joey gave her to me," said Creech who works as office manager at the Carter Zerbe Law Office in South Charleston, W.V. "All I wanted to do in the Seniors is make a clean, smooth run, which we did. I was proud that I didn't look down at the barrels like I sometimes do." The mother of three grown children, Creech missed competing alongside her daughter Debbi at the Dixie Nationals. "Debbi was injured at her first barrel race of the year on April 15th in Jackson, Ohio. She was knocked unconscious but is doing well now. It was really hard to come to this show without her because we always haul together. But she was in my heart and spirit all weekend." Senior 4D champion Linton Cason had always wanted to win a saddle since he started barrel racing back in the late sixties. His dream came true at the 2006 NBHA Dixie Nationals thanks to his 10-year-old gelding Slider. "I took a break from barrel racing because of back and leg problems," said Cason. "I knew when I started back I needed to find a barrel horse that was smooth in order to ride and it not hurt me. A friend of mine had raised and trained Slider. He let me try him and he suited me to a tee. Buying him is the best money I've ever spent because he's my buddy." Even though Slider ran a little wide on the third barrel, Cason says he quickly responded when he cued him to turn. "This is my first time winning at a show of this level. And it's the first time for me to win a saddle. I've been close before but at the end fell short. I'm very pleased with the effort that Slider gave me and the support of my friends."
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