One year ago, you would have had trouble convincing Lindsay Sears she could be sporting the 2011 World Champion Barrel Racing buckle. While that’s always the goal pro rodeo competitors have their sights on at the beginning of each new season, the Nanton cowgirl had more pressing issues on her mind last January.
Her amazing horse Martha was hurt, and Sears was uncertain what the mare’s recovery prospects were. She also wasn’t sure if her next-in-line horse, Moe, was enough to rely on, and she was getting over some health issues of her own.
“I was basically backed in a corner, and had to make a choice,” recalls Sears. “I could stay home … or suck it up, make my back-up horse number one, and go rodeo.” Sears chose option number two.
“I guess you could say I’m a little hard-headed, or stubborn,” she chuckles. “But I needed to prove to myself I could, so I had it in mind I was going to get it done.” Never underestimate a determined cowgirl!
The culmination of that hard work, desire and talent came on December 10th at the Thomas and Mack arena in Las Vegas, during the final performance of the National Finals Rodeo. There the 30-year-old cowgirl and her 12-year-old mare left the rest of the very qualified and speedy field in the dust, running away with first place in the average, $133,558 in NFR earnings, and her second world title.
After a slower winter start to her winning year, Sears made up some ground with an outstanding Cowboy Christmas run in July, to finish the regular season in second place, $10,000 behind leader Brittany Pozzi. Martha had come back healthy in early summer, and Moe had stepped up to the plate and delivered results for Sears (see December Horses All story). But there was still a big hill to climb to reach the pinnacle of a gold buckle.
“Realistically, I knew it would be tough,” Sears admits. “The top five girls were so tight in money that anyone had a viable chance. Even down to the 15th hole, it was possible (to win) because there was not that big a spread. It was anybody’s ball game, so it would be about who got tapped off.”
Sears did just that, when she and Martha went out and split first in the opening round in Vegas. That was no small feat when you consider the last time the two of them had competed in the arena, there was a whole lot of pain, and Martha’s got a good memory. So Sears made a key move in pre-rodeo practice.
“They let us into the arena a couple of days before. Normally in practice, I’ll walk slow or trot. But I wanted Martha to have confidence in the ground, so this year I actually loped her through at half to three-quarter speed. I think it helped.”
Sears was thrilled this year to see NFR organizers had ensured better footing for the barrel racers, adding sand to the dirt mixture on the arena floor. “It felt a lot better. I was hoping they could keep the moisture content in it (through the week), since you need that when you have more sand, but it was much better than the solid clay they’d had for so many years. When we could still place, running at the bottom of the ground, it just proved it was a lot better than in the past.”
Sears won money in eight of the 10 rounds, and was one of only three racers to make it through the entire NFR without hitting a barrel. Her total time was 139.5 seconds, and that was fast enough to give her the average title for the first time in her six appearances at the NFR.
“Girls were trying to go super fast because it was such a tight barrel race. When you’re in a small building, and going 10 rounds, you’re going to get tipped barrels.” But with Martha firing on all cylinders, and the ground in good shape, Sears didn’t have to worry much about barrel collisions. “I was more worried about our first barrel turns,” she acknowledged. “But that’s Martha, she doesn’t want to hit barrels.”
Barrel penalties did take out both of Sears’ closest competitors, first season leader Brittany Pozzi, and then defending World Champion Sherry Cervi, who had placed in every round before tipping one in the eighth performance. That gave Sears some breathing room by the time round 10 came along. But that did not mean a change in the game plan, of going as fast as possible, which resulted in another go-round cheque for second place, to finish with a flourish.
That didn’t surprise Sears, since she knew how good her horse was feeling, even after 10 long rounds of competition. “That Sunday morning when we turned her out, she was bucking and playing (in the pen). My vet couldn’t believe it. It was so good to see. She was not sore. She felt good when we left Las Vegas. I was really happy with the way she came out of the Finals.”
Sears has earned more than a million dollars in her rodeo career, and Martha has certainly proven her worth. So what does the future hold for horse and rider? Will either get a chance to settle down and get away from the demands of the rodeo road?
Obviously, the right match is key. It will take a special stallion for Sugar Moon Express, and it’s a genetic question that’s been rumbling around in Sears’ mind. “I’ve been thinking about that since we started,” Sears admits.
While the when, what and how breeding questions have yet to be answered, the cowgirl is sure of one thing. She won’t be having Martha produce eggs and winning runs at the same time. “It’s too hard while they’re trying to compete. We’ll wait until we’re done competing, and it’s not that far away. It could be sooner than later.”
In terms of the bloodlines she’d like to see Martha combined with, there are plenty of options. “I’ve got a few in mind, and I’ve been approached by a few people. I’ve got my top three on a list, but when the time comes, I’ll decide what’s first,” says Sears.
“Martha is such a good all-around package. She’s got all the fundamentals, so it’s almost hard to decide what to breed her too. She’s a complete package in a mare. But I love running horses, so it will likely be something along that line.”
And for her own future family plans, Sears will only blush slightly and admit there was no diamond under the Christmas tree from her long-time friend and a World Champion as well, Lee Graves. “No, not while I’m living this lifestyle! But he has helped me a lot this year,” she smiled.
In the short term, Sears is gearing up for the season ahead, and getting Moe ready to make some runs at the winter rodeos. She plans to use both her speedy steeds, and even work her third choice, DJ, in at a few shows as well.
Even though she’ll soon be hard at work on the 2012 season, there is a pause to savour her second gold buckle. And she reveals this one is different than her 2008 championship. “This one felt so much harder earned,” says Sears. “In 2008, everything went perfectly, and this year was the exact opposite. It started off on the wrong foot, when I didn’t know if I’d even have Martha. The last thing I expected to have happen was to qualify for the NFR, let alone win it. I worked extremely hard because I had to. There was no other option. I rodeoed a lot harder.
“It all ended up working out. But this world title was earned by two horses, and that’s great. I’m lucky to have two that have the ability to get to the Finals. So it means a lot more to me.”
While it’s always nice to be introduced as the World Champion, Sears knows that banner comes with a responsibility. “I’m basically a liaison for the sport of rodeo, and my event. It’s about setting an example, and doing the best you can do. I want to be a role model for the younger generation, and be an inspiration for them to look up to. Without the younger generation, the sport has no future.
“Once you’ve earned the gold buckle, you forever have it. But it’s a job title, I’m very, very excited to have, that’s for sure,” smiles Sears.