Steve Rother of Oregon was presented with the Trainers’ Challenge trophy April 29 after showing he had produced a trained and willing horse at the Challenge Finals, a three-year-old mare he had met only two-and-a-half days earlier.
It is a unique format that has become the signature event of The Mane Event, which made its Alberta debut this year at Westerner Park April 27 to 29.
“I’m really happy that my horse did so well,” said Rother. “She worked things through and came out good.”
Rother completed all the elements required in the Finals, including rail work and negotiating obstacles such as a bridge and ground poles. His optional presentations included having Josie kick a large ball and loading and unloading her from a trailer.
He concluded by standing atop Josie’s back and cracking a whip, delighting the audience that filled the large arena. Rother said later that the saddle he was using was pinching on Josie a bit so he had to work around it. “But she really hung in there and did great,” he said.
Jay O’Jay also completed all the required elements with his gelding, Jiggs, demonstrating how far he had managed to bring the horse that had displayed a lot of fear at the beginning of the weekend.
Raye Lochert of California didn’t ride his horse in the Finals, a decision he made earlier in the day during the final round pen session when he realized the horse was not ready for that step. “She’s a good horse. She just needs a little bit more time,” he said. “That kind of thing happens.”
The trophy was presented by Terri Mason, editor of Canadian Cowboy Country magazine, which sponsored the Trainers’ Challenge, and Diane Anderson of Tymark Studios, the sculptor who designed the bronze trophy specifically for The Mane Event.
