Tuff to the Extreme!

Tennessee Walking Horse From Florida Wins Non-Pro Division at the Extreme Cowboy Race World Finals

By Tracy Pinson

After watching Craig Cameron’s Extreme Cowboy Race on RFD-TV, I knew that it was something we (Skyjacker’s Mountain High aka Tuff and I) had to try. Who knew, just a short time later, that Wayne Conkle, Tuff, and I would be traveling from Florida to North Carolina, Maryland, and Kansas to actually compete in these events.

For anyone who is not familiar with Extreme Cowboy Races, they are almost as fun to watch as they are to compete in! Craig Cameron summarized the race best with his description – Kamikaze speed with surgical precision. The courses require the horse and rider teams to run at full speed and then be able to rein the horse back to perform flying leading changes, ground tie, climb moguls, cross water, side pass over logs, go through tunnels, shoot balloons from horseback, joust, jump ditches, ride through trash, or navigate tight obstacles. The course is timed, but horsemanship is a larger factor in the overall score. Your horse has to lope well, respond properly to cues, and be able to negotiate any obstacles without hesitation.

In order to qualify for the World Finals, horse and rider teams are required to compete in events within a region, then the top three from each region are invited to the finals. Since there were no events in the Southeast, we traveled to the Mid-Atlantic region where events were held in North Carolina and Maryland. While at our first event in North Carolina, we were fortunate enough to meet Joyce Lewis, who had competed in several of the Craig Cameron races on television. She mentored and coached us, so that we knew what to prepare for in regional races, as well as the world finals.

Craig Cameron’s Extreme Cowboy Race World Finals were held in Topeka, Kansas on November 13th through 15th and attracted horses from 26 states. There were five divisions (Pro, Non-Pro, Youth, Ride Smart, Novice, and Young Guns) – all offering the best teams from all over the country. Tuff and I competed in the Non-Pro division, which was the largest with 34 entries. Judges included last year’s champion, Cam Schryver, and John Black, both from California.

The Non-Pro course was the same as the Pro division and we faced obstacles including shooting, jumping, running, roping, dragging, loading in a trailer, bareback, ground-tying, standing in the saddle, teetering bridges, and many others. Each rider competed in two rounds and the top ten cumulative scores went back in the final round.

After the first two rounds, Tuff and I were in second with only a half point separating us from the first place horse. Just before the final round, the course was posted and I was excited to see that half way through, we were required to strip our saddle and remount bareback. Running, jumping, spinning, and performing rollbacks while riding without a saddle – what a blast!

Tuff’s sire, Coin’s Skyjacker, was a multi-time world champion versatility horse and won Florida’s battle of the breeds. Wayne Conkle and I bought Skyjacker through an auction as a four year old and had him 16 great years before we lost him in 2004. Fortunately, Wayne bred him to his one of his best mares and produced Tuff before his passing. Destined to walk in his father’s footsteps, Tuff told us early on that he was also going to be a versatile horse. He completed his Supreme Versatility Championship by the age of four and has already won numerous World Versatility Championships and High Points in his seven short years.

What’s next? Who knows where we will turn up! Our initial goal in competing in the Extreme Cowboy Race was to show that the Tennessee Walking Horse is truly a versatile breed – from the trail to the show ring to Extreme Cowboy Racing – we’ve got the horse that can do anything..and do it smoothly!

With a Walking Horse winning the Non-Pro division and a Spotted Saddle Horse winning the Youth division, it proves that the Extreme Cowboy Association is an all breed organization.

We are honored to hold the 2009 Extreme Cowboy Non-Pro World Champion title – having competed with the best in the country is an experience that we will never forget.

Tuff and I would like to thank our sponsors, Montverde Academy, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders & Exhibitors Association, Walking Horse Owners Association, Tommy Hall, Mark Taylor, Spradley Hats, and to all the “Team Tuff” members at Darby Oaks Stables..We couldn’t have done it without all of you!!!

If you are interested in competing, watching, or hosting and event – You can contact the Extreme Cowboy Association at www.extremecowboyassociation.com or email me at [email protected]. You will be hooked too!!