“I believe that everything happens for a reason. Shaking things up, Ristene received a call a week before the WNFR and sold Jimmy to WPRA barrel racer Samantha Lyne, who ran the gelding throughout the NFR. I was very lucky to have found such a great horse,” Ristene said. “He was very consistent and I had tons of success on him. The pair then joined the Mile Hi Barrel Horse Association (MHBHA), where Ristene has competed for about two years and finished as the 2014 1D year-end champion. “He turned out to be a rocket ship and was very easy to train,” she said. New to it all, Ristene originally bought Jimmy to trail ride and experience recreational sorting. “I am toward the end of raising my children (two in college, one a high school senior) and I just felt that it was time that I do something for me,” she said. Having grown up riding on occasion, Ristene only started running barrels about three years ago. At that moment, I realized that Teresa taught me that I was running in my comfort zone and I needed to change my attitude,” Ristene said. She told me that if I wasn’t going to go out and give it my all, I might as well load my horse. “It was Teresa Jessop who changed my riding style and mind set. Finally, at the Adams County Fair and Rodeo, with the arena flooded, Ristene and Jimmy won their first season check. I was getting my tail kicked, because I wasn’t preparing properly for the conditions,” said Ristene. The season was not complete smooth sailing and the pair struggled through the first part of the year. “I feel that my horse and season are a blessing from God and I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams,” she said. Taking to the cloverleaf pattern on her gelding (“Jimmy”), Ristene was able to place first in the first and second go-rounds to win the finals average with a 48.5 on three runs and beat her closest competitor by almost $1,000 in the standings. Everyone was very gracious and the association, on a whole, was just awesome to deal with,” she said. “The CPRA was very welcoming with very friendly and helpful people. Like a bullet, Ristene Courkamp shot into the CPRA and finished the season as the 2014 barrel racing and Rookie Of The Year champion with over $7,000 in year-end winnings. Rodeo News CPRA Meet the Member Ristene Courkamp Ristene Courkamp
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