Ivy Conrado WNFR 2017
Returning for her second consecutive Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is Ivy Conrado of Hudson, Colorado, after cashing in $78,180.90 at 88 rodeos in the 2017 season. She will be bringing CF Tibbie Stinson aka Tibby (by Eddie Stinson, out of a Del Puerto Bill mare), KN Fabs Gift of Fame aka JLo (by Frenchmans Fabulous, out of a Dash Ta Fame mare) and Fames To Blame aka Famey (by Lions Share of Fame, out of a Frenchmans Guy mare)
What was your favourite rodeo this year and why?
Rodeo Houston! I didn’t get to go to Calgary this year but I do love Calgary! Both rodeos take great care of the contestants— other rodeos should take notes!!
What has been the best advice you’ve been given regarding barrel racing or rodeo?
To have a short memory!
If you were just starting out now, who would you train under, what clinics would you be taking? Who do your morals line up with?
That’s a great question! I’m not really sure. Lisa Lockhart’s horsemanship & patience is unbelievable. She teams up with her horses instead of stepping on and demanding. I’d love to ride with Jordon Briggs! I am of course bias to my dads horsemanship & Jimmie Munroe’s.
With all the miles made, what kept the WNFR dream alive for you?
Well rodeo is my job & the only way you can really make money is at the NFR. It’s your “bonus” for the year, so to keep my dream alive of being able to do this I have to make the “bonus round” which is the NFR!
We all know that being competitive takes mental strength. What do you do to keep a sharp mental edge in the game of rodeo? Do you do anything before a run to keep your nerves in check?
I was struggling this year and I was at a jackpot in Cresson, Tx. Molli Montgomery was in the holding pen & we were just vaguely talking about my struggles. She told me to get the book The Inner Game of Tennis. So I did! Now, whenever I am struggling, I will go back & listen to my favorite chapters to get back to the correct winning state of mind.
Under your program, what do you do when a horse feels off to you? Who/what therapies do you include in your program?
I usually have a spaz attack and call Marty Tanner, Kelly Tisher & Reese Hand. I’ll do whatever they tell me depending on what’s going on. I have Ice Boots, a Responds System Blanket & will use a P3 whenever I can get my hands on one.
When shopping, what areas of conformation turn you off? What points of conformation do your prospects absolutely must have?
For rodeo horses I absolutely won’t touch anything with long pasterns. They won’t last with the rodeo ground conditions. I have to have a low hock that is underneath of them so that they never “fish tail” because that is also a recipe for disaster on not so perfect ground. Horses that are naturally up underneath of themselves & I have found that horses high in their withers, maybe even a little higher in their withers than their hind end, stay underneath themselves. Good bone density is a must have as well!
What would you like to see be done in the industry to better rodeo as a sport?
As far as I’m concerned my aspirations are in the WPRA. I would love to see the structure of the WPRA board be slightly changed just so we can get more done as an association. Also seeking out better policies for the current drugs rules & presenting them as the WPRA’s own set of rules to the limited rodeos committees so that there is a difference in fines & strikes between the use of banamine/bute versus actual harmful drugs to our equine athletes. I would love to see PROCOM be updated & maybe even become online! I really just want to see the WPRA & the PRCA move forward instead of running in place!
