Lynette Brodoway CFR 2019
Lynette Brodoway will be coming to Red Deer in eleventh position with $15,620 won. Lynette won the Okotoks Pro Rodeo, & the Jasper Heritage Rodeo.
She will be bringing two horses to Red Deer this year. SR Effort In my Boots, aka: ‘Rocket’ and SR Boots on Fire, aka: ‘Cowboy’. Rocket is ten years old and Cowboy is five. Both horses are sired by Root Beers Boots who stands at the Sandy Ridge Stallion Station
What quirks does your horse have & what is their style?
Rocket is laid back and always likes to turn no matter the size of pattern; he seldom runs by a barrel.
As far as quirks, he really doesn’t have any, he is super kind and easy to be around. Rocket does stress in the trailer and on the road, so I have a miniature pony to travel with him – he loves ‘Bandit’.
Cowboy is my futurity horse for this year and has proven himself to be a capable competitor at jackpots and futurities. He hasn’t had any rodeo experience but hopefully he will step up to the plate if I need him.
Where did you purchase/find your horse?
I purchased Rocket from Caroline Heffernan in 2013 as a started 4-year-old. His first rodeo appearance was Coronation as a 6-year-old and has been a back up horse up until this year.
Cowboy, I bought off Sandy Ridge Stallion Station in 2014 as a weanling. Jesse Finnerty started him as a 2-year-old, Chris Munroe put some time on him as a 3-year-old and Amy Finnerty did a month of barrel exercises on him in his 4-year-old year.
Did you ever almost give up with your main mount? With all the miles made, varying ground conditions, and expenses, what kept the CFR dream alive for you this year? Tell us about the highs and the lows.
In August 2018 my “first- string” rodeo horse SR Root Sixty Six, aka ‘Freeway’, suffered, what we thought was a career ending injury. Not long after that, Rocket was diagnosed with West Nile Virus. At that time, it appeared that another CFR would not be in the near futurefor any of us.
Rocket was looking pretty good this spring, so I entered the Medicine Hat Indoor Rodeo. Much to my surprise and delight he placed there, so my plan was to keep entering and to see how it went. A week before the Grande Prairie Stompede, he bruised his left front heel which then turned into 4 weeks of vet releases and turning out of rodeos.
With such a late start in the season, making the CFR was not on my radar. Thankfully….a very good team, lots of prayer and small miracles has gotten us back to the Finals. The highs and lows of the past year are like nothing I have ever experienced in competition. It has truly been a comeback that I did not see happening.
What do you do to keep a sharp mental edge in the game of rodeo? How do you stay motivated throughout the season?
I think my motivation this year was a stubbornness to not give in to all the setbacks but to believe for something better and work toward it. It was not, at first, about making the finals but just doing what was required to be successful for the next rodeo. Rocket’s victories kept us all moving forward!
What does your feed program look like, keeping your horses in peak condition going down the road and even in the off season?
Most of my supplements come from Herbs for Horses. Rocket gets lot of whole oats, good hay, probiotics, amino acids, and flax oil. He gets a massage every week, and I put the Bemer Veterinary blanket on him several times a week. Hansbo Sport Blankets and boots. He is the recipient of constant, continuous, never-ending pampering, lol.
What is an exercise you include in your routine to keep your horses working how you like them to that may help someone else?
Movement is important for him so I pretty much ride him everyday. He gets three days a week of more intense exercising such as breezing and going up and down small hills, then walking, trotting and slow loping the other days. Due to some of his physical limitations he is exercised this way all year round- he does not do well with time off.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been told regarding life, horses, rodeo or barrel racing?
This year I was treading in unknown waters so to speak with Rocket’s recovery. I relied heavily on others to keep him sound and running well. The best advice for me this year comes from John C. Maxwell. “It’s not enough to have a dream, you must also have a dream team.”
What is your favourite barrel racing bloodline, and what do you look for in a prospect?
My rodeo horses are all sired by a stallion called ‘Root Beers Boots’. I had the opportunity to put some time on Boots several years ago and really liked everything about him – he was handy and super competitive. I have found these traits in all his offspring. The mares’ side include Special Effort, Six Fols, and Sun Wind & Fire. Boots is foundation bred so Doug and Carol Schafer cross him with their running bred mares.
What has been your most memorable run over the years, can be most embarrassing or run of your life?
My win at Jasper this year will go down as my most memorable run thus far in my career. It had been a couple of years since I had a win on Rocket at a rodeo. With so much to overcome this year I wasn’t sure what his comeback would look like. At Jasper he felt like the old ‘Rocket’. I was happy that my husband Ken was there to share the victory, it was very emotional for us both!!
Which was your favourite CPRA rodeo this year and why?
Ponoka Stampede is always one of my favourites. The committee works so hard to keep the ground fair for all and that is no easy task considering the role Mother Nature plays. The crowd is very enthusiastic and because it pays so well, I’m pretty sure I would not be going to the finals without those winnings.
Who is your barrel racing idol?
My barrel racing idol is and will always be ‘Rayel Little’. She has accomplished things I’ve dreamed of but will likely never achieve.
What would you be doing if you were not barrel racing/rodeoing?
I think if I did not barrel race or ride horses, I would do a lot of golfing. I really enjoy that sport!
Rocket and I could not make it down the road without the help of Carlotta Weerstra, Hue Hodgson, Energy Equine, Martin Chrysler, Burns Saddles, Herbs for Horses, Raelynn Armstrong and my dear husband Ken! Thanks, so much guys!!!
