When Katie Rasmussen made the decision to purchase Nowdatsrealysmoken from Dave and Tandi Rider of Hoof Prints Ranch in Stephenville, Texas, she chose Dr. Mitch Hutchinson of Stephenville Equine Hospital to perform the all-important prepurchase exam. Rasmussen, who hails from Chotea, Montana, specifically asked for Hutchinson, who originally practiced in neighboring Washington State.
Once back in Montana, Nowdatsrealysmoken went from just plain “Dave” to “Super Dave,” earning Rasmussen a birth to the 2010 Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo (MCFR). Only the top 12 barrel racers in the circuit qualify for the finals, and Rasmussen entered in 11th position.
“I squeaked in,” said Rasmussen, wife of noted rodeo clown and entertainer Flint Rasmussen. “I was 12th with one rodeo to go, and the gal in 13th place was only $60 behind me. I had to travel clear to Bowman, N.D., (from Pendleton, Ore., more than 1,000 miles), and it was snowing.”
Rasmussen tied for seventh and picked up $209, while the barrel racer behind her in the standings failed to draw a check. Had Rasmussen not placed, however, it would have allowed her chaser to pick up the last place check of $84 and pass her in the standings.
At the MCFR, Rasmussen and Super Dave turned in a 13.32 to take home a fourth-place check in the first round. A tipped third barrel in the second round cost them a check and a spot in the average.
Prior to the third round, Rasmussen was honored with the Montana WPRA Circuit’s Sportsmanship Award and received a beautiful Montana Silversmiths bronze. She also won the Joyce Arms Best Dressed award. Tammy Thompson, Arms’ daughter, presented Rasmussen with a framed photo of her mother running barrels and her favorite poem, “I Live for This,” and an exquisite Double J headstall.
Although Thompson wasn’t sure it was a good idea to switch gear before a run, Rasmussen decided it was important for Super Dave to look good and chose to use the new headstall.
“Since I had tipped on the second night, I figured change might be good,” said Rasmussen. “It’s funny too; Dave is usually so calm and laid back and that third round, he was wild. Everybody kept saying that they had never seen Dave like that and asked me if something was wrong. I could tell he was just really excited. He was pawing the ground waiting for his turn, and I had to stay on him while waiting, because I couldn’t control him on the ground.”
With some advice from her friend and National Finals Rodeo qualifier Rayna Rice on how to approach the first barrel from the offset gate, Rasmussen and Super Dave turned in the fastest time of the event, a 13.01, to win the round.
“The set up at the Montana Circuit Finals is really funky,” explained Rasmussen. “We enter from a corner gate, but it is a run in, so you head straight for the first barrel. The first two days, I was hugging the left side of the alley. I kept running by the first barrel, because I couldn’t get enough shape going in. I still placed in the first round, going by (the first) quite a bit, so I knew Dave was firing in that tiny pen. So the third round, Rayna told me to hug the right side of the alley, and she walked (on foot) with me and Dave to help me keep him under control and keep him to the right. Well, we were tapped off just right, I got the shape I needed and we ran the fastest time of the finals by a long ways. Then Rayna came in after me and ran the second fastest time of the finals, so we were one and two.”
THANKS TO DR. MITCH HUTCHINSON FOR YOUR PART IN PAIRING THIS GREAT TEAM!
