Ward, Youngman and Latham came to play in Ardmore aboard talented horses in preparation for races and futurities the rest of the year.
The $20,500-added Ardmore Barrel Futurity, held September 27-29th in Ardmore, Oklahoma had a variety of sidepots and qualifiers for barrel racers from across the country with the Futurity Sidepot, AQHA classes, a Junior Patriot Sidepot, American Contender Qualifier, BBR X-Tra Sidepot and the Open 5D.
Ceri Ward and Famous Ivanka Trump
Futurity Champions Ceri Ward and 2020 mare Famous Ivanka Trump (Move Over Elvis x BA Dashing Fame x Dash Ta Fame) won more than $3,000 in Ardmore, winning the first round of the Futurity Sidepot with a 15.089 and $1,210. They also won the Open 1D on Saturday worth $1,898. A 15.369 on Sunday was fifth in the Futurity Sidepot, securing her futurity aggregate win with 30.458 on two runs. The pair won the Futurity Championship and Double J Saddlery Trophy Saddle.
“She stayed very consistent and honest in her runs,” Ward said. “She drew last on the ground in both rounds and I thought she handled that great. Her style is unique for a colt with so few runs because she stays so honest and predictable.
“In the second go she got hung up in the ground leaving the first barrel and had to step over for the second, but she kept moving forward and recovered well, just costing her a little time. Both days she went faster than I had planned to the first barrel and turned it with ease.”
Ward grew up on her family’s feedlot where she learned to ride before moving to english and pleasure horses. Eventually, she would start going to junior rodeos which led to rodeoing through college when, Joyce Kernek suggested that she train futurity horses. Now, she is a full-time barrel horse trainer based in Ardmore.
“I got Ivanka in January and shortly after we discovered an injury,” Ward explained. “We’ve spent the last eight months getting her sound, fit, and ready to compete again with the help of Dr. Josh Blyden at Interstate Equine. I rode for her owner, Adrian McFarland years ago when I first started training outside horses. I had a 3-year-old for her at the time, and then she asked me if I would be interested in campaigning Ivanka through her futurity and derby career. She’s a very kind horse with a lot of try. I feel like this shows, only being her third and fourth runs back.”
The goal for Ardmore was to make two solid runs with her and continue to build confidence together. Ward plans to spend the next few months going to races with Ivanka to stay sharp while they prepare for the OKC Futurity and her upcoming derby year.
Riley Youngman and Foolish Eddie
Riley Youngman of Centuria, Wisconsin and 2019 gelding Foolish Eddie (Eddie Stinson x RC PYC Back In Bay x PYC Paint Your Wagon) ran a 14.926 to win the second round of the futurity on Sunday and $1,150. That time also won second in Sunday’s Open race, worth $1,602.
The 21-year-old has been riding horses her whole life, buying her first prospect from Jane Melby when she was 12 and continued to ride futurity horses since.
“Freddie is such an incredible horse,” Youngman said. “He is so honest and wants to win. He is such a funny horse and has a huge personality. Freddie is so honest and wants to work every time. I knew if I just let him work he would take care of the rest.”
Owned by Chuck and Lisa Nelson, Youngman said she took Freddie to Ardmore to build confidence in his runs before heading to the Pink Buckle next week. From there, they plan to go to the Ruby Buckle, Barrel Futurities of America World Championship and OKC Futurity.
“I knew if he would have smooth runs he would clock,” She added. “He’s so talented and clocking seems to come effortless to him. This was such a great event and very well ran by great people.”
TayLour Latham and MS Seis
TayLour Latham and 2014 mare MS Seis (Tres Seis x Miss QH x Corona Cartel) ran a 14.886 — the fastest time of the weekend — winning Sunday’s open race and $1,936. Latham works for L Ranches in San Augustine, Texas, who recently purchased MS Seis from Lisa Anderson of Copper Springs Ranch.
“This weekend’s runs were my second and third time to run her,” Latham said. “She is sugar and spice and all things nice but, don’t forget the spice. MS Seis is all business.”
The pair also ran a 15.250 in the American Contender Qualifier on Saturday, putting them third behind Abby Fields’s 15.168, which was second, on 2016 mare Lyke My French Fling (A Streak OF Fling x Shis French Powder x Frenchmans Guy) worth $850 and the American Condender Winner, Tillar King and 2019 gelding Caught At The Disco (Got Gaught Speedin x Perks Special Lady x Perks Special) with a 15.146 worth $1,275.
“Overall my goal was just to figure out some timing and figure out how I should do my job to allow her to do hers,” Latham said. “And of course qualifying for the American which we accomplished that goal.”
MS Seis and Latham will go to Waller County Fair & Rodeo in Hempstead, Texas and Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo in Rosenberg, Texas next in an effort to qualify for Rodeo Houston. After they head to Abilene, Texas for The Texan Barrel Race with a guaranteed $850,000 in race payout.
“I have very minimal runs on her so I’m just trying to figure her out at the moment,” Latham added. “She’s in between a push style and a free runner. She’s not going to run by one but she’s not super ratey either. Right now I’m just feeling her through the run.”
Although getting with a new horse can be challenging, Latham has extensive experience on a variety of high calibur horses, qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo in both barrel racing and goat tying when she attended both Gillette College and The University of Wyoming. In 2024 she was just short of a Mountain States Circuit Finals qualification with Pure Vanila (Dash Ta Fame x Wicked Felina CL x Corona Cartel) and Epic Calendar Girl (Epic Leader x Tool Calendar Girl x Jody O Toole).
“It was the first year I really went to quite a few rodeos and let’s just say it’s a huge learning curve, especially trying to breakaway and run barrels at those rodeos, it gets tricky,” she said. “I really want to say big thank you to L Ranches for allowing me to ride some incredible horses. I also want to give a big hats off to Lisa Anderson for training a great mare.”
Latham added that the Ardmore Barrel Futurity was a great, well-ran event. “These producers always do a great job at their races to keep the races going fast and smooth.”
