In 2019 Barrel Horse News caught up with National Finals Rodeo qualifier and breakaway roper Lacinda Rose to talk breakaway, barrels and the NFR.
Barrel Horse News: You are headed to your first NFR, tell me about your barrel horse RR Meradas Real Deal?
Lacinda Rose: My father-in-law raised him and my husband, Adam, trained him to head on and then he turned him over to me when ‘Real Deal’ was 4 to train him on barrels. He just really came on quick. Before Adam roped on him he also dayworked and ranched on him, so he’s caught cows in the pasture and that sort of thing. Before any of our horses go to the roping pen [or on the barrel pattern], they go to the pasture.
BHN: Why is ranching on your horses important to your program?
Lacinda: Basically to see what they are, if they have speed, how good-minded they are and what they can handle. It also helps them have more heart. They will have a lot more try, because the days are long and there’s no quitting in the pasture. When you load that horse in there to go do work, that’s the only horse you have, so you are going to have to finish the day. They learn, and it just makes them have a lot more try.
BHN: How has that background translated for you on the barrel pattern?
Lacinda: It’s been super beneficial. In the seasoning process of the barrels, if Real Deal felt short I would ask Adam to rope on him and that would free him up running in between the barrels. I think Adam can ask a lot out of one, whereas it’s harder for me to get that out of them—I’m a walk in the park compared to him.
BHN: How about your breakaway horse?
Lacinda: He’s 15, his name is Shining Goldseeker (Zans Diamond Shine x Jaunetta Goldseeker x Zan Juan Leo) and we call him “Chase.” There’s been a lot of ropers who had him, Kelsie Chase is one—she had him for a while. Adam traded for him last year and I guess they didn’t know he was a calf horse, because they traded him as a head horse. Adam started researching him and found all that out and then I started roping on him, and I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s not going anywhere.’ I finally have something that I like.
BHN: How has it been trying to balance roping with trying to make the NFR?
Lacinda: It’s been tough. I usually rope at quite a few of the amateur rodeos and the all-girl ropings, but this year chasing the NFR left it to where [I had to make some tough choices]. Chase was in the trailer when I went to the Northwest, and I entered a couple [pro rodeos in the breakaway] and only got to rope at one, because it conflicted. As it worked out, it didn’t kill me too much to turn out, [because I did end up making the NFR].
BHN: What is the biggest difference in training a barrel horse vs. a breakaway horse?
Lacinda: For me, I prefer a short-strided horse, but also smooth to breakaway on—they have to be really smooth across the line for me. After you get over that 35 year-mark, I feel like the horse has to help me quite a bit more and it’s not so easy to just jump on anything and make it work. Adam can get on one and know if I’m going to like it or not, and he knew I’d like Chase. Real Deal, my barrel horse, can be a bit longer strided, but yet he can shorten up whenever you rope a steer, but the breakaway happens so fast that he doesn’t quite match that. He’s so longbodied that it doesn’t work. I like the shorter stride, smooth and honest horse for breakaway.
BHN: Are there aspects between the two types of horses that are similar?
Lacinda: The mind and wanting to do it—when you ask them to do something they do it and they understand. You make it real clear for them what you want from them, and they want to do it. To me that’s what makes champions is their heart, their try and their willingness.
BHN: What are some goals for your breakaway horse vs. the goals you have for your barrel horse?
Lacinda: I’d say goals for my breakaway horse are scoring good—that’s a huge thing—and one that can get it across the line and has a heck of a stop. As far as the barrel training, it’s a lot more of a feel thing for me. It takes so long to make a barrel horse that if they don’t have that feel I like, such as coming into a barrel and going around it, then I will usually pass them off to Adam and he has other avenues like heading, heeling, dayworking, all kinds of ways they can earn their keep.
BHN: What are your thoughts on the boom in breakaway right now?
Lacinda: I love it. I think it’s awesome. I can’t wait to see it at the NFR. I think that’s what’s going to happen. I’d really like to see it at Circuit Finals; I think it’d be a great addition to that rodeo. I’m just super excited about it.
This article was originally published in the January 2020 issue of Barrel Horse News.
