Ashley Dolphin banked just under $10,000 at the Pro Elite World Challenge Finals on her talented gelding Repaintabull.
The Pro Elite World Challenge Finals brought formidable barrel racers and pole benders from all over the upper Midwest to Verndale, Minnesota for the chance to take home some serious cash. For barrels, the traditional Youth, Adult, and Senior sidepots were available, as well as Futurity and Maturity. A $1,000-added Slot Race ran on Saturday, complete with a calcutta for both barrels and poles. Racers could also enter the “All Runs Count” Weekend Sidepot, with times rolled from each day’s open race. The “Target Time Average” sidepot rolled times from the Open on Friday and Saturday. PEWC members were also eligible at no cost for a $10,000 Bonus Sidepot on Saturday and Sunday; while Future Fortunes and Xtreme Mini Millions rounded out the extra incentives.
Slot Race Champions Ashley Dolphin and Repaintabull
Minnesota native Ashley Dolphin kept a lion’s share of the winnings in the home state, bringing in $11,040 between her two special mounts, Repaintabull and Repetition. Both are out of Danyelle Campbell’s outstanding mare Repete Fame (Dash Ta Fame x Hittin Pay Dirt x Arbeka Jet One). Repaintabull is a 2017 gelding by Bullseye Bullion; while Repetition is a 2013 mare by First Down French. Repetition was Dolphin’s first foray into the progeny of Repete Fame, and a door opened for a beautiful friendship to form over the next 10 years between Dolphin and Campbell. Dolphin had her eye on Repaintabull as a 2-3-year-old, and jumped at the chance to purchase him as well.
In the beginning, soundness setbacks kept her from being able to bring his true potential to fruition. Extensive diagnostic work culminated in a successful kissing spine surgery performed by Dr. Chad Marsh, DVM, DACVS-LA, at Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery in Weatherford, Texas. After getting him back on track physically, Dolphin took over the training of “Picasso.” She divulged that even when his results weren’t showing it yet in his 5-year-old season, she could tell that he would be special — but it was sporadic.
“He would show me things, but it wouldn’t quite blend,” Dolphin said. “About his 6-year-old year we were making progress, and I was tinkering with things. By the middle of that year it was pretty obvious he would be really special. He’s been on a tear since then, and has racked up a lot of wins in our northern region. We travel far a few times a year; but when we have horses up here that break over $50,000, it’s a big deal because those are lots of results with smaller earnings.”
Verndale is admittedly Dolphin’s favorite pen in Minnesota, as evidenced by her successful weekend there.
“[PEWC Finals] is the biggest race in the state for the season, and it brings a ton of people from out of state for the added money,” she said. “My approach is, you can’t be safe, you have to really go for it to slide into one of those top spots. Picasso was feeling good, and we just went in there and went for it. On Friday he was bottom of the ground, but he’s got such a big strong stride and can really cover ground so he can make up for it. I just make sure to really ride all the way into the barrels, sit back, wait, and let him come back to me. It was a really nice start to the weekend.”
The pair clocked a 14.437, placing second and earning $1,021.
“Saturday was pretty tough; there was a lot on the line with the slot race and Mini Million,” Dolphin shared. “Fortunately we were able to put together a pretty good run. He was feeling really good and ran strong; I could tell he was proud of himself. He did everything I asked him to do. When Maggie (Poloncic) makes a good run, you know it’s gonna be really hard to get around it, so it was pretty cool to cross that line.”
Their time of 14.325 edged out Poloncic’s 14.326, banking $2,500 for first in the slot race, $1,365 for first in the Open 5D, $1,505 for first in the Xtreme Mini Million, and $540 for first in the Future Fortunes incentive. Including additional sidepots and Friday’s earnings, Picasso added $9,860 to his LTE over the weekend.
“He has been so good this year and has just gotten better and better,” Dolphin said. “It has been a process to develop him, but piece by piece things have been falling into place. It’s super rewarding when it is a longer process; you feel at times certain things where you’re like, ‘Wow, that feels like a million bucks,’ and you know it’s there if you stay patient, stay the course and stay on track. I knew that in time it would really be worth it, even if it wasn’t as fast as I’d like. Danyelle has been such a great resource when I’m stuck on this or that, she’s been there and I’m so thankful for that. You truly know a horse differently when you raise it, and knowing the mom and dad like the back of your hand [Campbell jockeyed both Repete Fame and Bullseye Bullion] really helps with troubleshooting the colts, too.”
In addition to her training operation, Dolphin is the mother of 4 and 6-year-old boys, and holds an office job. She credits her husband for his help and support. “He’s a big part of making the success that we create,” she shared. “I love him and I’m so thankful he does what he does for us. I couldn’t juggle it all on my own; it’s a team effort, and I’m really appreciative.”
This article was originally published in the January 2025 issue of Barrel Horse News.
