LaTricia Duke and DM High Roller make big moves in the WPRA World Standings after winning the Moses Lake Round-Up Rodeo in Moses Lake, Washington.
This team has excelled in the Northwest and has spent the summer consistently climbing the ladder to now be 16th in the world standings as they stay in the hunt for their first NFR. Running the only 16-second run in Moses Lake, Washington gave her the win and $5,131.
“We stopped for a couple hours and let the horses rest on the way to Moses Lake and I had already run him 4 times in 3 days,” Duke explained. “I was worried he would be tired, but he proved different. The run just felt smooth nothing special, but no mistakes.”
DM High Roller was started as a 2-year-old by Brent Lewis. “The first day I took him around the barrels he felt special,” Duke said. “I cannot think of one time he has ever told me ‘no.’ He is as sweet of a stallion as one could ask for, loves scratches and taking pictures with anyone that wants one with him.”
A summer run packed with highs and lows, Duke said the 2017 stallion has stayed solid and showed up when she does her part. “I have made a few mistakes and caught very costly barrels from trying to rush the turns but if I do my job he always shows up.”
Duke and “Vanilla Wafer,” who has Equistat lifetime earnings of more than $374,000 were also 3rd in Logan, Utah, split 3rd in both Bozeman, Montana and Burley, Idaho, placed 4th in Canby, Oregon and were 7th in the average in Caldwell, Idaho.
Not to mention, at the end of July the duo won just under $15,000 in Cheyenne, Wyoming and were the reserve champions at Cheyenne Frontier Days behind Jordon Briggs and Famous Lil Jet.
“Hauling a stallion adds so much difficulty to trying to rodeo,” Duke notes. “Jordan Driver and I travel so many extra miles to find safe places to keep him, but it’s just what you have to do when your best boy is also a breeding stallion.”
With goals of qualifying for her first NFR, Duke is enjoying the rodeo experience and taking it one run at a time knowing a lot can happen in the next 6 weeks.
“It’s hard to not get caught up in making every run be the most important one but we will try to just stay the course and see what God has planned for us,” she added. “The saying it takes a team of people to do this is true and my team of people are the best there is and have supported me when I win or when I am crying alligator tears from making a mistake. It is a crazy life we live but I’m blessed to get to live it.”
Moses Lake Round-Up Rodeo:
1. LaTricia Duke, 16.99 seconds, $5,131; 2. Kassie Mowry, 17.01, $4,104; 3. Tiany Schuster, 17.02, $3,335; 4. Halyn Lide, 17.04, $2,565; 5. Jordon Briggs, 17.07, $2,052; 6. Chloe Gray, 17.08, $1,539; 7. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 17.17, $1,283; 8. Jodee Miller, 17.18, $1,154; 9. Chelsea Moore, 17.25, $1,026; 10. (tie) Sherry Cervi and Jamie Olsen, 17.28, $834 each; 12. Kathy Grimes, 17.32, $641; 13. Andrea Busby, 17.34, $513; 14. Stephanie Fryar, 17.35, $385; 15. (tie) Julia Johnson and Hailey Kinsel, 17.38, $128 each.
