Little clocked a 16.53 as the last runner (of 10) in the performance. The standings had already been shaken up early in the performance with 2012 WPRA Rookie of the Year Emily Efurd (2nd out), Pittsburg, Texas running a 16.59 and two-time Wrangler NFR qualifier Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas (1st out) close behind with a 16.61.
It is a borrowed horse that has taken Little to the Fort Worth lead. “He’s a 15-year-old gelding named Stoney and he’s owned by Wendy Boyd,” said Little. “My horse came up crippled right before Denver. I started calling about horses to ride at Denver and Fort Worth and my friend Stacey Grimes told me about a gray horse that Lynn Hinds had been running and doing really good on. Stoney had been laid off for about five years and Lynn was legging him up and running him some for Wendy. It was my lucky day when Wendy agreed to let me run him at Denver and here.”
After having clipped the first barrel on both her runs at Denver, Little was acutely aware that she needed to ride hard at Fort Worth to leave them standing. “He’s such a fun horse to ride and so deceiving as he doesn’t feel like he’s clocking but he does. I would have been high in the money both runs at Denver had I not hit barrels. Here we got around the first two really good and I worked really hard not to let him get in too close on the third.”
9th Performance, Fort Worth Rodeo, Tuesday night, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 29, 2013
Karen Little 16.53
Emily Efurd 16.59
Carlee Pierce 16.61
Andrea Cline 16.82
Morgan Figueroa 16.84
Lizzy Ehr 17.02
Robyn Herring 17.29
Stevi Hillman 17.54
Megan Williams 17.56
Kirby Harter 17.97
