Reese Colgate of Williams Lake shows off her swag won at the BCBRA Finals in Quesnel. Colgate picked up the first and second place overall title on the weekend, entering on two different horses: Goldie and Kiddo. (Photo submitted)

Barrel racing’s best converge at Quesnel’s Alex Fraser Park for BCBRA finals

The weather also held up for the most part, she said, outside a bit of a sprinkle on Sunday

Quesnel’s Alex Fraser Park was bustling with activity during the weekend when the BC Barrel Racing Association Finals rode into town for three days, Aug. 20-22.

With open, senior, junior, peewee and lead line events, hundreds of the best barrel racers in the province converged for the event.

“It was just a great weekend,” said BCBRA president Bridget Rosette. “Our numbers were a bit down due to COVID and all the fires down south, so because of that we did buy-ins this year instead of strictly having to qualify.”

While buy-ins were allowed, Rosette said only those who had competed at a certain number of BCBRA-sanctioned events were in contention for average money and season titles.

“The open, junior and senior classes had to have six race credits, and the peewees needed four,” she said. “Some people, due to fires or COVID, they just couldn’t get to many races, so the board felt we would open it up to buy-ins for those who were unable to qualify.”

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The weather also held up for the most part, she said, outside a bit of a sprinkle on Sunday.

“Considering all the challenges of putting on the finals this year we were really happy with our number of entries,” she said.

Next year’s 2022 BCBRA Finals will take place in Barriere from Aug. 26-28 at the North Thompson Fall Fair Rodeo and Agriplex.

Multiple Williams Lake and Cariboo-Chilcotin competitors, meanwhile, finished atop the standings.

The following are the top three finishers in each class from the 2021 BCBRA Finals in Quesnel:

1D Open Average

1.) Denise Formo

2.) Sarah Gerard

3.) Jordyn Farmer (Quesnel)

2D Open Average

1.) Kathy Lazic

2.) Lori Rankin (Williams Lake)

3.) Darla Cork (Quesnel)

3D Open Average

1.) Kyla Voth

2.) Kelcie Mills

3.) Kira Stowell (Quesnel)

4D Open Average

1.) Diana Marchiel

2.) Shaylene Tucker (Williams Lake)

3.) Mylah Freeman

5D Open Average

1.) Francis Fox

2.) Caitlin Gulbranson

3.) Ashley Kirsh (Quesnel)

1D Junior Average

1.) Jordyn Farmer (Quesnel)

2.) Zoey Hamming

3.) Kylie Isnardy

2D Junior Average

1.) Hannah Cady

2.) Ella Stevenson

3.) Avery Bowden (Quesnel)

3D Junior Average

1.) Emily Marklinger (Williams Lake)

2.) Carly Moe (Williams Lake)

3.) Taylor Fitchett (Quesnel)

4D Junior Average

1.) Julia Laundry (Quesnel)

2.) Mathew Fothergill

3.) Tessa Chabot (Williams Lake)

1D Senior Average

1.) Coleen Duggan

2.) Kim Kerr

3.) Judy Hyde

2D Senior Average

1.) Teresa Pedersen (Quesnel)

2.) Dawnna Robertson (Williams Lake)

3.) Lyn Rempel

3D Senior Average

1.) Susan Tritt (Williams Lake)

2.) Brenda Kohlman

3.) Annette Sunesen

4D Senior Average

1.) Sandra Mulvahill

2.) Karen Halvorson

1D Peewee Average Winners

1.) Reese Colgate on Goldie (Williams Lake)

2.) Reese Colgate on Kiddo (Williams Lake)

3.) Charlee Farmer (Quesnel)

2D Peewee Average Winners

1.) Kaleigh Jackson

2.) Reese Huska (Williams Lake)

3.) Kylie Lamothe (Williams Lake)

3D Peewee Average

1.) Hazel Gulbranson

2.0 Rachel Leduc

3.) Olivia Lebourdais

Also new this year to the finals was peewee lead line, which had no average winners. Participants were Ava Pellam, Hunter Madder of Williams Lake and Felicity Anderson.


 

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Williams Lake Tribune

 

Reese Colgate, who won first and second in the average at the BCBRA Finals in Quesnel, rides on Goldie, who she rode to the first-place result. (Photo submitted)