Simonson takes eleventh place at 2016 INFR

Keira Simonson, a Loring native and sophomore at the University of Montana has had another solid year of college rodeo under her belt. Simonson has shown improvement in her second year, taking eleventh place in Ladies Barrel Racing at the 2016 Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las, Vegas, Nev. held November 8-12 at the South Point Equestrian Center.

It was her second year that she has run the Ladies Barrel Racing and the second time that she has placed in the top fifteen. The event also marked the seventh consecutive year that she has made the INFR.

Simonson had previously won the junior barrel racing event in 2010.

Though she is only in her second year of racing with adults, Simonson did not feel intimidated by the event.

“It just seems natural because I’ve done it so many years in a row,” Simonson said. “Little things change here and there.”

She went on to say things like the time of day you are called out to ride changes and the ceremonies always change.

Though she has been barrel racing most of her life, Simonson has learned a few new things in the past year. Getting a new horse, would be the reason.

“In the past year, I’ve learned a lot because I have a new horse,” Simonson said. “So that was a whole new experience. This whole summer we have been trying to get together with one another.”

Her new horse Diesel is a taller eight-year-old gelding who has replaced her old horse Oaty, a sixteen-year-old quarter horse.

“I love that he is really young for one because that means we have more time together,” Simonson said. “I also like the way he slides his back leg into the turn and we slide around the barrel. When he likes the ground, it’s a good time.”

Simonson had a great year with a new horse qualifying for the INFR earlier in this summer by winning the barrel racing event in the Lame Deer Rodeo, which was a tour event. Her time was a 17.5, while her nearest competitor ran a time of 17.9. The win gave her eighth place overall, which was good enough for nationals. Qualifying during the tour was a first for Simonson, who had only qualified during regional events in years past.

“They take only the top ten out of the whole tour to go to Vegas and then the other people that qualify have to make it out of their regional rodeos.”

Simonson had another near first place finish this year. She took first place in the opening round barrel races in Rocky Boy last summer only to tip her first barrel in the second and knock her out of placing.

She also took second overall in the Crow County Fair Rodeo.

At the INFR, Simonson hadn’t had the same strong starts she had in other rodeos.

“Well, the first round didn’t go so well,” Simonson said. “And in the second round I shaved off seven tenths. That bumped me up to fifteenth.”

On the first run, Simonson and her horse Diesel slipped on the backside on the first barrel. With their second run in the event, Simonson believes Diesel adapted.

“I feel like he got a better feel for the ground,” Simonson said. “And I guess I was a better jockey. I’ll admit that part of the reason he ran bad was probably partially my fault. “

A lot of their woes had to do with the duo’s concern for safety on a new grade of dirt.

“When he don’t like the ground, he don’t like it. He will take care of himself, which is totally fine because I would rather have him be safe and take care of himself.”

In the final round, Simonson found herself at the bottom of the top fifteen.

“Going into the third round, I was running in the fifteenth spot,” Simonson said. “In the short-go two girls tipped and I beat two other girls.”

Simonson believes that they could’ve done better in the third round but they popped out on the backside of the third barrel which affected their run home time.

In last year’s race, Simonson finished in the top fifteen but she feels that things could’ve gone better.

“Oaty, my horse was sore,” Simonson said. “He got a bad shoeing job before we went down there, so I jumped on my sister’s 21-year-old horse and we were going to have a good run but we tipped the third barrel.”

Though Simonson didn’t share the specifics on the shoe-job, she seemed pretty sure that things went wrong after Oaty saw the horse-shoer.

“He had never walked a lame step until that guy shoed him,” Simonson said. “I was like, he’s 16 years old and all of a sudden he’s walking like he’s really sore.”

For Simonson to take a much younger, newer and unseasoned horse to the Finals and finish higher than she has ever finished says a lot about her skills as a rider.

“I was expecting to do better,” Simonson said. “But honestly, I am happy with how well I did because we really haven’t had very long together, me and this new horse and we came a long way. I feel like I did a lot of seasoning to him this past summer because he hasn’t seen a lot yet.”

Simonson, currently a sophomore at the University of Montana, is working on earning a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science.

**Simonson has competed in the Ladies Barrels event at the Indian National Finals Rodeo since 2014 and had won the Junior Barrel Racing Event in both the 2010 and 2011.