BIG TIME WIN Ganter Goes to No. 1 With Fort Worth Victory By Ted Harbin J ackie Ganter has had big dreams and aspirations for herself and for the horses she rides. Howes A Tycoon is no different from any animal she’s ridden into the arena, but there’s a special bond that she has with the 15-year-old sorrel gelding she calls Tycoon, out of RLJ Callingallangles and by Streakin Again.
It comes from the roller-coaster career for the big, red racer. There have been great successes, but there have also been so many months away from competition. When injuries came into play, Tycoon was down for the count more often than he and Ganter had hoped. “When he’s sound, he’s a winner,” said Ganter, a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Abilene, Texas. “I’ve had a lot of trouble with him. He’s had several big-time injuries that have kept him out of competition. “I got him back right before the WPRA Finals in November, and he won that. I gave him time off again until Fort Worth.” That proved to be valuable, because he needed plenty of energy to make it through the tournament-style format. She and her prized mount were in the seventh bracket, the last set to determine which cowgirls were to advance to the semifinals. Ganter stopped the clock in 16.54 seconds to win the first round, then he stumbled in their second-round run; that pushed the Abilene lady into the wild-card round.
Year who finished eighth that season and seventh a year later in her two bids to the NFR so far. “Growing up in Abilene, I’ve been to Fort Worth every year for as long as I can remember. “This is huge. I haven’t made the NFR since 2016, so this is a huge jump right at the beginning of the year to try to qualify for the NFR again.” Because of Tycoon’s injury history, she knows it will take a team if she were to play in Las Vegas again. “He can only haul so far and so many miles, so it makes a difference where he goes,” she said. “That’s where my other horses will have to step up and allow him to run where he can.” All she wanted was a sound horse to have a chance, and Tycoon gave her that. Now, Jackie Ganter knows that when her 15-year old sorrel gelding Tycoon is sound, he is a winner and they proved that at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. In the finals, the duo stopped the clock in 16.30 seconds, to knock four-time and reigning world champion Hailey Kinsel and Sister off the top of the leaderboard. Photo by Rodeobum.com, James Phifer
She advanced out of that and into the first semifinal, where she and Tycoon stopped the clock in 16.56 to tie for second place and move into the Feb. 4 championship round. She and her sorrel made four runs in consecutive days before getting a day off, and it was much-needed and well-earned. “He had a (good) run again on the third night, and then we split second in the semifinals,” she said. “He’d never done four in a row. I thought in my semifinals run, he seemed pretty tired warming up and afterwards. He definitely needed a break. I was glad to have that Friday off to let him rest and recover.” It helped a ton, and Ganter and Tycoon rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 16.30 seconds to win the title, ahead of four-time and reigning WPRA world champion Hailey Kinsel, and the $20,000 top prize for winning on the final night. In her first time to ever advance out of the bracket system, she finished the rodeo with $24,260, which shoved her to No. 1 in the world standings and gave her a wink toward the future.
Jackie Ganter was all smiles as she accepted her winning prize package at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Joining her in the winner’s circle was Mr. Ed Bass and Mr. Brad Barnes, representing the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Photo by Rodeobum.com, James Phifer
“It’s definitely a goal you’re striving for to win a major rodeo, especially Fort Worth,” said Ganter, the 2015 Resistol Rookie of the
Ganter can envision big things with her special, red horse.
12 WPRA NEWS MARCH 2023
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