FIRST FRONTIER CIRCUIT: BARRELS
WINNER TAKES ALL Mulford Dominates First Frontier Circuit Finals, Earns Fifth Year-End Championship By Josie Fladager F ranklinville, New Jersey cowgirl Christina Mulford earned her fifth First Frontier Circuit championship aboard 23-year-old PanamasCharlieHarly “Harly.” The pair have been unstoppable since Mulford first got Harly in 2017, winning the championship
or reserve championship each year since. Mulford acquiring Harly was never something either of them planned. Mulford was seeking help with another horse in late 2016. She had been riding with the horse’s owner Judy Merola when Merola mentioned the 16-year-old flea-bitten grey out of Special Triangle by Panama Edition, that was standing in the pasture. Joe and Judy Merola presented Mulford with the opportunity to try Harly. Once the team got together in late 2016, they never looked back. Mulford and Harly have made their presence known in the First Frontier Circuit since then. In the last six years the team has won five year-end titles, four Circuit Finals average titles, and had six qualifications to the Ram National Circuit Finals/NFR Open. “He’s just been a super rockstar for me pretty much since the time we started,” Mulford said. The 2022 Circuit Finals was no exception, and Harly’s age is not slowing him down a bit. Mulford and Harly won all three rounds inside the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, and Harly ran his fastest time to date inside that arena, stopping the clock at 13.89 seconds in the first round. “He felt great going in [to the finals],” Mulford said. “He felt his usual calm, confident Harly. He just walked around and felt so chill and relaxed with everything.” Harly’s cool demeanor carried them into the second round, and the team ran the fastest time of the night with a time of 14.04 seconds. They finished Saturday night out strong with a time of 13.95 seconds. Mulford’s runs total 41.88 seconds — over a second faster over three runs than anyone else at the circuit finals. Mulford and Harly
were also the only duo to break the 14 second barrier for the week — and they did it twice. Mulford won a total of $9,572 for the week and earned her spot in the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, CO this July. Jen Merriman of Potsdam, New York finished second in the year-end and also qualified for the NFR Open. Mulford says this year-end title is just as exciting as the first but may be a little more special because of their circumstances earlier in the year. Harly was sick for most of the spring, and Mulford did not get to run at some of the rodeos she usually does. By summer Harly was feeling like himself again, but it took until late July for him to really run like himself again. Harly began to get his consistency back, and the team made a surge in the standings. Mulford knew Harly was back when he won three of four rounds in Gerry, New York in early August. The rodeo switched this year to four rounds instead of one, and Mulford was grateful for the change to give Harly’s consistency an opportunity to shine once again. Mulford and Harly are not going to slow down a bit this year. They plan to go to their regular rodeos throughout the year and will make a run for their sixth year-end championship. Harly may be older than most other horses in the race, having run barrels for longer than most of his equine competitors have been alive, but his heart and determination are also greater than most. His consistency and try is what separates him from the field, and his runs continue to look almost effortless. This team will continue to be one to watch in the First Frontier Circuit. Christina Mulford first got Harly in 2017 and the duo has been unstoppable ever since in the First Frontier Circuit winning the championship or finishing reserve every year since. Mulford won all three rounds en route to the average and year-end titles easily earning a trip to the NFR Open in Colorado Springs in July is she chooses to make the trip. Photo by Casey Martin
Christina Mulford (center) continues to add circuit saddles to her trophy room dominating the First Frontier Circuit Finals once again winning the average title and year-end title. Photo by Casey Martin
16 WOMEN’S PRO RODEO NEWS MARCH 2023
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