PERMIT HOLDER JUST THE BEGINNING Balch Bags Win at WPRA World Finals Permit Race By: Allie Bohus B rooklyn Balch,19, and Quckaintfair, “Junior”, owned by Judi Reed, were quite the pair at the WPRA World Finals held at the Extraco Events
Center in Waco, Texas, Nov. 11-13. Competing on her WPRA Permit, Balch placed third in the first go of the permit only race with a 16.287, won the second go with the fast time of the race, 15.911 seconds, and was leading the permit average after two go’s. She made another solid run in the short-go, stopping the clock in 16.129 seconds and winning third in the round. She won the average with an aggregate time of 48.327 seconds on three runs. Although Balch was very excited for her win, she credits her team for her success. “I wanted to win it, but I knew I had to ride [Junior] right. Judi [Reed] coaches me and my mom [Tammy Balch] and grandma [Debbie Jones]… I was so excited I didn’t even realize how big of a deal it was until after I won it. I don’t even credit myself; I just thank Judi and her family. They have done so much for me… They are a really giving family, it is pretty neat,” Balch said. Balch grew up rodeoing competing in barrel
Brooklyn Balch and Quickaintfair “Junior” ran like veterans during the WPRA Permit Only Race at the WPRA World Finals. The duo won the average title in a time of 48.327 seconds on three runs. Balch filled her permit but will have to decide if 2023 or 2024 will be her rookie season in the WPRA. WPRA photo by Rodeobum.com/James Phifer
racing, goat tying, and breakaway roping. She was a member of the National High School Rodeo Association and a Texas State High School Rodeo Champion in Goat Tying in 2021. She is currently
attending Cisco College (Cisco, TX) and a member of the National Intercollege Rodeo Association (NIRA) Women’s Rodeo Team at Cisco, under the direction of current PRCA Steer Roper and head coach Dan Eddleman. Balch runs barrels, ties goats and breakaway ropes. Junior is her barrel horse at the collegiate level as well. Junior is a 13-year-old registered American Paint Horse Association (APHA) gelding. Two-time Texas State High School Rodeo State Champion Brandi Good won one state title on Junior and was Reserve one year. “He has proven himself everywhere he goes. He has won against everybody… He’s just a very special horse, and I’m just blessed to be able to ride him,” Balch said. Now that she has filled her WPRA Permit, Balch looks forward to 2023! The very goal-minded Balch aspires to win NIRA’s Southwestern Region and make it to the College Finals in Casper, Wyoming June of 2023. Her biggest goal is to not get ahead of herself; she strives to take one event at time and have little goals along the way. Her dad, Eric Balch, is especially helpful at the mental aspect of rodeo. When the college season concludes, Balch looks forward to pro rodeoing the summer of 2023 with her coach, Judi, and boyfriend Layne. Family is really important to Balch so since she is only 19, she isn’t ready to take the Rookie plunge yet, but she looks forward to rodeoing with the big girls when her time comes!
Brooklyn Balch was the top permit holder at the WPRA World Finals and accepts her new hardware from WPRA President Jimmie Munroe. WPRA photo by Rodeobum.com/James Phifer
42 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
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