CIRCUIT FINALS: GREAT LAKES BARRELS PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Rose Sweeps Great Lakes Circuit Winning Year-End and Average Titles By Brittany Gunn A s old man winter hit the Great Lakes Circuit, the three-time circuit barrel racing champion
Lacinda Rose took time to focus on the upcoming rodeo season. Rose rides a 16-year-old sorrel gelding named RR Meradas Real Deal, nicknamed Real Deal. As a son of Zan Roan Jax JO by Lover Boy Merada, he was bred by Lacinda’s father- in-law Phillip Rose, and trained as a finished head horse by her husband Adam before starting his barrel racing career at the age of five. “Real Deal has done so much for me and my family,” she said. “He is the one I qualified with for the National Finals Rodeo in 2019.” In 2023, Rose won big at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, the Tri-State Rodeo and won the Heart of the North Pro Rodeo in Spooner, Wisconsin. She finished fourth at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Before going into the Great Lakes Circuit finals, Rose was
Lacinda Rose is heading back to the national circuit finals now known as the NFR Open after winning not only the year-end title but also the average title at the Great Lakes Circuit Finals. Rose won the average title in a total time of 46.03 seconds on three runs. She finished the year with $23,658. Photo by Phillip Kitts
sitting first ahead of Kricket Ginter of Eau Claire, Wisconsin by a sliver. During the event, Rose placed third in rounds one and two and second in round three, securing her win as the Great Lakes Circuit year-end and average champion with a time of 46.030 seconds. “Ronda Casey was also having a great finals and after the second round, she was actually ahead of me in the circuit,” said Rose. “Unfortunately, she hit a barrel in the third round. It was a really close race at the Circuit Finals this year. “Bringing home the Great Lakes Circuit titles is really special because I know Real Deal won’t be around forever and I just cherish every run. For him to still be clocking with the horses that are out there it’s really cool and special.” Their hard work earned her a spot to compete at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 9-13, 2024. The event, formerly known as the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR) will welcome over 200 contestants from across the U.S. and Canada. The finals will mark her third appearance for a chance at $1 million in payouts. In 2018, she competed at the RNCFR when it was held in Kissimmee, Florida, and in 2020 competed again at the RNCFR in
Greeley, Colorado as it had to be moved due to COVID. While the location of this event has changed, Rose is familiar with the venue as her husband Adam Blaine Rose has previously qualified to compete in the team roping as a header. “It helps I already know a lot of the setup – it takes away some of the nerves,” she said. This year she is also looking forward to making appearances at several of the same Great Lakes Circuit rodeos she competed at in 2023, noting she has several horses she needs to season this year. One of the horses she hopes to ride is a 13-year-old sorrel gelding named Chief, registered as Special Clown Royal. While her ultimate goal is to make it back to Louisville, Kentucky, for a shot at No. 4, she hopes to have a safe, healthy and successful year on her main horse Real Deal, and to cherish every run she is blessed with. When Rose isn’t on the rodeo trail, she and her husband Adam stay busy managing life back home and raising their four children, 21-year- old Bailey, 20-year-old Josey, nine-year-old Callan and seven-year-old Johni Sue.
26 WPRA NEWS FEBRUARY 2024
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting