Courtesy of American Quarter Horse Association
Sadiefamouslastwords gets Mary Burger to another barrel racing world title. Mary Burger was already back at the barn, unsaddling and tending to “Mo,” when a PRCA representative caught up with her to tell her she had a gold buckle waiting for her in the Thomas & Mack arena.
She honestly didn’t think she had won her second barrel racing world title. The unassuming Oklahoma barrel racer came into the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo leading the world standings in the barrel racing. After the 10 runs in the Thomas & Mack, she took home another gold buckle, winning her second (her first was in 2006) barrel racing world championship.
The 68-year-old earned a total of $277,554, which was enough to hold off rookie Amberleigh Moore by nearly $11,000.
“It was an amazing year,” Mary said. “One that is hard to imagine, really, with setting a lot of new records, coming into the Finals with the No. 1 back number. Everybody has been so kind. I’m so glad they are proud of me and Mo.”
Mo, who is registered as Sadiefamouslastwords, has been laid up this fall due to a tendon injury. The 2009 buckskin gelding is by Sadies Frosty Drift and out of the Dash Ta Fame mare Porky And Bess. Mo has AQHA points in barrel racing and nearly $6,000 in Barrel Futurities of America earnings.
“He us not 100 percent, but he’s got a lot of heart,” Mary said. “We checked him every day a couple times a day, he’s doing therapy here, we iced his legs, we kept a real close eye on him.”
“This year has been a storybook year, and I am at a loss for words about how wonderful it has been,” she said. “You know, I kept hearing from everyone that I have been an inspiration and it has meant so much to me. It’s really all God’s plan, and I’m liking His plan. I am so proud.”
Winning the Average
Lisa Lockhart was the picture of consistency this year at the 2016 NFR. She and her horse, “Louie,” were the only team that ran the barrel pattern without knocking one over in any of the 10 rounds. With a time of 137.98 seconds in the 10 rounds Lisa added another NFR aggregate – or average – win here in 2016 to the one she won in 2014.
An Oakie With Cash, aka “Louie,” is a 2003 buckskin gelding who was bred by Timothy and Kelly Bagnell of Ronan, Montana. Louie is by Biebers Oakie and out of Lady Kaweah Cash by Judge Cash. Lisa and Louie won the barrel racing in the 2014 RFD-TV American Rodeo. Louie has also won money in National Reining Horse and National Reined Cow Horse association competition.