Backup plan pays off for Texas barrel racer in Dallas rodeo

By BRETT HOFFMAN

Special to the Star-Telegram

DALLAS — Tammy Fischer entered the Texas Stampede with a big question mark.

The five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier’s star barrel racing horse, Round Pen, is out of commission for about six months with a leg injury. That’s the high-powered horse who carried the Ledbetter cowgirl to a $100,000 victory at the Calgary Stampede in July.

So, Fischer went to her backup horses with high hopes they would run for the money.

On opening night, Fischer was at the pay window after winning the first round with a time of 12.28 seconds aboard her new horse, a 6-year-old named Money. She earned $2,000 for the victory.

"This is my colt," she said. "This is his first time to the big show. So, we’re seasoning him and experiencing him for Vegas. And so this is the perfect setup."

Fischer means she’s using the Texas Stampede as a warmup for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which is set for Dec. 3-12 in Las Vegas.

Money was among two horses that Fischer rode at the Texas Stampede. The other mount is Critter, a 10-year old who helped Fisher finish fourth in the second round with a 12.62 ($500).

After riding Money in Round 1 and Critter in Round 2, Fischer leads the barrel racing title race with a two-run time of 24.90 as the Stampede concluded its first of two performances Friday at the American Airlines Center.

Other average leaders are Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., bareback riding (170 on two rides); J.W. Harris, May, bull riding (178.5); and Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont., saddle bronc riding (174).

After having success at the Stampede, Fischer said she plans to saddle up both Money and Critter at next month’s NFR. She is ranked 11th in the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association NFR Qualifier standings, with regular season earnings of $66,840.

"My main goal at Vegas is not to use one horse or the other, but rather to use the best one every night," Fischer said. "Every night, you have them both ready. You get everything set. Whichever one feels good, then that’s the one you ride."

According to Fischer, the Texas Stampede is an excellent training ground for the National Finals. Like the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, that houses the National Finals, the American Airlines configuration is very small and times are very fast.

"This is a great warm-up," Fischer said. "It’s fabulous. Neither one of my two horses has ever been in this little of a building with this kind of noise level. This is closer to Vegas than anything that I could get."

However, the smaller arena is a big challenge.

"The arena is hard for a barrel racer because we go so much on speed and there's not a lot of room for that [between the barrels]," Fischer said. "So, it’s more about perfect turns because you just can’t mess up in this small of a pen."

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