By Nancy Brannon with Contributor Debbie Cornelison
Photo by Amanda Rutherford
Kindyl Scruggs of Southaven, MS became the IPRA World Champion Barrel Racer for 2016, winning the title at the 47th IPRA Rodeo in Oklahoma City January 13-15, 2017. She also dominated the rodeo by winning 2 out of 4 rounds, taking top honors in the average for the weekend. Riding her horse Money Red Down Home, aka “Bull,” Kindyl also broke the record for most money won in barrel racing in a year.
The cowgirl from Southaven, Mississippi, a three-time IFR qualifier, worked very hard all last year to stay focused and win this title. “I set my goal to win the world in 2016,” said Scruggs. She started the season with her gelding “Blue,” going to all the winter Lone Star Rodeos. She and Blue had won $10,000 before May. But when Blue wasn’t feeling his best, Kindyl decided to give him some time off and run her younger horse, Bull.
Kindyl got Blue from Pierre Dubuc and Changal Auger of Quebec, Canada in October 2015. After watching the video of him run in the men’s barrel race at St. Tite, she decided to go try him out. But the “trial run” didn’t go well and when went back home. She still had a nagging feeling that she should buy him, “so I called and had him shipped to me,” Kindyl said. “His registered name is Money Red Down Home.”
When Blue came up lame last summer, Kindyl starting riding Bull full time. When she went to St. Tite this, Carrie Putnam, her “arch rival,” were only $500 apart in earnings. At St. Tite, she said Bull was “awesome” and they won $6,000, which gave her a big lead over Putnam.
Before the start of the 47th IPRA, Kindyl had already earned over $39, 612. At this year’s event, Kindyl and Bull won rounds 1 and 3, were second in round 2, and third in round 4. In Round 4, Tennessee cowgirl Jodi Colton had the fastest barrel racing run of the entire finals. But Scruggs claimed the average win at the IFR, for total earnings of over $9, 406. Her yearend earnings totaled $49,018.61, which beat the records previously set by Betty Roper.
After this important triumph, what is in store for the rest of this year for Kindyl? “I plan to change things up in 2017,” said Scruggs. “I plan to make the IFR but not try for a world title again. I have a job now and won’t be able to travel as much as I have. I want to give Bull some time off and slow him down; he tries to do more than he’s ready for. He’s just 6 years old and is still derby eligible, so I’m going to take him to some derbies. I hope to qualify him for the AQHA World Show again; we qualified last year and won 3rd in the junior barrels.”
Resource:
Interview with Tammie Hiatt, IPRA Rodeo News, “Kindyl Scruggs: 2016 IPRA World Champion Barrel Racer”
Photo by Amanda Rutherford
Kindyl Scruggs of Southaven, MS became the IPRA World Champion Barrel Racer for 2016, winning the title at the 47th IPRA Rodeo in Oklahoma City January 13-15, 2017. She also dominated the rodeo by winning 2 out of 4 rounds, taking top honors in the average for the weekend. Riding her horse Money Red Down Home, aka “Bull,” Kindyl also broke the record for most money won in barrel racing in a year.
The cowgirl from Southaven, Mississippi, a three-time IFR qualifier, worked very hard all last year to stay focused and win this title. “I set my goal to win the world in 2016,” said Scruggs. She started the season with her gelding “Blue,” going to all the winter Lone Star Rodeos. She and Blue had won $10,000 before May. But when Blue wasn’t feeling his best, Kindyl decided to give him some time off and run her younger horse, Bull.
Kindyl got Blue from Pierre Dubuc and Changal Auger of Quebec, Canada in October 2015. After watching the video of him run in the men’s barrel race at St. Tite, she decided to go try him out. But the “trial run” didn’t go well and when went back home. She still had a nagging feeling that she should buy him, “so I called and had him shipped to me,” Kindyl said. “His registered name is Money Red Down Home.”
When Blue came up lame last summer, Kindyl starting riding Bull full time. When she went to St. Tite this, Carrie Putnam, her “arch rival,” were only $500 apart in earnings. At St. Tite, she said Bull was “awesome” and they won $6,000, which gave her a big lead over Putnam.
Before the start of the 47th IPRA, Kindyl had already earned over $39, 612. At this year’s event, Kindyl and Bull won rounds 1 and 3, were second in round 2, and third in round 4. In Round 4, Tennessee cowgirl Jodi Colton had the fastest barrel racing run of the entire finals. But Scruggs claimed the average win at the IFR, for total earnings of over $9, 406. Her yearend earnings totaled $49,018.61, which beat the records previously set by Betty Roper.
After this important triumph, what is in store for the rest of this year for Kindyl? “I plan to change things up in 2017,” said Scruggs. “I plan to make the IFR but not try for a world title again. I have a job now and won’t be able to travel as much as I have. I want to give Bull some time off and slow him down; he tries to do more than he’s ready for. He’s just 6 years old and is still derby eligible, so I’m going to take him to some derbies. I hope to qualify him for the AQHA World Show again; we qualified last year and won 3rd in the junior barrels.”
Resource:
Interview with Tammie Hiatt, IPRA Rodeo News, “Kindyl Scruggs: 2016 IPRA World Champion Barrel Racer”
