Cheryl Kennedy – She skips no steps
Hope Sickler of Mile Hi Barrel Horse Magazine
We’ve heard the old saying time and time again; “You’re never too old to try something new.” We as humans are given the opportunity to learn new things every day, and for husband and wife team, Bill and Cheryl Kennedy, age is just a number and you are never too old to learn new things, such as horses.
Cheryl Kennedy didn’t grow up around horses. Her husband, Bill, grew up riding horses on trails and that was about the extent of his horse experience. When they made the decision over a decade ago to move full speed ahead into the horse business, they weren’t quite sure what they were getting into but fast forward to the present day and they are happy they took that large leap of faith.
With little knowledge and hardly any experience, Bill and Cheryl decided to venture into the horse breeding business. Cheryl went straight to the local library and checked out a book on horse breeding. She learned what she needed to via that book and not too long after, her and Bill were expecting their first baby, horse baby that is!
“He was an appaloosa and he was beautiful. I picked him up and did all the imprint training that I read about in the books. We named him CocaDot. He was perfect and from there on, Bill and Iwere hooked,” explained Cheryl.
Once CocaDot was old enough to saddle break, Cheryl and Bill sent him to a good friend of theirs who happened to be a trainer. Pretty soon after they sent CocaDot, they received a phone call from their friend.
“He told us that CocaDot needed a job as a performance horse. We had no idea what a “performance” horse was so we asked him. He told us he needed to be running barrels. I had never ridden before, so there I was at age 35 learning how to ride and run barrels at the same time,” Cheryl said.
Cheryl and Bill jumped right into the barrel racing scene, and although they weren’t quite sure on what they were doing, they were having fun and learning a new sport.
“We absolutely loved it. We started going to amateur rodeos and we thought we did good if my time was better than the girls who hit barrels. We counted those as a win!”
Veteran barrel racer and well known trainer Carol Ellis saw the Kennedy’s out and about at the rodeos and jackpots and noticed that they needed a little guidance, so she took Bill and Cheryl under her wing.
“Carol has been a godsend. She has taught us how to do it all! She introduced us to Carol (Crowder) and the Mile Hi family, which was the first year it started and we have been hooked on Mile Hi ever since,” Cheryl explained.
Cheryl came into Mile Hi as an inaugural member and started from the very bottom. Over the years, she and Bill have worked their hiney’s off to get her moved up the barrel racing ladder from the bottom to the very top. Mile Hi taught Cheryl and Bill everything they needed to know about barrel racing and how to advance to the next levels of barrel racing.
“Mile Hi prepared us on how to get to the big league, such as the amateur and pro rodeos. It is a family association and everyone cheers for everyone else. All the hard stuff that rodeos throw at you, Mile Hi helps you learn how to get through those obstacles and Carol Crowder has been nothing short of amazing as a producer and as a friend. She is always open to different ideas and is always so helpful.”
The next horse after CocaDot that Cheryl started competing on was a horse by the name of Alabama Clay. His name was synonymous of where he came fromand he was owned and ran by a NFR qualifier.
“Alabama Clay was a great horse, much more horse than I was ready for at that point, but Kelly Conrado and Carol Ellis helped me take that next step with him. Once we started winning at the Mile Hi races consistently, we were ready to start hitting the rodeo trail.”
Cheryl purchased her WPRA permit in August and by the end of September she had won the $1,000 needed to fill her permit.
“It was actually pretty special when I filled my permit because it was at the Mile Hi Finals. I ended up placing in the slot race as well as the WPRA side pot and it was enough to fill my permit. My husband sponsored the finals that year and so that made it extra special,” Cheryl said.
After afew years on the rodeo trail, Cheryl and Bill decided they wanted to learn more about the barrel racing futurity world, especially since they were now running a full-fledge breeding operation. Both Cheryl and Bill loved breeding babies so much that they decided that they wanted it to be something that they did and shared together for many years to come.
“I always say that Bill is genetically gifted. He has a true knack for breeding horses and he knows what kind of horse fits me. He has never missed a riding lesson or a barrel race or a rodeo. He knows my riding better than anyone and he knows what kind of horses fit me and what kind doesn’t fit me.”
Cheryl’s first futurity horse, SF Tiny Bit of Fame, was a mare by the legendary Dash Ta Fame. She and Cheryl went on and started winning at the futurities almost immediately and got both Cheryl and Bill hooked on the adrenaline rush of a barrel racing futurity.
Cheryl rode several other futurity horses after SF Tiny Bit of Fame but her most prized futurity horse to date would have to be J Quick Fame.
“J Quick Fame has been a blessing since day one. She took home the futurity championship in the amateur division last year in Arizona and then came back this January and was the Reserve Derby Champion at the Classic Equine Futurity,” explained Cheryl. “Riding futurity horses has made me a better rider today. Babies are not as forgiving as the advanced horses and it certainly teaches you how to handles the highs and lows of futurity horses. We loveseeing the baby’s progress, which would have to be our favorite part about the futurities.”
Although Bill and Cheryl are often times traveling the countryside broadening their breeding program, you will still seetheir smiling faces at Mile Hi events where Cheryl will bring some of the babies and tune on them or her good horses and make some practice runs on them. And not only does Cheryl compete at the Mile Hi events but she and Bill are also big sponsors of Mile Hi Barrel Horse Association.
“We have a very special place in our hearts for Mile Hi. Carol Crowder is a phenomenal producer that truly cares about the barrel racers and goes above and beyond to make her races user friendly. We love what it offers to the beginners, all the way up to the pros. The beginners and amateurs will always have a special place in our hearts.”
In addition to everyone who has helped her get to where she is today, there is one person that should could’ve never lived without and that is her husband, Bill.
“Bill has been the biggest supporter of me since day 1. He is the best and he is always game for whatever I want to do. I don’t know what I would do without him. He is by far my biggest fan and my biggest support system,” Cheryl said.
When asked what she thought were some of the most special memories she had on the back of her horses, she answered with competing and running at the National Western Rodeo and Stock Show in Denver and running at the coveted Cheyenne Frontier Days. She explained that she never thought she would be competing at such prestigious events but anything you put your mind to, you can achieve!
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