Mammette Lake barrel racer Katie Garthwaite and her horse Frenchie (FC Guys Prime Time) head to Edmonton this week to compete in the 42nd edition of the Canadian Finals Rodeo, slated for November 11-15 at the Rexall Place in the Alberta capital.
This will be Garth-waite and Frenchie’s second appearance at the CFR, which sees the top 12 cowboys and cowgirls from across the country in each of the nine rodeo events battle it out for over $1.5 million in prize money.
In 2013, at CFR40, Garthwaite and Frenchie finished 11th overall in the ladies barrel racing event.
Garthwaite and her 11-year-old mare go into this year’s Canadian Finals Rodeo sitting in 9th place with over $17,000 in earnings.
During her 2015 29-rodeo season, Garthwaite and Frenchie picked up wins in Lethbridge and Cranbrook, as well as cheques in Teepee Creek, Maple Creek, Bonnyville, Dawson Creek and Armstrong.
In October, Garth-waite also won the Canadian Barrel Horse Incentive Futurity in Ponoka on board one of her up-and-coming horses, Shufire.
In a recent story about her on rodeo blog Lipstick and Cowboy Boots, Garthwaite told interviewer Cassie Hausauer, “I’m a real addict when it comes to horses. It’s something I eat, breathe and live to do. I have done it long enough that I know when you have a nice horse, [you] need to try and take the opportunity to reach your goals and achieve the things you dream for. I feel that Frenchie is that horse right now.”
Performance times this week at CFR42 in Edmonton are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through to Friday, at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Merritt bull rider Ty Pozzobon would have been eligible for this year’s Canadian Finals Rodeo. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old Nicola Valley cowboy is continuing his recovery from a broken leg sustained at a rodeo in early September.
