Kaitlin Haeberle rallies to win the LRA Jr. Barrel Racing Championship after loss of horse
A classic photo of Kaitlin Haeberle and her horse, the late Ticket, who was voted 2018 Horse of the Year. This winning team competed all year and took No. 2 out of six top spots in only 10 rodeos prior to Ticket’s passing.
Kaitlin Haeberle won the Junior Barrel Racing Championship at the Lakeland Rodeo Association (LRA) Finals held Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 in St.Paul, AB.
It happened, however, after the 15-year-old, who attends Viking School, had to face the tragedy of losing the horse she had competed with for the past two years. Then having to face the challenge of getting on another horse she barely knew to compete in the finals.
From left: Tristan Johner, owner of Nike; Kaitlin Haeberle, accepting her saddle and buckle as Jr. Barrel Racing Champion 2018; Megan Keith, LRA Barrel Racing Director making the presentation.
“It’s is quite the story because her horse, Winning Approach, a.k.a. Ticket, died suddenly last week,” said her mother, Jaclyn. “It takes all year to make it to the finals and they only take the top six people. She made it to the number two spot in only 10 rodeos!”
But the 12-year-old Ticket died a week before the finals, a tragedy in itself but which also left Kaitlin without the horse she had competed with all year going into the Finals. Then a family from Mayerthorpe stepped in and offered a horse for her to ride in St. Paul.
“Tristan Johner and family heard the news of her horse passing away,” Jaclyn explained.
“Graciously, they offered their amazing horse Nike.”
She said Kaitlin was only able to ride him only a few times after they picked the eight-year-old horse up from the Johner’s.
Read more in the September 12 edition – still on newsstands and available at The Weekly Review office. Come in during office hours, call 780-336-3422, or email ads@weeklyreview.ca
Patricia Harcourt
Editor
