AQHA March April 2016 Magazine | Page 32

Traditional Cutter Q-28729 ‘AKA Gattling’ Leanne Caban ATRA Finals Breakaway Roping Incentive Winner. I t was an honour to receive the AQHA Incentive Award for Breakaway Roping at the ATRA Finals in September 2015. It is wonderful to see the AQHA giving back to our industry and the award is a great incentive for people like me to continue my involvement with the Association by making sure my membership is paid. It is also a fantastic bonus that adds to the prize pool. The remarkable little horse that won the Incentive is Traditional Cutter, who we affectionately call ‘Gattling’ Q-28729. We purchased him as a six year old that had just been started in Calf Roping. My husband Dale finished and seasoned him. He is by Traditional Roc out of Roxana Morn. This mighty horse will turn 24 this coming August and he is still extremely competitive at his game. Our whole family use him. My husband Dale competes in Heeling and Calf Roping events on him, myself in the Breakaway Roping and our two children aged 11 and 13, both started Breakaway Roping on him last year. Even though we have younger horses coming along he is still the stand out favourite for us all. I began my Rodeo career in 1989. Prior to this my history with horses included going through the ranks of Pony Club and three day eventing. As a teenager I rode track work for my father and even rode in one bush meeting in North West Queensland. My Breakaway Roping achievements include the 1995 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Breakaway Roping Title, and I have been lucky enough to take out wins in the Breakaway Roping at Mt Isa Rodeo in 1996 and 2000. My most memorable Barrel Racing achievement was breaking the Australian Record in 1994 with a blistering time of 17.25 seconds aboard my great horse ‘Wollombi Fabian’ aka ‘Trash’. He was registered with the AQHA (R2-5879). He carried ‘Commanders Boy’ bloodlines. I held this record for six years until one of my dearest friends and renowned Barrel Racer, Bridget Brandenburg, claimed it at Mt Isa again in 2006 with a time of 17.23 seconds. I represented Australia at the North American Rodeo Commission Finals back in 1997 and in 2014 I travelled to China to work for a Barrel Racing Horse owner in Quindoa, Shandong Province. My job was to train nine of his riders and 11 horses for a period of one month. This was an awesome opportunity to represent Australia again and pass on my knowledge of competitive Barrel Racing and Horsemanship. I still compete as much as I can, but I am also focussing on training young Barrel Racing and Breakaway Roping horses, as well as making myself available to take outside horses and hold Barrel Racing/Horsemanship Clinics. Morns Music Bar - Q-49487 (Decker) Maddison Caban ATRA Barrel Racing Incentive Award 2015 M y mum and dad, Dale and Leanne Caban, nominated my horse Decker (Morns Music Bar Q-49487) for this AQHA Incentive Award on my ATRA Finals entry form. It was a great surprise to find out that he had won it and I was really excited to know it was so much money. I think it is a really good prize and I hope the AQHA can continue to support worthwhile events like this one. It will definitely help me take care of my horse and keep entering events. I live in Emerald, Queensland and I have been riding since I was young enough to sit on a horse, but I rode on my own at three years of age. I have done some Pony Club, but always competed mainly in Barrel Racing at the Rodeos that we go to as a family. I also do Breakaway Roping. I have been riding Decker since I was six year old. He is a beautiful big 16hh palomino gelding. My mother trained him to Barrel Race and she was about to put him up for sale. I asked if I could have a ride on him and after showing that I could handle him around the barrel pattern, I was allowed to keep him. We have gone on to win many buckles and even a saddle together. I have achieved some awesome goals on him already. For the last two years I have made the Finals at Mt Isa in the Junior Barrel Race. I was 10 years old the first year this happened and I was riding against 17 year olds. Both years I have finished in 4th overall. I also made it to my very first Junior National Finals last year. This year I am hoping to make the National Finals again and at present March32 • April 2016 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • Page 32 Page • The• Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • March • April • 2016 I am sitting 4th in the standings with the point’s year to finish on the 30th of April. I am hoping to also qualify for the ATRA finals again this year and hope to once again have the chance to win the AQHA Barrel Racing Incentive.