Page 72 - May 2016

Cindy’s experience with racehorses was a stepping stone to the barrel
Cindy Arnold
by Janet VanBebber
Cindy Arnold has an impressive resume in the barrel horse industry. However, the back- ground that led to her success in doing a
clover leaf pattern is varied and includes experience riding race horses on larger ovals. Taking a look at her roots, Cindy’s diverse history allowed her to be knowledgeable in different disciplines. In that varied experience, she took a little from each area to develop skills that would lead to later success.
Cindy lived much of her life in Greenwood, Arkansas, which is in the Fort Smith area. She came to Oklahoma in 2001. She developed a love for horses at a young age, having a family that enjoyed riding. Her parents, Billy and Mildred Orsbun, had her in the saddle before she could walk. As she grew, Cindy found she always loved speed. Her pony, Crackerjack, was her trusty mount to match anybody in the neighborhood willing to race. Cindy opted to take her pastime to the next level and began competing
A JOCKEY’S VIEW
pen. in both western pleasure and reining. Her abilities horseback were noticed, and at seventeen, she was
asked to ride racehorses. These were before the days of parimutuel, so the aspiring jockey found herself
at the bush track in Rock Island, Oklahoma. Cindy remembers her first win down the straightaway was on a mount called “John.” She said, “He was lazy. You could ride him around in a halter . . . until you loaded him in the gates. Then, he was ready!”
Cindy’s experience with racehorses was a stepping stone to the barrel pen. The transition began when race horse trainer, Warren Chandler, asked her to take a retired racehorse to train for the Fort Smith Barrel Futurity. The horse last raced on the flat track in February of that year, and she took him to Fort Smith to run barrels in May. Three months is a brief time
to have a horse adequately prepared, and his inexperi- ence showed at the barrel race. But, Cindy was intro- duced to something that would become her passion, and her life has been dedicated to barrel horses ever since. That was the first running of the Fort Smith Futurity, and this year marks the prestigious futurity’s thirty ninth anniversary.
While at that inaugural Fort Smith Futurity, Cindy made an important connection. She met a fel- low competitor who was merely seven years old. That little kid was Lance Graves and, as the youngest rider there, he made the finals. Cindy has held the Graves as friends ever since and credits Lance and his dad
as her mentors. The Graves proved instrumental in what she calls her “big break” in rodeo, as it was from
them she bought Whistle A Few Bars, the first horse she guided to win over $100,000. She is also quick to sing the praises of her husband Keith. She said that in addition to offering a lot of encouragement, he helps with every aspect of the horse’s care. Also, he afforded her the opportunity to compete without harboring the stress of making sure the barrel endeavor paid
for itself. Being relieved of that pressure allowed her to relax, focus on the horses, and ultimately, become more successful.
Speaking of success, Cindy has had her share. Her very first Futurity win was at the Ardmore Oklahoma BFA aboard Memories To Cherish in 1999. Purchased from race horse trainer Donnie Strickland, this horse was Cindy’s second athlete to earn over $100,000. Other victories with various horses include the
1993 Wynnewood BFA Derby Champion, the 2001 Ardmore BFA Sweepstakes Champion, the 2000
and 2001 BFA Sweepstakes Champion Gold Cup,
the Palomino World Championship Show, and the IPRA Finals. Cindy has been a finalist at the AQHA World Show, making it to the top ten. She has been an AQHA Circuit Champion three different times, on three different horses. She has been the Reserve Champion for the American Cowboys Rodeo
70 SPEEDHORSE, May 2016
THE BACKSIDE
Speedhorse