Page 60 - May 2017

Triple Vodka is a prime example of how a racehorse can crossover from the racetrack to the barrel arena, and his offspring are sought after both on the
In addition to their breeding and racing operation, since 2007, Renee and Charles have earned an admirable reputation operating the Wrapn3 barrel races. According to Kimberly Blackmon, “It was little bitty barrel races at some outdoor not-so-great little arena somewhere with about 60 people showing up, and in the time she’s done it, she’s built a huge production. To watch her take something from a little jackpot race and turn it into what it is now is just phe- nomenal. She’s at the helm of that. These races wouldn’t happen without her, and I don’t think people realize how much effort goes into that.”
It’s because of that effort that Kimberly says she puts her sponsorship money with Wrapn3. “Renee wants to be sure everything goes one hundred percent the way it needs to go,” Kimberly adds.
Wrapn3 now produces several events each year that draw anywhere from 250 to 700 con- testants a day. Their huge event in January, the Texas Extreme Barrel Classic and the Ultimate Texas Barrel Classic in Edna, Texas, paid out more than $424,000 over 10 days in 2017. “We had contestants from just about every state, plus Canada and Brazil,” Renee says.
Wrapn3 also produces some of the top Open 5D barrel races in Texas, including the French Streaktovegas Open 5D and KK Run For Vegas
put their neck out there and put on a futurity and derby with their races for us to run at is important to me. That is my main focus and where I pro- mote my horses. At every race, Renee either has a futurity, a futurity side pot, or a derby side pot.”
Breeding, raising and selling foals, racing on the track, sales fitting and producing barrel races aside, Renee still loves to run the barrels. “I love going to barrel races that someone else produces,” she says. “I have a hard time getting to run my own horses at my own races, so it’s nice every once in a while to not have to worry about the production end of it.”
She also loves to fish. “We have a pontoon boat and a bass tracker, and I’d walk off from anything to go fish,” she says, half-joking.
According to Kimberly, Renee also finds contentment and satisfaction in quietly helping others. “She’s got a very strong personality and is very direct, but she also has a compassionate side to her that I don’t think the majority of people who meet her ever realize. Forever and ever, as busy as she is, she’d drive down to the animal shelter in San Antonio and help out. There would be animals there that were going to be put down and the next thing I know, Renee’s bringing them home with her and looking for foster homes for six chihuahuas,
or whatever it was that day. She called me one day and said, ‘You need a chihuahua,’ and I said, ‘I have nine dogs and I do not need a chihuahua.’ But needless to say, I ended up with a chihuahua! Renee is the same way with people. She sees someone who needs a hand and she figures out a way to help.”
Handling the bulk of the work involved in
all their operations, however, leaves Renee and Charles little time for the lake or other leisure-time activities. So, they’ve decided that over the next few years they’ll be cutting back on their broodmare band to attain a more manageable herd size.
“We’re getting to the point of ‘who owns who’ around here,” she says. “If you think you own them — no, they own you. But, the prob- lem with that is that we’ve put together such a really good set of pedigreed mares that making
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“As a contestant, my main goal is futurity horses,” LaTricia continues. “I’m not sure that the futurity side pots and futurities make all that
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“You always know where you stand with her and that’s something I respect about her. And her work ethic is extremely strong. She strives for perfection, whether as a barrel race producer, in the breeding business, or with her racehorses. She’s always trying to get better and thinking of ways to improve. Renee is always giving back to the entire industry by putting her own money back into it.
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SPEEDHORSE, May 2017
© Coady Photography
2-time stakes winner Triple Vodka wins the 2011 TQHA Sale Futurity-RG2
© Coady Photography
© Coady Photography
Vodka At Moonlight, shown winning the 2016 Minnesota Futurity at Canterbury Park, is Triple Vodka’s first stakes winner.
Triple Vodka turns barrels under Renee Spiller at a Wrapn3 event.
Triple Vodka Memorys, a full sister to Triple Vodka, won her first ever out in the 2017 Desert Classic Futurity trials at Turf Paradise with the fastest qualifying time.