Page 92 - May 2017

“Watching other people compete on my product has actually been more fulfilling than competing myself.”
NAME: Liana Deweese HOME BASE:
Claremore, Oklahoma
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE:
“25 years solely training horses, but my experience with them goes well beyond that.”
Barrel Racing & additional associations you compete in:
WPRA, BFA occasionally, and large added money 4-D jackpot barrel races.
Liana DeWeese has been a serious competitor
in the barrel racing arena for decades. A sharp businesswoman and horseman, she has a wealth
of knowledge that has allowed her to be a force in
the barrel racing arena as well as other performance arenas such as team roping, ranch horse competi- tion, jumping, and polo. Raised on her family’s 15,000-acre ranch in central California, Liana had the opportunity to grow and learn the best ways possible, hands on. She has been involved in every aspect, from working cattle to the day-to-day chores of a horse breeding operation, in addition to training. These days, Liana uses the knowledge she’s gathered through the years on the family ranch to train cham- pion barrel horses, ranch horses, and future barrel futurity winners.
Q. When were you first introduced to barrel racing?
A. I’m the fourth generation of a big family ranch. My parents were both rodeo secretaries and my dad rodeoed a lot. There was a really good junior rodeo association in our area that we got involved in. I started out showing horses in grade school and then changed to junior rodeo and high school rodeo when I got older. To me, the rodeos were much more fun than showing horses. I was also able to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on a full rodeo scholarship.
Q. What made you decide to become a trainer? Was there a particular person who was a major influence in your life?
A. My parents were my biggest influence in that decision. Both of them were, and still are, very good horsemen. We raised our own horses and they trained them. As we grew up, my sister and I became a part of
Most Memorable Barrel Racing Moments:
“Running in the finals at Old Fort Days and placing fifth in the open (aboard Hope
Its Friday, a multiple AAA winner on the track), winning the qualifying round, and Reserve World Champion Pawnee Road
(a multiple AA winner on the track) at the AQHA World Show in Junior Barrel Racing.”
Favorite Hobby: “I don’t really have very many hobbies, but I enjoy my flower garden and my fruit trees. It’s fun for me
to walk through a lot of pretty flowers and fruit trees. It requires quite a bit of work and that’s my therapy away from the horses.”
the process. Everything was trained right there at our house by mom or dad, or my sister and I. The horses that I went to the High School National Finals, College National Finals and AJQHA World Show
on were raised and trained on the ranch. We grew up being involved in the training of the ranch horses and I happened to really like it. From the time that I was in early high school, I always had a project horse or two that mom and dad would supervise and I would get started in training. My parents always supported me and encouraged me. I have been able to ride with some of the greatest trainers on the west coast such as Ray Hunt, Les Vogt, Bob Avila, and Bob Loomis.
Q. Do you prefer to train futurity horses and campaign them or do you prefer to rodeo? A. I prefer either futurity horses or 4-D jackpot
horses. My business is centered around starting prospects with about half of them being off of the racetrack. I do the leg work and the behind the scenes foundation work on the futurity colts and get them broke and patterned on the barrels. Some of them will go to futurities and some will become jackpot or rodeo horses. I happen to enjoy the slow work of the foundation training because I know it pays off in the end.
Q. What do you think the most important part of preparation for the horse is prior to competition?
It’s the foundation. Getting them well-broke. I want my horses broke similar to a working cow-horse. I want them soft in their face, laterally, vertically, good shoulder control, and to have complete control head to tail. Really, for me, the barrel pattern comes pretty easy to them if they are started the correct way and
A TrAiner’s PersPecTive
Liana Deweese by Marie Littlefield
90
SPEEDHORSE, May 2017
Marie Littlefield
THE BACKSIDE