Page 125 - July 2022

THE BACKSIDE
“We’re such a hands-on barn. Breaking them and knowing their little quirks, you know every horse’s little detail, and you know if something’s out of whack.”
What is the best horse you’ve worked with or the favorite horse you’ve worked with, and why?
“Mahoney N Tacklebery. As a two year
old I had him, won a futurity with him, and
was runner-up in a Grade 2. He made almost $100,000 as a two year old. As a three year old, he went to New Mexico and started running 870. I had him back last year; I took him to
the Challenge. We ran on the undercard [in
the Sandia Stakes] and he ran second. He’s in
the Challenge finals [June 25-26] at Wyoming Downs. He’s a pretty special horse to me. It’s pretty cool to have a horse as a two year old and do well with him and now he’s eight and running 870s. I also had a mare as a two year old out of
Corona Cartel—Jess Send It. She’s probably one of the smartest animals I ever handled. She was one of them that, literally, if she knew English, she’d pretty much talk to you. Some people think I’m crazy when I say that.”
You’ve mentioned winning a Challenge final and traveling elsewhere. What are your future goals?
“I’ve been blessed and been successful in my area. It’s one of those deals. You say, do I want to stick my neck out and try bigger and better? Try Ruidoso one summer? Everyone has a dream of winning the All American. That’s so hard to do. I would love to go somewhere and try to win a Grade 1.”
What needs to happen to get more younger people in racing?
“There are so many kids involved in the rodeo world when I go places. I just think
if someone went with a trainer or got more hands on to it, so many young people just
like to go watch the races. I tell people, my biggest hobby is team roping. I say to a lot of the people, once you try it, you’re hooked. It’s like a drug running through your veins. Once you’re involved with it and you handle a horse for a while, next day you lead it up to the paddock and it runs and wins, you’re like, hey, this is pretty neat. If younger kids got more hands on to it and got to experience it, instead of just sit in the grandstands and watch.”
Mahoney N Tacklebery (#1) winning the Beehive Futurity Consolation at Weber Downs
SPEEDHORSE July 2022 123
Josie Vimahi