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Aldergrove barrel racer Carman Pozzobon settles for rodeo ‘split second’

At the Cloverdale Rodeo on Saturday afternoon Aldergrove’s own Carman Pozzobon ranked second after a 16.062-second finish in ladies barrel racing
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At the Cloverdale Rodeo on Saturday afternoon Aldergrove’s own Carman Pozzobon ranked second after a 16.062-second finish in ladies barrel racing.

If Pozzobon hoped to overtake Kirsty White from Big Valley, Alberta for the top spot, she needed to break that 16 seconds and outpace even her 15.947-second score from White’s Friday night performance.

In the Sunday final it was White who went home with the $20,000 cheque after her 15.925 second ride, while Pozzobon settled for the $10,000 payout for her 15.964 ride.

Carman Pozzobon has been riding the pro rodeo trail for a few years now. As a teenaged Kamloops student she ran barrels at big rodeos in Canada and the United States after competing and winning at four futurities in B.C. and Alberta.

Early in the Canadian Futurity and Derby 2016 season, Carman had made over $13,000 on her two horses, RIMES GIRL a 2011, Sorrel Mare by Frenchs Hula Guy out of Maggie Majorette x Major Rime and RIPN LADY, a 2010 Buckskin Mare by Frenchs Hula Guy out of Bijou Betali x Eli Betastreak.

Pozzobon’s main mount Ripp had a solid derby year in 2016. They finished by winning the Derby Superstakes,the first go of the Derby and Open 1D at the Canadian Barrel Horse Incentive Futurity Derby and Open in Ponoka, Alberta last October. Rimes Girl finished second in the Futurity Superstakes, placed in each go round, and finished sixth in the average.

Pozzobon is consistently in the winner’s circle at the futurities and derbies year after year. She says her successful training program begins with getting in tune with her mounts.

“For the first while I just ride the horse to really learn how they use themselves an how they want to learn,” Pozzobon told the Lipstick and Cowboy Boots website (lipstickandcowboyboots.com).

“And learn their personality so I can listen to them while I’m training them on the pattern so we can work together. Make sure they learn my cues before I put them on the pattern so they know my language. Once I introduce the pattern to them I really focus on over exaggerating the main spots in my run that I want the horse to focus on. I make sure they are using themselves correct and on the correct leads.

“Then build their confidence as much as I can so I can get them to the point I can just point and shoot in my run so I can hustle them while they work their spots,” said Pozzobon.

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