Barrel racer Kosel breaks Frontier Park Arena record
Jul. 21—CHEYENNE — Summer Kosel was unsure whether she wanted to enter last year's Cheyenne Frontier Days barrel racing qualifying round.
Her eight-year-old gelding, Apollo, had been running for just one year, and Kosel wanted to stay near home with him, competing in the Women's Professional Rodeo Association's Badlands Circuit in North and South Dakota.
"My husband and I talked a little bit about (entering CFD) last year, but we didn't enter because last year was his first year running," said Kosel, who hails from Glenham, South Dakota. "My husband wants me to keep venturing out, and I told him, 'We'll see what's in store.'"
If what's in store for Kosel is what she accomplished during Wednesday's qualifying round, venturing out could be an easy decision. Kosel timed in at 17.02 seconds, breaking a Frontier Park Arena record that was set by Kristie Peterson in 1996 while winning the qualifying round at the 126th anniversary of CFD. Peterson's record was 17.03 seconds.
This is Kosel's first time competing at the "Daddy of 'em All," but she did her best to scout out the runs from the earlier competitors so she knew what to expect.
"That run felt really wild, but I always just say, 'Jesus, take the reins,'" Kosel said. "The ground felt good, though. I kinda knew what to expect, and I was hoping I could hold him up for a little while before he ran, and he listened really well. So, I was happy."
Kosel finished first at the Central Wyoming Rodeo last week in Casper. She currently sits second on the Badlands Circuit. Apollo's quick success has caught Kosel by surprise, she said, but she just wants to maintain the duo's current momentum.
"He's been working really well. I'm actually surprised with every run," she said. "He's just getting better and better, and it's just been a huge blessing. I'm just riding it out."
The top 72 runs from Wednesday advanced to the performances that start Saturday. The arena was dragged after every eight qualifying runs. The cowgirls said they were appreciative of the efforts made to keep the ground consistent.
Shali Lord knows what its like competing at Frontier Park. She was a co-champion in 2019 and placed second last year. She gave a lot of credit to the upkeep of the arena — and her horse, CeCe — following her 17.39 second ride. That landed her tied for third with Cindy Smith.
"They do a great job working the arena, so the ground felt really good," Lord said. "(CeCe) handled it really good, and she was really focused, and she just went out there and did her job."
The Lamar, Colorado, cowgirl expects the run to help set the tone for the remainder of CFD, as well as her season.
"We've had a good start," she said. "But this will for sure help."
Ivy Saebens didn't have any trouble picking up where she left off during last year's qualifying round. Saebens finished sixth during last year's qualifier and eventually found herself riding the cloverleaf pattern in the finals. She finished sixth again in this year's qualifier.
Saebens embraces riding in Cheyenne because of the unique difficulty that comes with it.
"I just love it here. I love that the ground's a challenge, the arena's a challenge, and I like challenges," Saebens said. "I ran a different horse here ... (Reba) is six years old, and she's been to a handful of rodeos and has just blown me away.
"She's just fast. You only really have to turn two barrels on her to clock, so that makes it easy. It keeps it simple."
Kassie Mowry's run of 17.28 seconds landed her in second place, and Cheyenne Wimberley clocked in at 17.44 seconds to round out the top five. Jordan Driver was the final cowgirl of the day to run, and needed a time of 18.11 seconds to advance. The Garden City, Texas, cowgirl finished in 18.10 seconds.
Robert Munoz is a writer for WyoSports. He can be reached at rmunoz@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter @rmunoz307.
