Kristie Peterson and Bozo:
Four-time World Champion Barrel Racer
When Kristie Peterson paid $400 for Bozo, he was a 2-year-old, cranky, untrained, part-blind colt known for being a fierce kicker. Peterson was a horse aficionado, fulltime office manager, sometime horse trader and amateur barrel racer who had yet to compete on the national level.
But right off, she says, "I saw something promising in Bozo. I figured I could work the horse into shape and eventually sell him for a few thousand dollars -- basically, I hoped to turn a quick buck."
Bozo, however, had higher aspirations. With only two years of training under her saddle, Peterson took a chance on her protege and fronted the $2,000 entry fee to ride Bozo in his debut barrel race. Peterson's husband, Chuck, an accomplished horse trainer himself, was skeptical until Peterson called to say she and Bozo had earned the top $10,000 purse.
Today, as a four-time World Champion Barrel Racer, Peterson's annual earnings on the rodeo circuit have topped $200,000; and over the course of her career, she has earned more than a million dollars. Most surprising: Peterson, 44, has clinched all her wins on her beloved Bozo, who is now valued at a hefty six figures.
She says she's living proof of the truth of the adage, "Do what you love, the money will follow."
Barrel racing is the only women's event on the rodeo circuit. Male rodeo riders, who outnumber women by about 5 to 1, compete in multiple events on the circuit, but don't race barrels at the professional level. Prize money for all professional rodeo riders totals over $30 million annually; for the 2,000 women barrel riders, a hefty $4 million dollars is up for grabs in the nearly 800 races held annually.
Women's barrel racing checks in at the top of the rodeo's most popular and exciting rodeo events. Riders leave the gate at a dead run and weave a clover leaf around 3 barrels before crossing the electronic finish line. Scoring is easy: fastest time wins and no barrels can be dumped. Depending on the size of the pattern, races take as little as 14 seconds. For the horse, what counts is athletic ability and speed; for the rider, it's all in balance and timing. Barrel racing titles are scored by amassed winnings: the woman with the highest yearly earnings takes the crown.
Growing up, Peterson competed in junior rodeos and on the amateur circuit, earning her first "Miss Little Britches" title at the age of 13. Rodeos were the favored destination for weekend family outings. Peterson's mother, Sue Marshall, says her daughter always put her whole heart into whatever she did. "Plus, she got that horse," she says, joining the many who marvel at Bozo's prowess. "She is very particular about horses, and she recognized the potential in that horse."
Marshall considers her daughter a natural athlete, but she says that it's her competitive spirit that has propelled her to the top. "I used to say, 'Kris, don't worry about winning, just go out there and have fun' -- and she said to me, 'Mom, it's not fun if you don't win.' "
It wasn't until the early '90s, when Peterson started pulling in money on the professional circuit, that the mother of three began to wean herself from her day job as a full-time manager at the Elbert, Colo., Sheriff's department. "I'm all for following your dreams, Peterson says, "but cautiously, especially if you have kids at home." (Hers are Jordan, 11, Jamie, 22, and Justin, 24.)
Peterson first began taking Fridays off, then she took a short leave of absence to hit the circuit hard. Before finally leaving the position which she had held for 10 years, she was job-sharing with a friend. "I quit when I found I wasn't doing justice to my job or my horse," she says.
Peterson's husband Chuck, who had been managing a large ranch, also left his job to join Peterson on the circuit. For the next few years, they traveled to more than 75 rodeos a year. In 1994, Peterson and Bozo earned their first championship title.
"Bozo and Kristie are like business partners, " says Charlene Harris, executive secretary of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association. "It's like with any good working relationship, you take care of each other. They both have a tremendous amount of faith in each other's abilities to make decisions." Harris also lauds Peterson's care in picking the best competitions for her horse. "This is unique about these two," she says. "Kristie is selective and chooses events in Bozo's best interest. Out of hundreds of rodeos offered each year, she only attends those that Bozo likes to run."
Peterson sometimes wishes the relationship with her horse was more like best friends than co-workers. However, Bozo is not a friendly horse. "He respects me and tolerates me petting or brushing him," she says, "but always with his ears pinned." Still, Peterson gives the horse the majority of the credit for their wins: "In any race, the horse puts in 70 percent of the work, the rider contributes the other thirty percent."
Peterson's youngest daughter Jordan seems cut from the same rough-and-tumble cloth as her mother. Already doing well in competition, she aspires to follow her mother's lead. "She has the same drive as Kristie," Marshall says of her granddaughter. "And awfully talented parents behind her." Peterson and her husband have started a horse breeding program, so young Jordan may also mimic mom's success in finding a prime equine partner.
A new ruling in the rodeo world requires that competitors stay amateur through the age of 18, which makes Peterson, as a mother, relieved. "I'd like to see Jordon compete in college," she says, "and get an education."
New interest in barrel racing by the television networks has caused an upsurge in the sport's popularity. This year, the women's national finals were aired on ESPN; ESPN2 and TNN will soon broadcast rodeos, some which will feature barrel racing. "Barrel racing is popular with the public," says association secretary Harris, "Races are easy to understand: the fastest time wins."
Harris also credits Peterson with boosting the sport in the public eye: "She's a gracious, thoughtful champion," she says, "and a good-hearted person."
Compared to her early years on the circuit, Peterson says, "I have slightly different priorities now, with two grandkids and another on the way." In addition to working on the horse breeding program with her husband, Peterson travels frequently to teach at barrel racing clinics.
Bozo, himself now a teenager at 13, is at the top of his game and shows no interest in slowing down. "A good horse, free of injuries, will compete through to his late teens," Peterson says. Peterson, however, is choosing her competitions even more carefully than in the past, and now attends only about 40 rodeos a year.
"I will compete as long as I have my timing," she says. "My timing isn't as good as when I was young, but I'm still on top of it. And I watch my weight," she adds, "because that's only fair for the horse, but other than that I don't do anything special to stay in shape."
In the recent national championships, 7 of the top 15 riders were over 40 years old. Will Peterson still be competing into her fifties? "I doubt it," she says. "But I'm not ready to give it up yet."
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