Skip to content

Young Ponoka barrel racer wins with rescue horse

“You look at her eyes. It’s a kind eye.” Elaine Johnson
12341ponokaKaylaAndPoppin091014
Kayla Dueck with her horse Trinas Little Poppin pose together Sept. 7. Kayla won the 2D barrel racing at the ABRA finals recently.

As the dust settles from another busy Alberta Barrel Racing Association finals at the Calnash Ag Event Centre, Ponoka News was able to take some time with the 2D winner from Ponoka.

Kayla Dueck won the 2D event and saddle with her horse Trinas Little Poppin within thousands of a second. The history of Dueck, her horse and how they met involves Dueck’s grandmother, Elaine Johnson and her keen eye for a good horse.

Johnson says she saw Trinas Little Poppin at an auction in Innisfail 11 years ago and knew right away this horse had the potential to be a great barrel racing horse. Not buying the horse would have meant it was destined for slaughter, which Johnson knew would be a mistake.

“You look at her eyes. It’s a kind eye,” said Johnson. “She comes in and she’s looking at the audience and I said ‘You just can’t let that happen.’”

Johnson worked with the horse for a few years but because of her age, knew she wouldn’t be competing with Trinas Little Poppin.

“I’d go out and trail ride,” explained Johnson.

Having a good eye for horses is something Johnson takes pride in and the opportunity to put Poppin’s strengths to the test came when Dueck’s parents bought a different horse for their daughter. Johnson traded Dueck’s new horse with Poppin and the two have been inseparable ever since.

They have been riding together for about six years now and her potential was shown two years ago at the 2012 ABRA finals where Dueck won the 3D challenge.

“I put all the barrel training on her,” said Dueck.

Winning the 2D challenge was a proud moment. “She was honest the whole weekend. She’d turn, and she’d run.”

The trick was being consistent, stated Johnson.

Looking at the future

With this win under her belt, 16-year-old Deuck is looking to getting some faster horses to give her faster times. Johnson says Dueck is in a transition period and will have to consider whether to stay with Poppin or ride another horse. Dueck said she would like to compete in the professional rodeo circuit.

Johnson said Dueck’s ability to stay calm and work closely with Poppin in training is an important part of their history. Poppin was not originally meant to be a barrel racing horse but they proved both were up for the challenge.

Racing has been a family tradition from early on; Johnson says her sister Sharon Fergusson, who passed away recently, was an integral part of Dueck’s training. For now, Dueck has taken some of her winnings to buy a used pickup and is looking at continuing her promising barrel racing career.