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Ponoka’s Kim Gerwatoski wins for a second year in futurity event

The barrel race event is part of the Canadian Barrel Horse Incentive
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Ponoka’s Kim Gerwatoski holds up a cheque for $8,400 on Oct. 7 at the Calnash Ag Event Centre after she and her horse, Elvis, won the derby. It’s all part of the Canadian Barrel Horse Incentive, which follows the best horses in the sport. Photo submitted

For a second year in a row, Ponoka’s Kim Gerwatoski managed a win at the Canadian Barrel Horse Incentive (CBHI) barrel race.

She estimates she walked away with close to $25,000 after riding two horses with fast times. Riding SR Famousinparadise (Elvis) and Shawneshavinahayday (Dino), Gerwatoski says the weekend has two elements, a derby and a futurity.

Last year Gerwatoski won over $50,000 (split between two horses), which was one of the biggest payouts in many years. Those numbers are different this year, she explained.

“Last year was the biggest payout. They used to pay four places and now they pay eight,” said Gerwatoski.

Along with wins in both the derby and the futurity, Gerwatoski says her horse is eligible for some incentive money through the CBHI.

The whole program is about genetics and finding the best horses and using the stallions to continue the legacy of that horse. It has a strong following with some of Canada’s best barrel race horses coming out of the program.

“The futurity and derby industry is quite prestigious,” said Gerwatoski.

She said there is a lot of pride, time and money that goes into the program with the stallion auction being a big focus of the weekend. The auction was held Oct. 6 and saw 146 entries in futurity and 142 in the derby.

The auction has really helped bring in more stallions to Canada, she explained.

What happens, said Gerwatoski, is that the horses’ statistics are followed closely as they continue their careers with riders. In the CBHI events, when a horse wins, so does the sire.

“In the main futurity, Dino was champion with $5,779.80 in winnings. Elvis won the main derby championship, making a clean sweep (won both go rounds, the short round and the average) for $5,804.48,” said Gerwatoski.

Gerwatoski was presented with a cheque for $8,400 for Elvis in the derby super stakes win and the owners of Elvis’ sire, Hezgottabefamous, were presented a cheque for $2,800.

He won the first go of the open, fifth in the second go, and won the average for $2,999. As well as second in the warm up jackpot on Thursday.

Elvis is starting to make his way into other major barrel racing events and it’s something she hopes to continue with Dino.

And Gerwatoski expects more to come for Dino, about $1,200 USD in incentive money.



jeff.heyden-kaye@ponokanews.com

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