Kristen Galyean and Harley out-paced the field on Sunday, with a 222-point win in the second go-round of the NCHA Classic Challenge Non-Pro division.
The second-highest score of the go-round came with Kaitlyn Larsen’s 217.5-point performance aboard Laredo Montana.
Alexa Stent and Greg Coalson were cumulative leaders with 436.5 points on Little Bow Peepto and Lena This, respectively.
“This is something I’ve been waiting for since January,” said Kristen Galyean, who hadn’t shown 5-year-old Harley since he injured a front suspensory ligament during the Abilene Spectacular, where he carried Kristen for the Non-Pro Ltd. championship.
“It’s like he never forgot anything,” she said. “I can’t believe he was that good his first time back.”
Galyean, who won both the NCHA Derby Non-Pro and the NCHA Derby Non-Pro Ltd last year on Harley, also scored 219 points, yesterday, on That Catomine.
Kaitlyn Larsen, Millsap, TX, had a very personal reason for wanting to do well on Laredo Montana. Her fiance, Reagon Walker, died this past April, as the result of a highway accident, while he and Kaitlyn were on the way to a show in Oklahoma.
“This horse is so special to me,” said Kaitlyn of Laredo Montana. “He is about the only thing that gets me out of the house in the morning. He is keeping me sane.
“Reagon loved this horse. That last weekend, he was going to show him in the $2,000 limited rider. The only thing I came here for was Reagon. I knew he wouldn’t want me not to show.”
Walker, a PRCA steer wrestler and celebrated high school rodeo performer, would have been 22 on Saturday, July 16. His father, Byron, and his mother, Mary, who is recovering in a wheel chair from a barrel racing accident four weeks ago, was on hand yesterday to support Kaitlyn.
“Mary’s thing was barrel racing and she would do it to keep her mind off of (Reagon’s death),” Kaitlyn explained.
Kaitlyn’s father, Billy Martin also qualified for the Non-Pro finals with Shady Light, siredby Martin’s stallion, Light N Lena, as is Laredo Montana.
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