The Sculptor Is Also a Colt Whisperer | THE WALL STREET JOURNAL | NEW YORK

Part Three

Equine Joint Supplements

Nutritional supplements aimed at helping joints; seek products with research from reputable companies

What are Joint Supplements?
Joint supplements are products that have been alleged to decrease inflammation, increase mobility, provide the “building blocks” for articular cartilage synthesis, or contribute to the overall health of range of motion of joints by some other mechanism. Joint supplements can be given orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, or intra-articularly (i.e., directly into the joint). The mechanisms of action and efficacy of most oral joint health supplements remain to be fully determined.

Oral Joint Health Supplements
Oral joint health supplements are classified as nutritional supplements that contain one or more non-nutrient, non-drug ingredients. These include glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), avocado/soybean unsaponifiable extracts (ASU), cetyl myristoleate, and hyaluronic acid. Some oral joint health supplements also include vitamins, minerals, and herbs such as devil’s claw, grape seed extract, yucca, and/or garlic. Oral joint health supplements are readily available from tack shops, online, and they can be administered without the approval or advice of a veterinarian, although this approach is not recommended.
Based on the available research, most of these ingredients are said to work by providing precursor molecules needed to produce articular cartilage, exert anti-inflammatory effects, inhibit enzymes that break down cartilage, and/or promote the synthesis of various components of the articular cartilage matrix.

How They Benefit Horses
Limited numbers of clinical studies with live horses have been performed. This is primarily due to the economical and logistical issues involved with experimenting with live horses. Even so, a handful of studies have been conducted over the past decade showing promising results for oral joint health supplements. The most intensively studied oral joint health supplements in vet medicine are glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Clinical studies have demonstrated that supplementation with these ingredients is beneficial in horses with arthritis and navicular syndrome, and when used post-traumatically (i.e., following an acute injury or due to general wear and tear).
In addition, some evidence in dogs suggests that glucosamine/chondroitin sulfatecontaining oral joint health supplements might be useful prophylactically—prior to injury or trauma. While this has not been specifically evaluated in horses, many owners and trainers administer oral joint health supplements to young, healthy, athletic horses with the intention of “protecting” the joints from damage. Further research is necessary to confirm or refute this use of oral joint health supplements.

Injectable Joint Products
In contrast to the oral joint health supplements, supplements formulated as injectable products are pharmaceutical drugs approved by the FDA. These products must be administered by, or under the supervision of, a licensed veterinarian. Only two products are currently included in this class: polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (PSGAGs)- Adequan and hyaluronic acid (HA)- Legend.

Adequan (PSGAGs) is intended for either intramuscular or intravenous administration. PSGAGs function to decrease harmful enzymes the deteriorate cartilage, stimulate activity of the synovial membrane to improve joint function, and increase the viscosity of synovial fluid in damaged joints. No contraindications are associated with the intramuscular administration of PSGAGs; however, the intra-articular product should not be used if a joint infection is suspected.

Legend (Hyaluronic Acid) is a ubiquitous substance in mammals that is found in connective tissues, skin, and synovial fluid. Its mechanism of action remains unclear, but research has demonstrated that HA possesses anti-inflammatory properties and decreases degeneration of the joint. No adverse events have been reported following either the intravenous or intra-articular administration of HA.

Polyglycan is a formulation of hyaluronic acid, sodium chondroitin sulfate and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine used for post-surgical lavage (flushing) of synovial joints. Polyglycan is designed to replace synovial fluid lost during surgery. However, there are many veterinarians that are using and prescribing this product off label to be used intravenously. In simple terms it is like using a combination of Legend and Adequan with less than optimal performance. Evidence to date that the product works is strictly anecdotal and awaits further studies when used outside of surgery.

Problems with Joint Supplements
Since oral joint health supplements are not manufactured like pharmaceutical drugs (using quality assurance/quality control or current Good Manufacturing Practices), and they are unregulated by the FDA, poor-quality products are abundant. This includes products
that do not contain the type or amount of product as listed on the label, have or recommend sub-therapeutic dosages, and are potentially contaminated with harmful chemicals or other nutritional supplements manufactured in the same facility due to inadequate cleaning of the equipment. One study analyzing 23 commercially available oral joint health supplements found that 9 (39.1%) contained less glucosamine than indicated on the manufacturer’s label. This means that more than one-third of tested products were delivering sub-therapeutic dosages of glucosamine. Poor-quality products are unlikely to be effective and are an economic drain on you the owner. Additional concerns exist regarding the lack of a federal adverse event reporting system for nutritional supplements. While joint supplements are widely construed as safe based on studies performed in mice, rats, and horses, potential safety issues do exist. The primary concerns associated with oral joint health supplements are contamination, allergic reactions, and drug interactions (these have been reported for many commonly administered herbs such as yucca, ginseng, flaxseed, and Echinacea).

Joint Supplement Caveat
There is published, scientific evidence supporting the use of Adequan and Legend given intramuscularly, intravenously or intra-articularly. However, the quality of studies on some oral joint health supplements has been questioned. Even in the human medicine where these products have been more extensively tested, the overall clinical impact and efficacy of these products remains under debate.

Veterinarian Recommended Supplements
Both products listed below are personal recommendation based on clinical use, owner compliance, and results seen by trainers and owner in horse performance. Both products are developed and backed by top veterinarians in the US and are available only through your veterinarian. A primary concern of mine is to keep it simple. I am not a “mixer” of supplements and these products have made it easy to feed and take with you on the road.
Platinum Performance CJ (Complete Joint) is at the top of my list. Veterinarian, Doug Herthel, of Alamo Pintado, California, developed this product that is a comprehensive wellness and performance formula designed to support the total health of the horse. In addition, this formula also contains Glucosamine, MSM, ASU, Hyaluronic Acid, Boswellia and Cetyl Myristoleate. www.platinumperformance.com
Myristol is a comprehensive joint supplement for horses. Formulated by Dr. Gayle Trotter, former professor and joint health researcher at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Myristol combines the following top quality ingredients: Cetyl myristoleate fatty acid complex, MSM, glucosamine HCL, and hydrolyzed Collagen. Myristol is available in alfalfa-based equine pellets. www.myristol.com

Fast Facts
■ Joint supplements are used to promote and maintain a healthy joint environment.

■ Oral joint health supplements are nonnutrient, non-drug-containing products such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), avocado/ soybean unsaponifiable extracts, cetyl myristoleate, and hyaluronic acid.

■ Oral joint health supplements are indicated in horses with osteoarthritis, navicular syndrome, post-traumatically, and potentially also prophylactically.

■ While FDA-approved injectable joint products are produced like pharmaceutical drugs, oral joint health supplements are not. Therefore, there are concerns regarding safety and efficacy of some oral joint health supplements.

Mandi Holland DVM
CSR Equine Sports Medicine Team
copperspringranch.com

Part Two

Equine Joint Injections
Joint injections can help veterinarians diagnose lameness
or medicate a horse’s painful joint

Overview
An injection within the joint (intra-articular) is performed to administer one or more drugs or agents directly into a joint in a sterile manner. The two most common reasons for a veterinarian to perform a joint injection are to anesthetize or “block” a joint during a lameness examination or to medicate a joint to help keep horses’ joints—particularly those of athletic horses—comfortable and pain-free.

Intra-Articular Injection
Joint injections are only performed by veterinarians. To perform an injection, the joint is first cleaned with an antiseptic soap to reduce the number of bacteria at the injection site. The hair might be clipped if the horse is particularly hairy or dirty, but this is not often necessary and unlikely if the owner is currently concerned about cosmetics and confidentiality reasons. Next, the soap is removed by thoroughly rinsing the area with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. After the veterinarian has prepared the joint, s/he uses sterile gloves, needles, and syringes to inject the desired drug or product into the clean joint. The needle is first inserted into the joint and, if necessary, redirected until synovial (joint) fluid is observed in the hub of the needle. The syringe is then attached to the needle and the desired product(s) are infused into the joint. While cleanliness is important to minimize the chances of a potentially fatal joint infection, proper restraint of the horse is also imperative to ensure the safety of the horse, handler, and veterinarian. In well behaved horses, a twitch is usually sufficient restraint. In less well-mannered horses, sedation might be indicated. It is important for the owner/trainer of the horse to communicate with the veterinarian about the horses vices, example: kicking if legs are touched or at flies.

Blocking Joints
Blocking a joint involves the intra-articular administration of local anesthetics, such as lidocaine or carbocaine. This is an important component in localizing lameness. For example, once a veterinarian has established the general anatomic region where the horse is sore by palpation, flexion, gait analysis, or other techniques, s/he might elect to block a joint. Fifteen to 20 minutes after the local anesthetic is injected in the joint, the horse can be re-assessed to determine if its lameness has changed. If the horse has improved and is sounder after blocking, then the anesthetized joint is likely contributing to the horse’s lameness. Treatment then can be undertaken.

Joint blocks can be performed in conjunction with nerve blocks and radiographs or even more sophisticated diagnostic tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or bone scans (nuclear scintigraphy).

Medicating Joints
At present, there are four different types of medications that are normally injected into joints: corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (PSGAGs), and antibiotics. Corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and PSGAGs each have a different mechanism of action, but in a practical sense, they are all used to decrease inflammation (including pain and swelling) and improve mobility and range of motion. The use of each of these medications is associated with pros and cons. The decision of which product or combination of products is best will depend on the joint, the horse’s function, your veterinarian’s preference, and timing before competition. In contrast, a small amount of antibiotic can be injected along with any of the above described medications for infection control purposes. While not all veterinarians use antibiotics during routine intra-articular injections, some view this as a type of “insurance” to minimize the chances of joint infection. While the development of a joint infection secondary to a joint injection is rare, some veterinarians believe it is better to be safe than sorry.

Contraindications
The potential benefits of a joint injection are mulifactorial; however, a number of important concerns, complications, and contraindications exist that horse owners need to be aware of.

First, medicating joints can be expensive. A single joint will cost between $100 and $350 depending on the medications administered. Since performance horses frequently have more than one source of pain, multiple joint injections are not uncommon. To inject a set of hocks (upper and lower hock joints in both hind limbs) will cost approximately $400 and there is no guarantee that the joint injections will prove effective.

Reasons that a horse might not respond favorably, or as anticipated, to a joint injection include extra-articular sources of pain (e.g., around the joint) or the medication was administered too long before or to close to the athletic event. Predicting the exact time to inject a particular joint can be clinically challenging for a veterinarian. In addition, the owner or trainer needs to be aware of the fact that a joint injection is not a magic bullet—medicating a joint with a small volume of any drug is not going to make a lame horse sound. The goal of medicating a joint is to help a horse perform closer to its natural ability level.

Next, numerous serious, painful, career limiting, and potentially life-threatening medical consequence can occur following a joint injection. These include joint flare, joint infection, laminitis, and irreversible articular cartilage degeneration.

A joint flare is a non-career-limiting condition provided it is treated appropriately and immediately. Signs of a joint flare include heat, pain, effusion, and lameness, and these signs develop within hours of the injection. While the prognosis is very good, the lameness can persist for up to 4-6 weeks. Treatment usually involves seeking a veterinarian for evaluation, icing the joint and anti-inflammatory medications orally.

In contrast, joint infections, caused by the introduction and multiplication of bacteria inside the joint, cause heat, pain, and a non-weight bearing lameness on the affected limb. These signs are obvious within 3-5 days of a joint injection. Horses with a suspected infection require immediate treatment, and the prognosis is far less optimistic than for a joint flare. Joint infections can be almost eliminated by employing strict aseptic technique and not injecting joints that are scurffed, have recently been sweated, or have signs of dermatitis (skin infection).

Both joint flares and infections are important sources of morbidity and economic loss; however, they are both quite rare. It is currently estimated that only 0.1-0.5% of injected horses suffer a flare or infection.

For horses injected with the corticosteroid Methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol), post-injection articular cartilage degeneration is an important concern. Articular cartilage degeneration does not occur with the corticosteroids Triamcinolone acetonide (Vetalog/Kenalog) or Betamethasone esters. The rule of thumb is that high motion joints (Stifles, knees, and coffin joints) are injected with Vetalog/Kenalog and low motion joints (pasterns and hocks) are injected with Depo-Medrol.

Steroid-induced laminitis is typically not a concern in modern veterinary practice due to increased knowledge surrounding the potential detriments. Similarly, steroid induced cartilage degeneration is less of a problem today than in the past. Intra-articular steroids are injected judiciously, often in combination with hyaluronic acid (Legend), PSGAGs (Adequan), or a combination of both (Polyglycan) to maximize the athletic career of the horse in question. Joint injections are not viewed as a performance-enhancing technique.

Fast Facts
■ Joint injections, performed by a veterinarian, involve the intra-articular administration of one or more medications into a joint.

■ Blocking joints involves the intra-articular injection of a local anesthetic (such as carbocaine) to assist in lameness localization.

■ Medicating a joint involves injecting corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, polysulfated
glycosaminoglycans (PSGAGs), and/ or antibiotics. The first four medications help decrease pain, inflammation, and improve mobility; while antibiotic help minimize chances of a joint infection.

■ Major concerns associated with joint injections include cost, lack of efficacy, joint flares, joint infections, and steroid induced laminitis and articular cartilage degeneration.

Mandi Holland DVM
CSR Equine Sports Medicine Team
copperspringranch.com

Part One

Equine Joint: Structure and Function

Overview
A joint is defined as an anatomic union or junction between two or more bones.

Synovial joints are the most common type of joint in the horse’s body. The main anatomic feature that distinguishes a synovial joint from a fibrous (skull fissures) or cartilaginous (verterbral) joint is the presence of a joint capsule surrounding the joint and the existence of synovial fluid that lubricates the joint. Examples of synovial joints are: Stifles, Hocks, Fetlocks, and Coffin joints.

Synovial Joint Function
The two primary functions of a synovial joint are to permit movement and transfer load between bones. In a normally functioning joint, both of these tasks are achieved in an efficient and pain-free manner. The secret of how this frictionless, painless movement occurs lies primarily in the structure and function of the articular cartilage lining the ends of opposing bones.

Articular Cartilage
At the ends of the bones in a synovial joint exists a thin layer of articular cartilage.
This tissue is extremely specialized to withstand the very high loads that occur during physical activity and especially performance events. Articular cartilage is composed largely of water (70-80% of articular cartilage is water), type II collagen fibers, proteoglycan molecules such as aggrecan, chondrocytes (cartilage cells), and a variety of miscellaneous (yet important) molecules. The most common proteoglycan in articular cartilage is aggrecan—a very large proteoglycan that plays a pivotal role in the function of articular cartilage.

During weight bearing, the aggrecan molecules, which are already very tightly packed together, become even further compressed. During this compression, water molecules (that were attracted to the negatively charged aggrecan molecules) are forced from the extracellular matrix of the cartilage and all of the negatively charged branches of the aggrecan molecule repel each other like similar ends of a magnet. As a result, the ends of the bones are protected by this layer of shock-absorbing articular cartilage and the load is transmitted between the opposing bones.

When Things Go Wrong: Osteoarthritis
In situations where the chondrocytes are unable to maintain a healthy, fully functional extracellular matrix, problems ensue. Osteoarthritis, defined as the erosion of articular cartilage, is one such example of what can go wrong in a joint. In horses with osteoarthritis, the balance between the degradation and synthesis of the extracellular matrix is disrupted favoring the destruction of the tissue. Osteoarthritis is a major cause of lameness in athletic horses and can be a painful debilitating condition that might be career-ending or even life-threatening.

Fast Facts

■ Synovial joints are highly movable joints that function to permit movement and transfer load between bones.

■ Synovial joints are made of two or more bones covered with a layer of articular cartilage. A joint capsule connects the bones and creates a cavity, which is filled with synovial fluid.

■ Movement and load transfer is achieved in a frictionless and painfree manner in a normally functioning joint. To achieve this, the articular cartilage located at the ends of the connecting bones must function normally.

■ In joints with inflammation—such as an infected joint or a joint with osteoarthritis—the articular cartilage is damaged and movement is no longer as efficient or pain-free as it should be.

Robin Peterson Illustrations
Equine Stifle Joint

Mandi Holland DVM
CSR Equine Sports Medicine Team
copperspringranch.com

National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association & The College National Finals Rodeo
Casper, Wyoming
June 13 – 19, 2010

For Release September 2009
Contact: Sarah Neely, National Office – (509) 529-4402, sarah@collegerodeo.com

COLLEGE RODEO ANNOUNCES NEWEST SPONSOR

Walla Walla, WA – The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association is pleased to announce Copper Spring Ranch (CSR) as our newest sponsor. Copper Spring Ranch is a world class equine facility located in Bozeman, Montana. The ranch is proud to say that they are about one thing – “amazing horses”. They have world class facilities for hosting master horsemanship clinics, as well as a world class breeding program. Their Quarter Horse breeding program begins with the meticulous selection of bloodlines. The Copper Spring Ranch website states, “We rely on today’s top-performing stallions and exquisite brood mares to produce the perfect progeny – horses with a combination of speed, toughness and intelligence.”

NIRA Commissioner, Roger Walters said, “I can’t think of a more suitable sponsor for college rodeo. Copper Spring Ranch is about amazing horses, and college rodeo is about amazing athletes riding amazing horses.”

Another astounding entity that they have to offer is the innovative CSR Equine Medical Center. The center is a combination of cutting-edge technology with medical expertise in surgery, reproductive services, sports medicine/performance, and general health and preventative care for all breeds and disciplines. With this sponsorship, the managers for the ranch, Gary and Sandie Metcalf, have reserved the Copper Spring Ranch mobile equine medical center for the College National Finals Rodeo for 2010 and 2011. This will give the CNFR contestants on-site access to top notch equipment for equine care.

Sandie Metcalf said, “Some of these progressive rodeo programs are requiring the students to participate in all aspects of rodeo, from fund raising activities to organization and production. This approach is not only invaluable to the student but to future employers as well. These programs give the students the experience to excel in their chosen careers and provide a leg up for them to be successful in the future.”

Mrs. Metcalf speaks from experience, as Copper Spring Ranch has hired NIRA Student President and Big Sky Student Director, Taylor Nahrgang as their most recent employee. Nahrgang has been assisting with promotions for the ranch.

Gary Metcalf added, “The NIRA is doing an outstanding job with many of the colleges by promoting responsible and ethical coaching programs that hopefully will give contestants a North Star to guide them for the rest of their lives. For them, the rodeo arena is a training ground.”

The owner of Copper Spring Ranch, Karen Gilhousen said, “Copper Spring Ranch is excited about supporting the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and the students who represent this sport. It is truly a part of our western heritage.”

With western heritage as a key component for both the NIRA and Copper Spring Ranch, the two are certain to benefit from a long partnership.

For more information on Copper Spring Ranch, please visit them on the web at copperspringranch.com.

The national headquarters of the NIRA are located in Walla Walla, Washington. More information on the association and results from recent events available on www.collegerodeo.com.

Press Releases for the NIRA are sponsored by our friends and national sponsors:
Wrangler Jeans, Dodge Rodeo, Cactus Ropes, Cactus Saddles, Fast Back Ropes, ProEquine Products, Red Wing/Pecos Boots, Copper Spring Ranch
Powder River Livestock Handling Equipment and Maynard Buckles

Montana PRCA Pro Rodeo circuit

For immediate release March 16, 2009

For more information contact:

Billie Harms

406-223-5473

Dodge National Circuit Finals – Pocatello, ID

The Dodge National Circuit Finals will be held in Pocatello, ID on April 8-11, 2009. In 1975, the PRCA recognized the need for an award system for those cowboys and cowgirls who might never qualify for a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. While these contestants aren’t less serious about their sport, their families or professional obligations require them to rodeo closer to home instead of traveling for weeks or months at a time. The PRCA created the Dodge Circuit System consisting of 12 geographic regions that include as few as one state or as many as 13. Each PRCA cowboy or WPRA cowgirl chooses a home circuit each year when they purchase their membership. Each circuit’s year end winners in each event and average winners at the circuit finals qualify for the Dodge National Circuit Finals (DNCF).

Not only does Montana have the top contestants for 2008 attending the DNCF, we also have several contract personnel on the business end as well as in the arena attending. Also, numerous rough stock athletes from several of the stock contractors in Montana have been chosen to “show their stuff” at the DNCF. Listed below are the contestants, contract personnel and rough stock traveling to Pocatello, ID in April.

CONTESTANTS:

Bareback Riding:

Ben Wrzesinski, Boulder and John Collins, Buffalo, WY

Team Roping:

Shane Schwenke, Harlem/Jordan Handy, Chinook and Matt Robertson, Augusta/Sid Sporer, Cody, WY

Steer Wrestling:

Bill Boyce, Lewistown and Beau Franzen, Worden

Saddle Bronc Riding:

Shane Moran, Roundup and Jesse Kruse, Great Falls

Tie Down Roping:

Bryant Mikkelson, Buffalo and Ryan Siemsen, Billings

Barrel Racing:

Theresa Walter, Billings and Lindsay Knaff, Winston

Bull Riding:

Cody Buller, Glendive and Dustin Jenkins, Missoula

CONTRACT PERSONNEL (From Montana):

Announcer – Will Rasmussen (along with Hadley Barrett)

Secretary – Cathy Wieferich

Bullfighter – Al Sandvold (along with Dusty Tuckness)

Pickup Man – Gary Rempel (along with Billy Ward)

ROUGHSTOCK: (per the PRCA, subject to change)

Bareback Horses:
Brookman Rodeo – A8 Rock Star; R4 Kid Rock
Gold Buckle Rodeo – 1 Jail House Rock; 355 Poker Face; 080 Bugs Bunny
JS Rodeo – 58 Lets Play
Kesler Rodeo – 996 Cool Pieces; 841 Street Dance; 367 Painted Smile
Kesler Championship Rodeo – 945 Alley Trail; 004 Bonus Alley

Saddle Bronc Horses:
Brookman Rodeo – 100 Good Times; 05 Wild Thing; 12 Little Smoker;

53 Kalamazoo; 55 Mack the Knife
Gold Buckle Rodeo – 180 Lounge Lizard Plus
JS Rodeo – 152 Black Market; 161 Motor Mouse
Kesler Rodeo – 817 Smiling Cat; 938 Country Cat; 547 Shady Cat; 263 Starburst
Kesler Championship Rodeo – 255 Knott So; 322 Three Stages; 354 Cool Alley

Bulls:
Brookman Rodeo – 31 Banana Daiquiri; 206 Smasher
JS Rodeo – 312 Phess
Kesler Rodeo – 266 Quiver N Shake; 226 Monkey Wrench
Kesler Championship Rodeo – 275 Monkey Business; 72 Paper Boy

Copper Spring Ranch Horse and Competitor Win
Year-End Superhorse Championship Finals

Bozeman, MT – January 17, 2009, Teri Tonn, competitive cowgirl for Copper Spring Ranch in Bozeman, riding the Ranch’s Hotroddin’ Okie Leo, recently won the Year-End Superhorse Championship Finals in Marana, AZ. Superhorse Competition is the newest western equestrian sporting event and showcases the athletic ability of the American Western performance horse.

Launched in May 2008, Superhorse Competition consists of three separate events — Breakaway Steer Roping, Barrel Racing and Mounted Shooting — within one overall competition.

After completing all three events, the horse with the highest combined points is named the Superhorse Champion.

Hotroddin’ Okie Leo, a 20-year-old American Quarter Horse Gelding, was named the Superhorse of the Year at the culmination of this competition. Competitor Teri Tonn took the Women’s Amateur title for the year, as well as was named Reserve Women’s Champion for the Year. (The event has both amateur and pro categories.)

The Superhorse Competition demands that horse and rider be skilled in three different events as well as being top-notch athletes. It takes countless hours to teach and train the horse to be adept in each of these sporting events, and the horse’s ability reflects the breeding and training.

Copper Spring Ranch will host a Superhorse Competition in August 2009. Teri Tonn is a full-time employee of Copper Spring Ranch in Bozeman, and is sponsored by the Ranch to promote its horse breeding program.

Copper Spring Ranch is a leading Montana equine facility that is all about top performers, from its athletes to its veterinary services. Copper Spring Ranch raises Quarter Horses featuring mares from the nation’s top bloodlines and conducts a training program designed to bring out the best in the equine athlete. Copper Spring Ranch’s CSR Equine is a state-of-the-art clinic that is located west of the Four Corners area of Bozeman. The clinic, open to the public, also functions as a referral hospital that provides a broad range of reproductive services, surgical options and emergency medical treatments. For further information, contact 406.522.4044 or visit www.copperspringranch.com.

Top Ranked WPRA Barrel Racer

to Hold Clinic & Private Instruction at Copper Spring Ranch

Bozeman, MT – February 25, 2009: Lisa Dupea Anderson, a top-ranked Women’s Professional Rodeo Association competitor, leading trainer and barrel racing clinician, is holding a clinic at Copper Spring Ranch in Bozeman on March 6-8. Additionally, Anderson is offering private lessons at the ranch’s indoor heated facility on March 9-11.

Anderson, who grew up in the White Sulphur Springs, Montana ranch country, now trains horses for many national barrel racing futurities at the training facility in Moore, Texas that she operates in conjunction with her husband, Brian. In addition, she competes in WPRA events when it fits into her busy training schedule.

Anderson is a 13-time WPRA qualifier in the Columbia River, Montana and Texas Circuits and a Dodge National Circuit Finals qualifier on 13 different horses that she trained.

She is currently ranked 11 in the WPRA Futurity standings and is a 12-time WPRA Circuit qualifier.

The clinic sessions, currently filled, are open to auditors and spectators. During her clinics, she emphasizes horsemanship and works with the participant’s individual horses. As a result, she helps barrel racers to cut time from their runs by shortening up the steps around the barrels, developing more rate and getting their horses to effectively work off of their hind quarters. Because of her experience and unique training approach, she is able to determine the steps for riders and their horses to obtain success in the arena. In addition to learning about barrel racing fundamentals, students also learn about the mental aspects of a winning attitude.

Participants in the clinics are being offered free soundness checks on Friday, March 6 by the CSR Equine medical team. CSR Equine Medical Center combines cutting-edge technology with medical expertise in surgery, reproductive services, sports medicine/performance, and general health and preventative care for all breeds and disciplines.

Anderson is currently training barrel horses for Copper Spring Ranch and is competing with them at barrel racing futurities in the Southwest. Barrel horses in training with Anderson carry some of the most highly regarded pedigrees in the Quarter Horse world. They include include: A Streakin Bailey a four-year old palomino mare by A Streak Of Fling and out of Frenchmans Bailey; A Streakin Dandy, a four year-old bay mare by A Streak Of Fling and out of Shesa Dandy Command; Diables Fling, a four-year old palomino mare by Streak of Fling and out of Frenchmans Diablo; and Guys Pie in the Sky, a 2003 sorrel gelding by Frenchmans Guy and out of Fleeting Pie. Anderson said the horses have been doing very well at the futurities.

For additional information about the clinic and private lessons, contact Copper Spring Ranch at 406.585.7008. Copper Spring Ranch is located just west of Four Corners in Bozeman