Summer Hot Streak Continues for Lanita Peirce at Nebraska’s Big Rodeo

Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, which took place in Burwell, July 23-25 awarded total prize money of $172,553, and 76 years young Lanita Peirce pocketed $3,243 of that total. The Wynnewood, Oklahoma cowgirl and her 10-year-old chestnut mare Famous Wahini, by Dash Ta Fame and out of Take The Cash Bug, by Takin On The Cash, stopped the clock in 17.48 seconds.

Peirce, 76, is proof that age is only a number. She grabbed headlines over the Fourth of July when she won the Cody Stampede 33 years after winning that same, now much more lucrative rodeo, back in 1993.

The summer heat has only fueled Peirce’s winning streak, which continued in Burwell where she said the rodeo committee went to great lengths to improve rain-soaked arena conditions after a monsoonal storm blew through.

“I was up in slack and slack was first, that committee, they just worked their tails off trying to fix it,” she said. “They made a humongous effort to give everyone a fair shot after the rain.”

Peirce, who earned a qualification through North Platte’s Cheyenne qualifier, had gone to Frontier Days, but said the ground conditions there didn’t suit Lexi.

“We had three days to regroup after that,” she said. “They let us ride at Burwell the night before, which gave us a chance to get in the arena and relax a little bit. She’s a pretty Dash Ta Fame-y type, if you lean up she goes and if you say whoa she’s turning. I told myself I needed to leave her alone and just let her work so that’s what I tried to do and she really handled it great.”

Peirce’s streak continued days later at the Jayhawker Roundup in Hill City, Kansas, where Lexi laid down a 16.80 to add $776. The team is poised to cash another check from Abilene, Kansas, currently leading the barrel race with a 16.61 at the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo.

Legacy Owners

Lexi’s owners, Mary and Vaughn Watkins of Jackson, Mississippi, have been clients of Peirce’s since 1985. Their No. 1 producing daughter of Bugs Alive In 75, Ms Wahini Bug, is the maternal grand-dam of Famous Wahini and produced a line of offspring that Peirce has campaigned for decades.

Peirce said she is grateful to have one foal on the ground out of Lexi sired by leading barrel horse sire The Goodbye Lane, as well as a recipient mare carrying another Goodbye Lane.

Overcoming Obstacles

At the end of July Peirce ranked second in the Prairie Circuit standings with $12,315, and 53rd in the WPRA World standings with $29,696.

Despite their success, Peirce said her journey with Lexi hasn’t been without its challenges. Three years ago Peirce said they were plagued with hit barrels but a bit change helped resolve the issue.

“I was at the Senior finals in Texarkana, and I just knew I wasn’t going to keep them up in the finals. Kelly Conrado, he had ridden with Celie Ray like I had back in the day, and he said, ‘I want you to just try this bit.’ It’s a funny little short shanked bit with a rubber mouthpiece. The day I tried that bit she won the Senior World Championship by three-tenths. So I don’t know whether it was the bit or we just decided it was time to quit hitting barrels, but whatever the case, it worked.”

Then, at Guymon Pioneer Days two years ago Lexi sustained a mysterious injury that sidelined her for several months.

“A year to the day after that happened, she fractured a bone in her hip in the pasture and was out for another five months,” said Peirce. “Then last year she won Burwell and Hill City both by two tenths but then had to be off another 30 to 60 days so it’s been off and on like that.”

Peirce is excited to have momentum going strong as she targets a few personal goals that are well within reach. With just two months of regular season rodeo action remaining, Peirce said she plans on attending Dodge City, Albuquerque, Lawton, Lovington, the Breeders Challenge and the Prairie Circuit Finals.

“I need to get my circuit count in,” she said. “I’d like to get into the winter rodeos, I think Lexi would do OK at the winter rodeos. I’d like to make the NFR Open in Colorado Springs; that’s a goal, that and the winter rodeos.”

Champions of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo

Bareback Riding: Colt Eck, 85 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo's Cruella, $3,187

Steer Wrestling: Gus Franzen, 4.0 seconds, $2,956

Saddle Bronc Riding: (tie) Garrett Long, on Beutler & Son Rodeo's Grow A Pair, Dane McPhail, on Beutler & Son Rodeo's Smoke Jumper, and Traven Sharon, on Beutler & Son Rodeo's Dirty Flirt, 83 points, $2,972 each

Team Roping: Rylee Mills and Garrett Smith, 4.7 seconds, $4,115 each

Tie-Down Roping: Mason Stueve, 9.6 seconds, $4,139

Steer Roping: Riley O'Rourke, 42.1 seconds on three head, $2,644

Bull Riding: BJ McAbee McAbee Jr, 91 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo's Dump Truck, $7,076

All-Around Cowboy: Rance Bowden, $4,973, tie-down roping and team roping

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