Team sport

Horse and rider share pain, struggle and victory

It was a peculiar name for a glorious and accomplished athlete. Despite the irreverent, and inaccurate moniker, Phatty carried many calf roping riders to victory over his 24 years on earth. On one particular weekend, eight years ago, he delivered three different riders to top three finishes, in three different rodeos.

“He taught a lot of people how to rope,” said Lori Mallett of her horse. “He was a true competitor and gentleman.”

Phatty died last week. He was put down for compassionate reasons. He spent his final days in the warm sunlight, open fields and at last in the comfortable stables on the Sprigglen farm north of Wellington on Gilead Road. Lori was with him until the end.

“When you work with an animal every day, training and competing, the bond reaches deeply,” explained Mallett. “They really are part of the family.”

It’s a big family. Lori, her husband Dan Sprigings and their children Dawson (8) and Anna (7) have eight horses, 30 beef cattle and 130 sheep on their Gilead Road farm. It’s a busy life. There are always chores that need to be done and animals to be tended.

Lori also finds time to volunteer on the school council at CML Snider Elementary School in Wellington.

And on weekends when other folks look to put their feet up and relax, Lori is most likely with Rocket—weaving around barrels in a ring or roping calves in small town Ontario or Quebec. They are good at it. She has walls of ribbons and shelves of trophies to show for their success.

This weekend Lori and Rocket are competing in the County Championship Rodeo in Picton. Dawson, too, is competing with Nemo—a seven-year-old stallion. Both young athletes are showing a lot of promise.

She disagrees with those who say that rodeo animals are mistreated.

“I’ve travelled to hundreds of rodeos over the years,” said Mallett. “Honestly, I can say from my experience there are no animals treated better. They do an exceptional job of tending to the needs of each animal in the rodeo.”

(L-R) Lori, Dawson, Anna and Dan.

Barrel racing combines both speed and agility. Typically, three barrels are arrayed in a ring. From a standing start, horse and rider leap at the start, weaving a pattern around the barrels in a race against the clock. Victory and second best are often separated by a fraction of a second.

Calf roping involves the release of a calf into the ring. From a standing start, horse and rider pursue and rope the calf. The horse pulls up and when the rope is taut, a release is triggered, separating the rope from the saddle. Time stops.

Dawson competes in the Kids’ Rodeo starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Lori will ride in main event beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Afterward, the James Barker Band will perform before the Grandstand at the Prince Edward County Fairgrounds.

It’s not the first time Lori and Dawson have competed this close to home—but this is surely the largest rodeo event to be staged in the County. They are looking forward to an exciting weekend.

Perhaps it will ease the hardship of losing a member of the family