Badlands Circuit awards honors to select timed event horses
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Special horses were recognized after the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot, North Dakota earlier this month.
The top steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, barrel racing and breakaway roping horses were chosen as award winners.
In the steer wrestling, the 2026 Badlands Circuit Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year went to Riley Reiss' horse TR Rassie Mae "Rassy." Haze Horse of the Year was won by Odde, owned by Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, North Dakota. Reiss lives in Manning, North Dakota.
Team roping head horse went to Logan Olson's horse DMO Onas Gotta Gun "Harley," and heel horse was won by Cash Hetzel's horse CLG Cowboy Firewater "Cowboy." Olson is from Flandreau, South Dakota. Hetzel lives in Lemmon, South Dakota.
Myles Kenzy's horse TD Heza Smoothie "Butterball" won the Tie-down Roping Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year, and in the WPRA, Samantha Fulton's horse Purr N In The Sand "Hank" was the winner. Kenzy is from Iona, South Dakota. Fulton lives in Miller, South Dakota.
In the barrel racing, the 2026 WPRA Badlands Circuit Barrel Horse of the Year was awarded to Fiestas Cantina CC "Fiesta," owned and ridden by Piper Cordes, Wall, South Dakota.
Odde, the Badlands Circuit Haze Horse of the Year, is a three-time consecutive award winner (2024-26).
Odde serves a dual purpose. Not only is he ridden as a haze horse, but Cameron's wife, Teddi, breakaway ropes on him.
The 11-year-old gray gelding started his rodeo career in the breakaway, but when Cameron's haze horse got hurt two years ago, Odde was introduced to his second event.
Having the horse haze made him better at breakaway.
Odde hazing "has definitely helped him leave (the timed event) box sharper for me," she said. And having the horse do both events is helpful, too. "At rodeos steer wrestling is usually before the breakaway roping, so he's warmed up, and all I have to do is change bits, shorten stirrups, and we are ready to go. This helps, as it's not always easy traveling with two young kids."
Teddi purchased Odde in 2020 from Larry Odde. The horse was started by Ross Odde.
"He's a big dog," Teddi said.
"He's just always in your pocket, and he's the first one to meet you at the gate. When the horses are in the pasture, I can whistle and he'll come running." He's also gentle and dependable around the couple's two sons, ages three and one.
"I can throw the boys on him and I can trust him. He's very reliable."
This year was Cameron's thirteen consecutive year to qualify for the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo; it was Teddi's first year.
A ranch-raised horse won the Team Roping Head Horse of the Year.
Dan and Marda Flandreau, Logan's parents, raised DMO Onas Gotta Gun "Harley." Logan has had a lot of head horses, but "I've never had one like her," he said.
"She scores phenomenal, she never gets ahead of me, she never anticipates. She scores, she runs, she just doesn't do anything wrong."
Bobbi started Harley in the barrel racing, and thought the horse needed to rope, to help change her mindset. So Logan roped on her, and when he realized how special she was, she didn't go back to the barrels. "I love to head on her," she said. "She took to it so easy."
Not only is Harley an athlete, but she has a good attitude.
"She's always listening, and she's a sweetheart. She doesn't have any quirks."
Logan knows how special Harley is.
"I don't think I'll ever get another horse like this. I'm enjoying it."
Logan qualified for the 2005 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo; he has qualified for the Badlands Circuit Finals at least ten times and has won the circuit six times. Bobbi has qualified for the Badlands Circuit Finals nine times.
The 2026 Badlands Circuit Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year Award was given posthumously.
TR Rassie Mae "Rassy" won the award for the second consecutive year; the mare passed away after suffering an injury at a rodeo in September.
Owned and ridden by Riley Reiss, the mare had a lot of "try and grit," he said. "It seemed like the more you rode her, the harder she tried and the better she worked."
He noted that having an edge in the steer wrestling means catching the steer a stride quicker than everybody else, and Rassy could do that. "That's where she shined," he said. "Her first stride was wicked. She was really fast across the line."
The gray mare, who was 11 when she passed, was bred and raised by Hollis and Karen Treeby and trained by Scott and Halley Kleeman. Reiss, Manning, North Dakota, had just purchased her last year. "She was my Christmas present," he said.
Scott Kleeman and Reiss both rode the horse at last year's Badlands Circuit Finals. Reiss rode her at the circuit finals two years ago.
The 2026 Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo was held Oct. 9-11 in Minot, North Dakota.
Next year's rodeo is October 8-10.
For more information on the rodeo, visit the website at BadlandsCircuitFinalsRodeo.com.