A long summer and fall of hectic barrel racing competition more than paid off for MHS senior Karissa Gipple when she locked up the IBRA National Finals Youth championship.
“I just don’t know what to think,” Karissa said. “I knew I could do it, but it’s still crazy to think that I won.
Gipple ran so well that she ended up third in the open competition-after vying with 500 women from as far away as Italy- a mere 5/100ths of a second from first place, literally faster than the blink of an eye.
She found herself and her gelding, VF Yo Down, on a full-page congratulatory advertisement from the Embun, Ontario, stud company that sired VF Yo Down in the Barrel Racing Report.
“I was in shock when I saw it,” Karissa said. “I felt it was the coolest thing ever. It was a really big surprise. I never thought I’d be in ad for something like that, something everyone’s going to see.”
The ad, found on page 16 of the Oct. 18 issue of BRR, spells out her accomplishments at the IBRA event at Willington, Ohio, on Oct. 4-8.
Wins Youth Short Go, 14.891; Wins Youth Long Go, 14.967; 3rd Open Short Go, 14.819; 4th Open 1st Go; 8th Open 2nd Go; Weekend earnings of $4,399; Won a 1D paycheck every run!
Karissa’s dream season included numerous titles. She is the Youth URBA World Finals Champion, the 2011 Wis. NBHA Youth State Champion, 2011 Cowgirl Tuff Youth Champion, Wis. IBRA Champion, and runner-up in the NBHA Great Lakes Nationals Finals. She also competes in team barrel racing, winning the Barrel Bash, staged in Madison.
Karissa was even fortunate to own her stallion, whose interesting name is a composite from his father, Down Home Dash, mother, Yo Yo Chick, and breeding company, Victory Farms. Four years ago, a good friend was moving to Alaska and didn’t want VF Yo Down to sit idle, so she sold him to Karissa’s family.
“I had a really great year with him,” Karissa said. “I knew when I got him he was a really good horse. It took a couple of years to where we were winning all the time. It’s been a learning experience. What I needed to do was connect with him as a really good team. We have to really work together. It took time just learning to cue him right. I learned I have to be more consistent with him.”
Karissa, the daughter of Scott and Sandy Gipple, was the Wis. River Pro Rodeo Queen from Jan. 2010-June 2011. She credits her farrier-Dee Rayner, of Crivitz, Wis.-for giving VF Yo Down “fast horse shoes.”