Winding Journey Leads to Dream Finish for Barrel Racer at Great Lakes Circuit Finals

Following a lot of starts and stops, Katie Chism caps a special weekend with her horse, Ace, by winning all three rounds and the average title in Louisville.

Barrell racer Katie Chism and her horse, Ace, won all three rounds at the Great Lakes Circuit Finals over the weekend en route to the average championship. / Courtesy of the Great Lakes PRCA Circuit Facebook/Avid Visual Imagery Rodeo

It’s an ending Katie Chism imagined, but never envisioned becoming reality. 

After three runs at the Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo in Louisville, Ky., the Tiskilwa, Ill., barrel racer and her horse, Ace, had proven to be the fastest combo in town. 

How the pair accomplished the feat left her a little surprised. 

“When you say, ‘Boy, it would sure be nice if I could win all three rounds and the average,’ and then something like that actually happens, you’re like, ‘Did that happen? Am I dreaming?,’” Chism joked. “My horse is one-in-a-million and I’ve said that since day one. He’s my greatest gift in the horse world. Since day one, he’s been everything I could have asked for, prayed for and hoped for.”

Chism left no doubt from the opening go that she and Ace were ready to dominate, posting faster times with each run. The pair finished as the round winner all three nights, cobbling together an aggregate time of 44.58 seconds to secure the average title. Her three runs went for 14.96, 14.82 and 14.8, respectively. 

It’s an unlikely finish and hopefully a starting point to a much larger story for Chism and the horse she’s cared for since his birth seven years ago. 

I woke up this morning still in disbelief. It feels like a dream or a movie, not real life. MF Aces Famous Fling and I...

Posted by Katie Kimble Chism on Sunday, November 17, 2024

Registered as MF Aces Famous Fling, Ace is a Palomino stallion from Chism’s mother’s breeding program. She and her husband, Kasey, have raised and trained the horse its entire life. 

Two years ago, the duo were on their way to the Great Lakes Circuit Finals together when Ace suffered an injury in the semifinals at the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days Rodeo. While she was able to compete on a borrowed horse at the event, Ace’s recovery lasted a year and a half and Chism didn’t rodeo at all in 2023. 

As the 2024 season began, Chism was eager to get back on the road. In January, the night before the pair made their first run together since his setback, Chism learned she and Kasey were going to be growing their family. Their daughter, Kinley, was born in early September. 

While the news was certainly exciting, it also forced Chism to develop a game plan for how she was going to handle the next few months. She decided to push early, aiming to win as much as she could by June. In 12 rodeos, she secured just shy of $11,000 at circuit events. To qualify for the Circuit Finals, she needed to make 15 appearances.

“I loped the last three rodeos to get my circuit count up. I did one on a friend's borrowed horse and the last two on my old rope horse, loped them just to keep baby girl safe,” Chism said with a laugh. 

With her spot at the event secure, Chism focused on motherhood and her family, returning for her first competitive ride in late October. 

Then came the moment she has been waiting more than two years for – the chance to compete at the Circuit Finals with her horse. In one weekend, she and Ace won $13,189, securing almost as much money as they had over the course of the entire 2024 season. The outcome gave her an average championship and a spot at the NFR Open in July. 

What happens next is still to be determined. Chism has learned that the best laid plans can be altered quickly, so it’s a good idea to keep things as simple as possible. 

“When I set this goal, I said one rodeo at a time, one day at a time. I think that’s kind of still where we’re at,” Chism said. “We’re just going to let God be our guide and take every blessing as we get it, one rodeo at a time and one day at a time, and just be thankful for the ride. Having him injured for a year and a half, I know how quickly it can all be gone. I’m grateful for every run.”

Other results from the Great Lakes Circuit Finals

Bareback rider Nick Pelke won two of the three rounds en route to 256 points to claim the average title. In all, he earned $11,677. 

Tanner Scheevel used a first go win and a pair of runner-up finishes in the second and third rounds to take the steer wrestling title on an aggregate total of 14.2 seconds. He secured $11,724 in prize money. 

The team roping duo of Logan Allen and Trent Vaught placed in all three rounds for a total time of 19.1 seconds to win the average and each secure a $8,060 payday. 

Jett Williams finished his three saddle bronc rides with an aggregate score of 225 points to claim the championship and $8,060 in earnings. 

Tie-down roper Roy Lee won the final two goes on his way to an aggregate total of 26.6 second on three head to easily secure the average title and $10,258 in prize money.

Jesse Alsup claimed the breakaway average title thanks to a combined 9.2 seconds on three runs. She finished with $9,526 in earnings. 

Bull rider Kolt Achenbach covered two rides to earn 158 total points and take the average championship. He walked away with $8,793 in earnings. 

Austin Madison claimed the all-around title thanks to $9,159 in total money from tie-down roping and steer wrestling.