The WRANGLER Horse and Rodeo News is an equine and rodeo publication with circulation in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Utah and Idaho.
Issue link: http://thewrangler.uberflip.com/i/826140
4 The Wrangler, Annual Rodeo & Team Roping Edition • May 20 - June 4, 2017 Four tiny hooves that first touched gumbo earth at the end of long shaky legs on the Schimkat Ranch near the mighty Missouri River in South Dakota grew into talented flying hooves raising dust along a far-flung and magical star-studded trail before leaving their final prints in sandy loam far East of the Mississippi River. The Silver Spurs Arena in Osceola Heritage Park is near the Kissimmee River and the northwest shore of Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida – an area that was home to some of the first horses in America. That's where the unbelievably brave, beautiful, faithful, loving and talented Chase it With Brandy placed her final hoofprint, just before her awesome spirit winged a shining way across the rainbow into Horse Heaven. No one who truly knew Brandy will ever be the same again. Owner-trainer-rider Jana Griemsman says, "I haven't talked to any of the reporters or people who have called, but to have a tribute to her -- we want that. I want to find someone to pencil or paint a picture of her for me, too. I'm going to try to find all the photos ever taken of her. She was amazing . . . I don't want her memories ever forgotten." From birth the foal called Brandy mesmerized horsewomen Brandy Holzer and Ruby Schimkat into spoiling her. They just couldn't help themselves, and they weren't the only ones. Who wouldn't idolize a beautiful filly with a perfect white heart in the center of her forehead? Ruby's daughter Jana, still shaken to her core weeks after Brandy's passing says, "I revolved around that mare when she was a baby. I always said that she gives her whole heart to me... one more thing that makes her so special. " The foal of Ruby's daughter Jill Schimkat Moody's Corona Special and Terry Moody's TM Sakem Drift was destined for greatness and born with the charisma to carry it off. Somehow Jill just knew Brandy belonged with her sister, so when the filly was two she sent her west to the Black Hills to live with Jana and Paul Griemsman near Piedmont. "My husband knew from the beginning she was going to be something special," Jana says, "And I was just lucky enough my sister let me keep her." Brandy never bucked but her brilliant brain took note of plenty that spooked her. Yet Jana, who started her on barrels as a 2-year-old, remembers, "I knew she was going to be nice -- and the whole time I was running her at futurities I was pregnant with our son Laken." Laken, now a 3-year-old, fell in love in utero with Brandy and the thrill of running fast barrels on her! It was a mutual love. Jana relates, "I'd win a rodeo on her and my little boy would come running up to us beaming, 'Mom! You're the champion!' I could hand her over for him to lead back to the trailer right then. She was a gentle soul . . . but a fierce competitor." Laken owes his wonderful toddler memories of Disney World to Brandy, too. His mom Jana's goal for 2016 was to win the barrel racing title in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Badlands Circuit, thereby cinching a ride in the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo near Kissimmee, Florida, which is near Disney World. Jana and Brandy not only earned the ticket to Florida by winning the average at the Badlands Circuit Finals, they also won the 2016 Circuit championship and Brandy (who won over $25,000 in the 15 Badlands Circuit 20l6 rodeos) was named "Badlands Horse of the Year" in the Women's Professional Rodeo Association. Jana enjoyed Disney World almost as much as Laken and they made three trips there. Tears stream down her face today as she relates how Brandy's tragedy drowned that joy; and how tough it is for Paul and her to enter into Laken's excitement of remembering and discussing Mickey Mouse and his other favorites from those trips. "We had been having the time of our life . . . and now that vacation will never be the same," she says. Jana's horses have always come first and she says she's been fanatical about seeing them the last thing at night and the first thing in the morning, making sure they are OK. Brandy's relationship with her was even deeper than other horses. Jana gave up a likely trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last fall to bring the faithful mare home for a rest. She says for most of 2016 the duo pocketed a check every time they unloaded – a rare feat in today's competition. Then Brandy had A Memorial Tribute 2009-2017 Chase It Wh Brandy By: Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns