Local cowboy travels for big competition

TROUT CREEK - Local cowboy, Jason Helvey, traveled to Nampa, Idaho this weekend to compete in the, Extreme Mustang Makeover.

The competition consisted of two parts. In April, Helvey traveled to Idaho to acquire a mustang, which was rounded up with a group for the competition.

The participants in the competition were given 90 days to break in the horse and train it.

Helvey acquired a four year old mare named Starbuck.

He worked for the 90 days to break her in and July 24th and 25th he then brought her back to Nampa, Idaho to compete against 38 other contestants in the Extreme Mustang Makeover.

The day before leaving for Nampa and the competition, Helvey said, I think I got a really nice horse, but I don’t know about the fancy arenawork we gotta deal with when we go down there.”

Helvey explained how in the last couple of weeks he had been fine tuning Starbucks skills in preparation.

“I have her doing all kinds of stuff... Fine tuning some riding, riding through obstacles, hanging tarps and stuff over the top of the gate, riding her over bridges,” Helvey said.

As part of her training, Helvey also took Starbuck to a clinic in Noxon and took her on a poker run in Trout Creek.

The biggest concern of Helvey’s was that because he was stuck in the hayfields a lot he was not able to work Starbuck hard enough.

Upon returning from the competition Helvey said, “I ended up in 15th out of 38.”

In the reinin pattern section of the compeition Helvey placed 11th. He placed 12th in the handling and conditioning.

“She just kind of quit on me,” Helvey said, when it came to the trail walk.

Helvey placed a bid on Starbuck to keep her after the competition, but he was bidded out by a higher bidder who took her.

Helvey is thinking about possibly trying it again next year.