Sierra Telford wasn’t planning on bringing Roan Olena Oak to The Run For A Million. However, the choice paid off, and she persevered through a struggle that horsemen and women know well.
“The horse I originally planning to show ended up coming up sore, and it’s been three years since this one’s been in the show pen. He’s been my breakaway horse for the last three years,” the young cowgirl said.
Earlier this year, she finished the high school rodeo season as the Idaho High School Rodeo Association (IHSRA) All-Around Champion Cowgirl and IHSRA Reined Cow Horse Reserve Champion.
Roan Olena Oak (Olena Oak x Starlight Sailor x Topsail Cody) has $53,898 in earnings according to EquiStat. As a National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity Finalist, the horse’s career started off with a bang.
Jessica Telford owns the gelding and has hauled him everywhere from barrel races to the Worlds Greatest Horsewoman.
Although he hasn’t been getting shown in the reined cow horse recently, he made a brilliant comeback with a composite of 438.5, a full 4 points ahead of Tylie Norcutt on Soulas Hickory Star (Soula Jule Star x Turn Liz Loose x Docs Hickory).
“The whole game plan going in was just survive the rein work and show off in the fence work so that’s what we made happen,” Telford said.
Although she only had seven days to prepare to show this horse, she made it worthwhile. While in Nevada, she was able to practice on cattle with EquiStat Elite $1 Million Rider Nick Dowers. She also wanted to thank her father, EquiStat Elite $2 Million Rider Jake Telford, for his help on the rein work and her mother for letting her show the 8 year-old-gelding.
