Unity barrel racer, 12-year-old Kaybree Zunti had another year of successes to add to her rodeo story. Kaybree has learned she has qualified for the KK Run for Vegas finals in Junior World Barrel racing this Dec. 10-14, taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.
Kaybree will be one of 160 contestants competing at this event, held in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. Competitors are 17 and under and come from all across Canada. The KK Run for Vegas Junior World finals is one of the most prestigious youth Western events in the country, and only the top qualifiers have earned the right to compete, as stated in a press release shared by the Zuntis.
Kaybree said she qualified for this event through points she has earned in two qualifiers, one in Buckeye, Ariz., and one at Silesia Mont., where she placed in the top three in both.
Kaybree adds, “I competed in the Canadian Cowboys Association, Manitoba Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association. I ended up winning the CCA finals, placing second at MRCA Finals, and won the finals in barrels in the SHSRA.”
Kaybree says most of the season she ran her bay horse, Chex, and for the fall run she switched to her grey horse, Dollar. She ran both horses at finals.
Kaybree is a Grade 7 student at Unity Composite High School. She asks teachers for school work when she is on the road attending events and makes time to complete it while away competing.
Last season, Kaybree finished off the year as season leader in the CCA and Chex was named junior barrel horse of the year.
Mom, Twilla, adds about their son, “Ryder had a great season. He entered all the CCA rodeos this year steer riding and came up just short of making the CCA finals. He covered a great percentage of his steers. He also went to the Calgary stampede in pool B but unfortunately bucked off. Both Kaybree and her brother learned how to rope while in Arizona and they love it.”
Twilla said, while competing, her priority has moved from racing herself to keep her daughter mounted strong for her competitions. The Zuntis will head down to Las Vegas early to get the horses settled and ready for the first round, then will head back to Arizona after Christmas for the winter, taking their younger horses to get them ready to start next year’s rodeo season.
