By Ted Harbin (Photo by Clay Guardipee)
Kiss wasn’t exactly at home in Kissimmee, but she was mighty comfortable.
Kiss is a 7-year-old flaxon-maned sorrel mare jockeyed by Shelley Morgan of Eustace, Texas. With the registered name HR Fameskissandtell, the speedy red carried on the strong barrel racing legacy by guiding Morgan to her first RAM National Circuit Finals championship title.
A granddaughter of the great sire Dash Ta Fame, Kiss helped propel the Eustace, Texas, cowgirl to her second RNCFR by finishing second in the 2020 Texas Circuit campaign – Tiany Schuster won both the year-end and circuit finals average titles, so the next bid for Kissimmee, Florida, went to Morgan.
Ah, but the fun didn’t end there. Once the tandem arrived in central Florida, they went to work. Morgan finished fourth in the first round with a 15.04-second run. They missed out on the money in the second round but stayed steady, finishing in a tie for third place in the two-run aggregate. They saved the best for last; Morgan won both the eight-person semifinals (14.80) and the four-round (14.82).
“That was pretty exciting,” said Morgan, who earned $16,398 and gathered other gifts with the victory, including a Cactus saddle, Montana Silversmiths buckle, Justin Boots full-quill ostrich boots, a Polaris Ranger and a voucher for a RAM vehicle. “Kiss just went out there and did her thing. She’s so awesome, and it was definitely fun. All the money and prizes make it pretty darn cool.”
After a few years of not counting toward the world standings, the money earned at the RNCFR boosted Morgan into the No. 1 spot on the money list. She realized that it could be short-lived, but she’s in the mix now and hopes to keep up that status in order to show herself and her horsepower at a third NFR.
“Even if it’s only for a week, it sure is fun,” she said. “Don’t think I didn’t screen-shot it, because I sure did it. I know it’s going to change, but I’m going to enjoy it while I can.
“Kiss does all the work; I literally just sit up there. Kiss is the hero by far.”
Read the full story in the upcoming May WPRA News.
Article courtesy of WPRA.com
