The Denver metropolis turned a western hue this September, hosting the CPRA Finals Rodeo for the first time at the National Western Complex. Among the competitors was barrel racer Lorie Diodosio of Fowler, Colorado, a two-year cardholder with the CPRA making her debut at the finals. She won year-end titles in both the women’s all-around and barrel racing riding a young horse, Eight Ball, she decided to season this year. “I’d been to watch the CPRA finals before when my husband, Mike, was roping there, but never competed in it,” says Lorie, 47. “The new location was a real draw for me. They had a nice arena and hospitality area, and the committee did a really good job.”
The first of her family to rodeo, Lorie started the tradition by first participating in gymkhanas and 4-H, then entering NLBRA and high school rodeos. Today, she competes in the CPRA, KPRA and WPRA, where she placed in a round of the barrel racing during the 2016 WPRA finals in Waco, Texas. The 2016 season was one of Lorie’s busiest in the last 18 years, having used that time to compete in futurities and raise her and Mike’s 17-year-old daughter, Dolly. “I enjoy barrel racing, and I’ve always done futurities and brought up those younger horses,” says Lorie. “The horse I’m riding now, Eight Ball, started as a project horse two years ago. He was four then, and I started taking him to futurities and then turned him out until last year. He won Salida (Colorado) last year, and this summer it was nice to see him come full circle from where he’d been as a green colt. He likes the rodeo scene and the crowd and noise.”
Lorie works hard to keep her and Dolly mounted throughout the season. Dolly competes in the KHSRA in the barrel racing, breakaway roping, and team roping, and travelled with her mom to CPRA rodeos this year. She’s a junior in high school and plans to college rodeo. Mike continues to team rope, and Lorie recently started heading for him. “As far as competing, I don’t crave roping, but I like to rope on my futurity horses to give them something else to do,” Lorie explains. Mike convinced her to rope in the CPRA this year, which put her in the running for the all-around. She entered with friends when Mike was at high school rodeos with Dolly. “Mike has really encouraged me the most and helped me with my horsemanship,” says Lorie. “We grew up not far from each other near Pueblo, and we met through rodeoing. If he or Dolly can’t come with me, my mom often drives with me.”
When Lorie isn’t training horses, she works part time as a nurse for the Fowler School District, which gives her extra flexibility to rodeo. “Roping and horses are what we do!” she says. “I have a three-year-old I’ll futurity in several years. I really like the bigger futurities down south, and our family tries to go to Arizona to rope for a few weeks every year after Christmas.
“I entered the Casper (Wyoming) rodeo recently, and I’ll keep seeing how the winter goes. I hope Eight Ball continues to improve for Dolly and me, and I want to keep seeing my futurity horses become rodeo horses.”
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Cripple Creek, CO June 12-13, 2021
Meeker, CO July 2-3, 2021
Fairplay, CO July 16-17, 2021
Montrose, CO July 31, 2021
CPRA State Finals –Montrose, CO
October 1-3, 2021 – Montrose County Event Center
