Epic Wins at Arizona Xtreme Barrel Race

Originally posted on Rodeo on SI | By Michaela Jaycox | Last updated Jan 1, 2024 11:00 AM ET

It was 15-year-old Ceeli Pinkston who swept the Xtreme Arizona 2023 barrel race. Having an epic weekend aboard the 2018 stallion Hes So Epic and 2020 mare Strawberrita, Ceeli took home an impressive $43,009. Among NFR qualifiers and top futurity trainers, Pinkston and Hes So Epic, also known as Icy, topped the leaderboard in every race they entered.

Running a 14.751 to win the Open 5D on Thursday, Pinkston and Icy were a force to be reckoned with as the weekend continued, and the duo ran a 14.244 to win the Open 5D—by nearly three-tenths of a second—and Derby on Friday, a 14.407 to win the Open 5D and Derby on Saturday, and a 14.557 to take the win in the Open 5D on Sunday.

While having a dominating year, Pinkston wasn’t expecting to have the success she did at the Xtreme race.

"I was not expecting this. I figured I'd do pretty well because he’s so talented, but I really wasn't expecting to win the way I did this weekend, to be honest with you," she said.

Icy's performance was exceptional, with Pinkston recounting, "He is the most consistent horse. On the second day, he set the arena record with a 14.244. We actually set the arena record here [Pima County Fairgrounds] last year at the Sherry Cervi Youth Championships when we ran a 14.4, and I didn’t think we could even come close to outrunning that, but we did."

Pinkston's partnership with Icy was a bit unexpected but ended up being a match made in heaven.

"My first ever run—never even sat on him before—I ran Icy at the Pink Buckle, and he ran a 17.0 on our first day and then on a 16.8 on the second day. And ever since then, it's just been a fairytale. We just connect. It's God's plan, that's for sure. God put that horse in my life, and I’m enjoying every ride," she said.

Trained by futurity trainer Stefanie Duke, Icy had a solid start on him before Pinkston took the reins. Being able to win at the highest levels in the hands of a talented youth rider, Icy has proven time and time again that he’s a level-headed stallion with a desire to win just as much as his jockey does.

While notorious for his gentle nature, Icy and Pinkston have ice in their veins when they head down the alley—winning nearly everywhere they go.

With a record-setting weekend at the Arizona Xtreme, Pinkston and Icy have surpassed $300,000 in barrel racing earnings. In addition to their impressive earnings, the pair have set six arena records in 2023 and are bound to continue to make waves as we enter 2024.

Hes So Epic is a son of Epic Leader out of Maddie Ross, a daughter of Dash Ta Fame out of an On A High mare. His first foal crop will hit the ground in 2024. Hes So Epic stands at Brazos Valley Stallion Station, and his 2024 breeding fee is $2,500.