Hartman Family Finds Their Niche in Rodeo
By Dianna Troyer
After winning $12,745 at the Xtreme Million barrel racing competition last fall in Nampa, Saige Hartman brainstormed how to invest part of her cash prizes.
“I wanted a project—to train a barrel horse from start to finish,” says the 8-grader at East Minico Middle School. “After looking at a bunch of ads and trying a couple, I finally found a 3-year-old palomino filly, PCR Jersey Girl.”
Her family drove to Evanston, Wyoming, to check out the prospect.
“From the moment I got on her, I knew she had the potential I was looking for,” Saige says. “During our first ride at home in our outdoor arena, she acted like she’s been here forever. For her informal name, I decided to call her Poppy.”
For barrel racers like Saige and her mother, the Xtreme Million is a premier competition. Started in 1993, the series of races throughout the West is renowned for its high payouts and not requiring riders to pre-qualify. Contestants enter as many times as they want and can even run the same horse several times.
At the close of the weekend event in late September, Saige had earned several honors for her whirlwind runs in a cloverleaf pattern around the barrels. Her cash prizes made her the high money earner.
She was also named the Xtreme Nampa Athlete, recognized as 1 of only 2 competitors to have a time of less than 17 seconds. At 16.984, she and her horse, Sophisticatedquitain—aka Tom— had the second-fastest time of more than 1,200 runs by 434 competitors.
Saige says her weekend had been going great until Sunday when she bumped a barrel.
“I was determined to not leave with a downed barrel and re-entered the open and Mini Million,” she says.
She relied on advice from her parents, Cory and Tiffany.
“Before each run, Dad always reminds me it’s a mental game and ‘to always look ahead,’” Saige says. “Mom tells me, ‘This ride’s for you—you’re not riding for anybody else.’”
Tiffany, who also competed, described their autumn adventure on her Facebook page.
“After Saige bumped a barrel, she was riding with a vengeance … and SMOKED a 16.984!! So stinking proud of how far she and Tom have come!!” Tiffany wrote.
Tiffany rode her mare, Hancocks Bar Maid, aka Maly.
“She’s so much fun to run,” Tiffany says. “We usually have our best time on the last day, and the Xtreme was no different. She came out and ran an 18.04, which is our personal best on a full standard.”
All For 1
Barrel racing is 1 of several rodeo events the Hartman family has been competing in for years.
“When Cory and I met, we had a mutual interest in rodeo even though neither 1 of us grew up in a rodeo family,” Tiffany says. “We were both drawn to it for the sense of community and family values.”
At the time, they were living in Las Vegas and decided to raise Saige and her brother, Lane, near a rural town that was a day’s drive from Vegas, where their families lived.
In 2018, their search led them to the Mini-Cassia area. They found jobs in the area and a home near Rupert that would be ideal for their horses. Cory works for Intermountain New Holland in Heyburn. Tiffany is a commercial lending specialist at D.L. Evans Bank in Burley.
During winter, when there is too much snow in their outdoor arena, Saige and Tiffany compete in a barrel racing series at an indoor arena near Twin Falls.
While they race around barrels, Cory spends his spare time team roping. He and 2 of his roping partners, Chase Brice and Trevor Stapelman, qualified for the first time in the World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas in December.
“Roping is a reprieve, a great way to be part of a group that has a lot of camaraderie,” he says.
Cory says he’s impressed with the camaraderie Saige and Lane experience while competing in the local High Desert Junior Rodeo Association.
Lane, a sixth-grader, does goat tying and looks forward to learning how to rope. Besides barrel racing, Saige also competes in pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping.
“The High Desert association is like being part of 1 big caring family,” Cory says. “I never have to worry about my kids when we’re at a rodeo. Parents want to see all the kids succeed. Rodeo is a way for kids to learn how to deal with challenges and to do their best. We have a saying, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’”
The association is organized by Chase and Lindsay Brice for children in the Mini-Cassia area. All rodeos are run by parent volunteers.
“Parents do it all—100%—the gates, barrels, chutes, and judging,” Cory says. “All the entry fees are used for prizes. No 1 is paid.”
While competing indoors during winter to stay tuned up, Saige and Tiffany look forward to their summer and fall barrel racing season.
“We’re planning to be in Nampa again next fall,” Tiffany says.
Saige is optimistic, too.
“Who knows, maybe Tom and I will continue our winning streak,” she says. “Plus, I’m excited to start running Poppy at the end of 2025.”