The first round of the Young Guns League Derby marked a breakthrough for Jesse Harris and her 2019 mare DLF Cash Two Annie (Repete Offender x TT Two Cash, by Letters Judgement).
The pair posted a 16.852-second run to win Round 1 and $8,250, then followed with a third-place finish in Round 2 to claim the average championship with a two-run total of 33.782 seconds. The win added $36,300 to the mare’s lifetime earnings and signaled the arrival of a young competitor and a promising mare hitting their stride.
“Watching all of the pieces God put together just, fall into place was awe-inspiring,” Harris said of the moment she clinched the win.
Full Young Guns League recap here.
A Full-Circle Connection
For Harris, Annie’s story began long before she owned her. The mare was trained by Whitney Godinez, the same horsewoman who started one of Harris’s first successful geldings years earlier. “It’s crazy how it came full circle,” Harris said. “Whitney trained my horse Barren when he was three, and I bought him about five years ago. When I reached out to her about finding another horse, she said, ‘I might have one that would fit you perfectly.’ That’s how Annie came into my life.”
Harris said that trust and shared history have been the foundation of her success with the mare. “Whitney knew Annie inside and out,” she said. “She’s helped me every step of the way, and I wouldn’t be where I am without her.”
A Road Back from Setback
The path to the Young Guns League title wasn’t straightforward. Shortly after purchasing Annie, Harris took the mare to the WPRA World Finals Cardholder Race, where she choked on a hay cube after her run. Recovery was slow, compounded by weight loss and an unsuccessful breeding attempt. “We just took our time,” Harris said. “I didn’t get back on her until spring, but once she was healthy again, she came back stronger than ever.”
Their first jackpot back resulted in a win, and from there, the mare kept improving. “She’s just been on a roll,” Harris said. “She picked up checks at big jackpots, ran solid at rodeos, and was right there even when she hit barrels.”
By the time the Young Guns League Derby came around, Annie was ready. “The fastest she’d ever run on a standard before this was a 17.1,” Harris said. “When I heard them call out a 16.8, I thought I’d made it up in my head. It’s one of those moments where everything just comes together.”
Gratitude and Growth
The Young Guns victory marked the biggest payday of Harris’s career so far. A recent Texas A&M University graduate with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism, Harris said the weekend was as humbling as it was exciting. “It’s all just been really special,” she said. “This mare has brought so many good people into my life and opened doors I never expected.”
Harris is also working on a documentary about her late father, Chris Harris, a six-time NFR bareback rider and Calgary Stampede champion. “My dad had an incredible story,” she said. “He accomplished so much, and I hope this project helps honor that and reach others who might be facing the same struggles that he did.”
Looking Ahead
With the Young Guns League championship behind them, Harris plans to focus on the Texas circuit and hopes to qualify for San Antonio and Austin. “Annie’s small but gritty,” she said. “She loves big outdoor pens, and I think she’s going to fit the rodeo setup really well.”
As for the Young Guns League itself, Harris said she’s grateful for the opportunity it provides to riders and developing stallions alike. “They’ve created something really special,” she said. “It’s given younger stallions a place to shine and helped shape the future of our sport. And with Repete Offender moving into the Pink Buckle next year, I’m excited to see where the next chapter takes us.”