Karli Cowie CFR 2025

Karli Cowie is set for her third Canadian Finals Rodeo, with her great mare Queen Flingtime (A Streak of Fling x Queen Fa Tima) aka Fling. Together they competed at 37 rodeos, placing at 15, winning three. The Saskatchewan cowgirl won $34,232.57 in the regular season.

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What is your main mounts back story?
I bought Fling as a four year old from Cornelius and Maria Wiebe. Krystal Grad had been riding her at the time and doing well on her. I watched her whole training process and always loved her. I have also wanted an a Streak of Fling offspring for as long as I can remember. She is so special because she has more try than anything I have ever stepped on. I think she wants to win even more than I do. Even when the cards are all stacked against her time and time again, she always finds a way to come out on top. Many vets have told me, “you will never run this horse again” and here we are, going to our third straight CFR with a sound and happy horse. 

What was your most memorable run this season, and what made it memorable?
Probably Williams Lake. I was going through a pretty big slump and had been working on some things to try to turn my luck around and even switched bits on Fling for the first time ever and ended up winning the rodeo. I believe that win turned my whole season around. 

What was different about your rodeo season this year compared to last year?
I had a really bad June this year. The time of year when you should be winning the money, I couldn't win anything. I literally don’t think I won a dollar the whole month of June. I went to a couple rodeos I had never been to before this year (Williams Lake) which in the end turned out to be a really good decision. 

What challenges did you face this year, and how did you overcome them?
Like I said, June was horrible. I was knocking barrels I shouldn’t have been knocking and just couldn’t seem to have a good run to save my life. My horse felt great, I just was riding bad and was getting in my head. It seemed like all I needed was that one good run to turn my whole season around and give me the confidence to keep going and be successful. Rodeo is hard, but you have to just keep going and believing in yourself and your abilities and things will eventually turn around. 

How do you keep confidence when things aren't going as planned, or you are in a slump? 
My horse gives me a lot of confidence. I think the world of her and know if I can even be half decent, she will be 100%. I think you can just never get too down because there is seriously so much money to be won out there, one run isn’t really going to matter or change you. If it doesn’t go as planned, you just need to forget about it, do your homework, and head to the next one with a clear mind and the confidence that you are on the best horse there and the mindset that you can win.

Tell readers something good that happened to you this season, other than winning or placing at a rodeo? 
My friend Rene LeClercq let me stay at her place a lot this summer, which greatly helped since I live in Saskatchewan and am a long ways from everything. It’s even a bonus Chris can cook a heck of a steak! 

What would be your rough estimate of vet work annually to get to the Canadian Finals Rodeo? Do you know a rough estimate of what it cost (without factoring in truck/trailer cost)  to make a run at the CFR? 
I honestly have no idea, and don’t think I want to know, lol. You do what you need to do, and go to the vet when you have to. These horses put on so many miles throughout the summer and work so hard, I think it is very important to have a close relationship with your vet and make stops there throughout the summer, even just for a check up or get little things done to make sure they can perform to the best of their abilities.

What was the best restaurant you stopped at all year? Any hidden gems to mention?
Grouchy Daddy’s in Olds! It is so dang good, every time I drive by there I have to stop now. The pork belly rice bowl is unreal.

What is your least favourite part of being on the rodeo road, and what is your favourite?
My least favourite would probably be being gone so much and not being able to put the time I want on my horses at home. My favourite part would be seeing all the different places and getting to spend time with a lot of really amazing people that I have met through rodeo. 

What therapies are a must have for your horse?  
Definitely my Bemer! I put the Bemer on Fling twice a day every single day. I never miss a day. 

How do you manage to balance life at home/work with life on the road?
I have a really good boss lol (my mom). My family owns a restaurant/bar/hotel that I work at during the week when I am home. My mom is so supportive and any shifts I need covered she will work for me and she will give me as much time off as I need. My parents are very supportive of me and my rodeo. 

Who did you travel with this year? Do you have a funny or heart warming story you could share about your time together, or anything you would like to share about them? 
I got to travel with Rene a bit this year and I can honestly tell you she was so great to travel with. We are both very easy going people with the same goals in mind so it was fun to be able to travel with someone who is so supportive and wants you to win as bad as you want them to win. Plus, it’s a bonus she always packed great snacks lol. 

How are you preparing for the Canadian Finals Rodeo practise wise? What is your routine like to be ready for Edmonton?
I gave Fling a week off after the BC run just to rest and be a horse and got back on her the week before Olds. I’ll just be exercising her with barrel work mixed in there every few days as well. Fling is a pretty hard keeper, she never gets fat, so I try not to make her workouts too crazy or there wouldn’t be much to her. 

If your horse was an actor/actress in a movie, who would play them, or if your horse was a character from a movie, which character do they remind you of and why?
I have no idea. I don’t watch enough movies to even know. Someone sassy and so confident and a little bit of a mean girl lol. 

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up, and what do you do now? 
I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life but I’m pretty happy with where I am at and what I am doing right now! Never could have dreamed my life would turn out this way. 

If you could swing a leg over another qualifier's horse, who would it be and why?
Oh gosh, how would you ever pick. They are all great horses that didn’t make it to the CFR for no reason. Taylor’s mare Bling is so cool and gritty and Pam’s horse Dyna is the definition of a rodeo horse. So turny and can stand up on anything! 

How many barrel horses do you currently have in your string, tell us about them?
Fling is really my only pro caliber horse right now. I ran my futurity horse Millie at quite a few rodeos this summer and she did good, even pulling a cheque out of Bassano, but she is still pretty green and I think by next year she will be more seasoned and be more ready for the rodeos. 

What is your advice for someone who wants to take a shot at making the Canadian Finals Rodeo?
Just do it! You will never know until you go down the road and give it a try. 

Thank you to my sponsors, Cor Veterinary Services, Alliance Equine, EBT, Hi Way 4, Anderson and Company, Wand & Plafond. Thank you to my family for taking care of the horses at home while I am gone, and my mom for putting in extra time at work in the summer when I am gone lots.