story by Lily Weinacht
Summertimes spent with her Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean Minick on their farm introduced Doreen Ulery to horses as a child, a passion that has persisted through all seasons of her life. She and her sister, Denise Gorinski, took the horse bug even further in their late 20s and early 30s when they started showing horses. “We had these crazy homemade horse trailers, and we went to our first horse show. We stumbled on barrel racing, and that’s what we wanted to do,” says Doreen, 59. “We spent a lot of time and really dedicated ourselves to it, and we had to kind of figure things out ourselves, which we eventually did.”
An APRA gold card member from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, Doreen joined the APRA in the early ‘90s and won her first year-end barrel racing title in 1996, followed by another title in 2002. She took a hiatus from rodeo after that and went to horse shows, but returned to compete in the APRA this season after her latest barrel horse, Spock, held his own in several futurities and she knew he was ready for the rodeo world. “Late in his 4-year-old year, we went to some Bulls and Barrels rodeos and he excelled in them, and he does so well that I hate not to go,” says Doreen. “I try to stay within three to four hours from home. I normally go myself since my husband stays home to take care of things, and my little Jack Russell, Elroy, travels with me. When she can, Denise goes with me. I’m very strong in my faith, and that motivates me, and my husband, Roger, is very encouraging and supportive.”
Although she’s been through several surgeries in the last few years, including a knee replacement, Doreen is always back in the saddle, whether it’s training two young barrel horses, or riding Spock. She purchased the 6-year-old gelding as a 2-year-old, inspired by her sister, who loves the Perks Alive breeding, to give the horse a try. “His registered name is Dash To The Stars, but he’s called Spock because he has really big ears. He was broke to ride when I got him, and that made him very easy to train. He likes the rodeos better than the horse shows, and he excels more in different pens. But when he’s not at a rodeo, he wants to be left alone,” Doreen says with a laugh.
She and Roger make their home on a 40-acre farm outside of Mount Pleasant, just 8 miles down the mountain from where she grew up. They grow hay and care for their horses, dogs, and chickens, while Doreen has also worked as an EMT the last 12 years. “The horses are pretty much the main hobby, and we have two sons who both like to spend time with us on the farm. My oldest son, Roger, is an IT guy for Mount Pleasant Area School District, and Will is a package loader at UPS.”
Doreen has numerous rodeos to enter within a few hours of home in July and August, and she always looks forward to competing in North Washington and Ford City, Pennsylvania. “Crooked Creek Rodeo is really a big deal in our area, and it’s a very nice facility and run very professionally,” says Doreen, who placed fifth there in July. “I just want to go and have fun, and do what I’m doing. It would be neat to qualify for the (APRA) finals again after all this time. As long as I stay healthy enough I want to keep on going.”
