10/18/2026
Way to go Kaybree & Blaze!!! 🔥♥️🥰🤩
Every season leader has a story. One built through countless miles, early mornings, unforgettable runs and the determination to keep going when things don’t go as planned.
As we celebrate the 2026 Canadian Cowboys Association regular season leaders, we’re going beyond the standings to recognize the athletes, horses, families and moments that made their success possible.
This is The Road to the Top: Kaybree Zunti
2026 Canadian Cowboys Association Ladies Barrel Racing Season Leader
For Kaybree Zunti, the 2026 rodeo season wasn’t supposed to be about chasing a season leader title. In fact, her original plans looked quite different from the summer that eventually unfolded.
After a few years of tough luck and struggling to find confidence in the arena, Zunti had planned to spend much of the season focusing on developing her young horses, entering larger jackpots and attending the occasional rodeo close to home but sometimes, the best seasons are the ones you never see coming.
And for Zunti, everything began to change with one horse, one run and a renewed belief in what was possible.
That horse is Blaze, a 9 year old mare registered as Blazin Hot Goldbar, by 99 Goldmine whom Zunti and her family purchased a few years ago.
For Zunti, Blaze has become much more than a competitive partner.
“She is the biggest gift I could ever ask for. She loves her job and tries her heart out every single time we enter the arena.”
That willingness to give everything in the arena has made Blaze an important part of Zunti’s success, but it’s their connection outside of competition that makes the partnership particularly special. Zunti describes a horse who knows exactly who her person is.
Blaze comes running across the pen when she sees Kaybree approaching, something she doesn’t do for anyone else and while she’s more than willing to work for Kaybree, the same can’t always be said when other family members climb aboard.
“When my dad and brother try and ride her she likes to throw a fit and tries to start bucking so I’m safe to say she’s stuck with me haha!”
It’s that bond, built on trust and understanding, that Zunti believes has made them stronger inside the arena but Blaze’s personality doesn’t stop there. Away from the barrels, she’s a mare who knows she’s a star.
“She knows she’s a rockstar and she will show it off to you!”
Despite her speed in competition, Zunti laughs that Blaze might be the laziest horse she’s ever owned when it comes to exercising and there’s one thing nobody should forget when walking past her pen.
A cookie.
According to Zunti, anyone who walks by without offering Blaze a treat might find themselves on her bad side the following day.
But when it’s time to run barrels, that laid back personality disappears.
One of the defining moments of Zunti’s 2026 season came early at the Kindersley Indoor Rodeo. After several years of disappointing results and uncertainty about her ability to win again, Zunti and Blaze delivered a run that changed the direction of their summer.
“I would say my run from Kindersley stood out the most. Out of all the runs this year that run brought me to a few tears.”
It was more than just a fast time.
It was a moment of reassurance that the work, patience and belief she had invested in her horse were beginning to pay off.
“After a few years of having tough luck and not much confidence of winning, Blaze went in there and smoked a run to start our year off.”
That performance gave Zunti the confidence to reconsider her plans. Instead of staying close to home and focusing primarily on her colts, she decided to keep entering rodeos and see where the season might take them.
And it took them all the way to the top of the CCA Ladies Barrel Racing standings.
The Kindersley Indoor Rodeo would also become the site of another personal milestone, as Zunti achieved one of her goals by winning the Ladies Barrel Racing Championship buckle. It’s a rodeo that now holds a special place in her memories.
But while Kindersley was a turning point, the consistency that followed was built on a partnership Zunti had spent years developing.
Blaze is a horse who thrives in smaller arenas, particularly indoor setups where the barrels come quickly and while different arena sizes can present challenges for some horses, Zunti has learned she doesn’t need to change much about Blaze’s approach.
“Blaze is so honest that when I move inside or outside I don’t really adjust anything, I just make sure that before my run I show her the arena so she knows what it looks like.”
That reliability allows Zunti to focus on her own riding, making adjustments to help her horse when the pattern gets tighter.
In smaller indoor arenas, she works to ride sharper and get forward more quickly, knowing that the barrels arrive sooner.
But even when she isn’t quite where she needs to be, Blaze often has things figured out.
“If I’m not there she’s there and she’s already got it handled!”
It’s that kind of confidence in a horse that can make the difference between a good season and a great one.
For Zunti, the foundation of a successful barrel run starts at the very beginning of the pattern.
She’s always believed the first barrel is the most important. Often referred to as the money barrel, a strong first turn sets the tone for everything that follows.
And while the few seconds spent in the arena are what spectators see, Zunti knows keeping a horse performing at that level throughout an entire summer requires careful management.
She believes horses experience many of the same physical challenges as the competitors who ride them. Long hours on the road, demanding weekends and repeated competition can leave them sore, stiff and tired.
That’s why Blaze’s health and comfort remain a priority.
Regular veterinary care, quality feed and a conditioning routine that limits unnecessary time on her back are all part of Zunti’s approach.
Rather than spending much of the week riding, she focuses on long trotting Blaze alongside a side by side to maintain her fitness while giving her back a break.
It’s an approach that reflects how seriously she takes the responsibility of caring for the horse who has given her so much and that care has helped Blaze remain ready to compete throughout the season.
For Zunti, finishing the 2026 regular season as the CCA Ladies Barrel Racing Season Leader is an accomplishment that carries special meaning.
She’s been in this position before, having previously earned a CCA Junior Barrel Racing season leader title but achieving the same distinction in the ladies division represents another milestone in her rodeo career.
“It means so much. I was season leader a few years ago in the Junior barrel racing so to be able to also do it in the ladies means so much!”
It’s also an accomplishment that connects her to her family’s rodeo history.
Her mother was a multiple time CCA Ladies Barrel Racing finalist and following in those footsteps makes the achievement even more rewarding.
“It’s also heart warming to follow my momma’s tracks as she has been a multiple finalist in the ladies barrel racing.”
For Zunti, rodeo has always been about more than individual success. It’s a family effort, built through years of support, sacrifice and a shared love for the sport.
And when she reflects on the people who helped make her 2026 season possible, the list is a long one.
At the top are her parents.
From helping her prepare for rodeos to putting their own plans aside so she could travel and compete, their support has been constant.
Zunti laughs that she hasn’t always been the most organized when it comes to getting ready for a weekend away.
There have been plenty of late nights before leaving for a rodeo when something still needed to be packed or repaired and through it all, her parents were there to help make sure she could get down the road.
Her grandfather has also played an important role, serving as the family’s personal mechanic and handyman, always ready to fix whatever needed attention.
She is equally grateful to her sponsors for believing in her, supporting her travels and cheering her on throughout the season and she makes a point of recognizing the rodeo committees whose hard work and volunteer hours make the sport possible.
For Zunti, those efforts don’t go unnoticed.
“Rodeo is a sport where it truly takes a village to make happen.”
It’s a statement that captures the community behind every competitor who spends a summer chasing their goals.
And while the miles can be long, there are certain rodeos that make the journey especially meaningful.
Unity will always be Zunti’s favourite CCA rodeo because of the hometown crowd.
Kindersley however, has earned a special place alongside it, not only because of the atmosphere but because of the confidence and success she found there in 2026. Those moments are reminders of why competitors continue to put in the work, even when the results aren’t guaranteed.
And Zunti understands that side of rodeo well.
When asked what spectators don’t always see about competing throughout an entire summer, her answer goes far beyond the time spent travelling.
“The effort. The miles. The mental game of knowing how to win and how to lose and the genuine love for the sport of rodeo.”
It’s the hours in the practice pen, the disappointments, the setbacks and the small victories that don’t always show up in the standings. It’s learning to handle both success and failure while finding the determination to move on to the next rodeo.
“Rodeo is the most humbling sport there is.”
That perspective has been shaped by her own experiences, particularly the years when winning didn’t come easily.
And perhaps that’s what makes the 2026 season so meaningful.
If Zunti could go back to the beginning of the year and give herself one piece of advice, it would be to keep entering and keep putting in the effort.
Her original plan had been to stay within a four hour radius of home, especially with the rising cost of diesel.
But after that breakthrough run in Kindersley, she realized there was something worth chasing.
What began as a season focused on developing young horses became a summer that reminded her why she loved competing in the first place.
And through it all, Blaze continued to prove just how special their partnership had become.
“Blaze and I had made some good runs in the past but we were still trying to figure each other out.”
This season, that understanding grew into the kind of trust that allowed them to succeed in arena after arena.
“She has proven to me that no matter the circumstances if you trust and believe in one another, the end goal will always be a win, and she did just that for me.”
For Kaybree Zunti, the road to the top wasn’t a straight path.
It was shaped by years of challenges, moments of uncertainty and the patience required to build a partnership with a horse she believed in.
But sometimes, all it takes is one run to change everything.
From an emotional performance in Kindersley to achieving a goal she once held in the junior ranks, Zunti’s 2026 season has become a reminder of what can happen when preparation meets opportunity.
Now, with the CCA Ladies Barrel Racing Season Leader title to her name and the 2026 CCA Finals ahead, Zunti and Blaze have another opportunity to add to their story.
But regardless of what comes next, the season has already given her something worth celebrating.
Renewed confidence, a special bond with a horse named Blaze and the satisfaction of knowing that every mile, every challenge and every late night was worth it.
For Kaybree Zunti, the road to the top began with a change of plans.
And it became a season she’ll never forget.
