Kick the Dust Up

🏆 2026 Kick the Dust Up Youth Bursary Winner! 🏆

We are so excited to announce that Paige Panych and her horse, Kipper, are this year’s Kick the Dust Up Youth Bursary recipients!

Paige’s story really stood out to us. What started as a horse everyone warned her was “too much horse” became an incredible partnership built through patience, time, trust, and determination. Today, Paige and Kipper compete together as a true team, and their bond is such a great example of what hard work and dedication can create.

Beyond barrel racing, Paige also gives back to her community through volunteering at local community halls, helping with everything from pancake breakfasts and suppers to bingo events.

Paige has big goals for the future, with plans to become a veterinarian and work with large animals. She is already working hard toward that dream and is even working toward graduating early so she can begin her journey to vet school.

Congratulations, Paige! We are so proud to support you and excited to see where your hard work, determination, and love for animals take you. 🐴

The Kick the Dust Up Youth Bursary provides $500 to help offset the costs of competing at the MBRA Finals, including expenses such as entry fees, stall fees, and other costs associated with attending Finals. Paige will also receive a Kick the Dust Up hoodie to celebrate this achievement!

This bursary was created to support and encourage young riders who demonstrate dedication to their sport, involvement in their community, and commitment to their future goals. We are proud to invest in the next generation of young riders and leaders.

Congratulations, Paige & Kipper! 🎉 We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next!

Make sure to cheer loud for Paige if you see her at Finals! 📣🐴

A special thank you to Wally Kotula at Sign Guru Winnipeg for printing the amazing oversized cheque for our bursary presentation! 💜

🏆 A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OUR BUCKLE SPONSORS! 🏆

We want to give a massive thank you to our incredible buckle sponsors:

⭐ Heli-Fix Aviation
⭐ Prairie Dream Ranch
⭐ Scott MacKenzie Show Horses

Without the support of our sponsors, we simply couldn’t put on the kind of event that Kick the Dust Up has grown into. ❤️

We are incredibly fortunate to have these fantastic businesses believe in what we’re building and support our riders, our series, and our sport.

Your support makes a difference — and we appreciate you more than you know!

Thank you for helping us Kick the Dust Up!

🏆✨ A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OUR INCREDIBLE HI-POINT SPONSORS! ✨🏆

We truly cannot thank these two sponsors enough for stepping up and making our Hi-Point Awards extra special this season!

Without their incredible support, our Hi-Point winners would not have been taking home such amazing prizes — including SADDLES and 5-STAR PADS!

Your generosity, support of our competitors, and commitment to our series means more than you know. Sponsorship is what helps us make these events bigger, better and more rewarding for the people who show up, compete, cheer each other on and support our barrel racing community.

So from all of us — THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 👏❤️

Please help us show some love to these two fantastic businesses who helped make our 2026 Hi-Point Awards possible!

🏆 HI-POINT SPONSOR LOVE 🏆
⭐ RAM WINN DIESEL
⭐ SET POINT REFRIGERATION

We are SO grateful to have you in our corner! ❤️🐴

This is what supporting the sport looks like! 🙌

REMINDER ‼️ You have until Friday NOON to fill out the form! Make sure you have read the Rules before filling out the form!

🔥 WE’RE SENDING A YOUTH TO THE MBRA FINALS — FOR THE 2ND YEAR!🔥

That’s right — the Kick the Dust Up Youth MBRA Finals Bursary is back again this year! 🎉

Kick the Dust Up is giving ONE Youth rider a $500 bursary to help them compete at the 2026 MBRA Finals in Brandon, Manitoba!🐎💨🏆

💖 WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Because we believe in supporting the next generation of riders.

We know that competing at the MBRA Finals comes with a lot of expenses, and this bursary is one of the ways Kick the Dust Up can give back to the Youth riders and families who support our series. ❤️

💰 WHAT CAN THE $500 BURSARY HELP COVER?

The bursary is intended to help with expenses associated with competing at the 2026 MBRA Finals, including:

✅ Youth Division Finals entry fees
✅ One (1) stall fee
✅ Six (6) bales of shavings
✅ Any remaining funds can be used toward other Finals-related expenses such as side pots, Open entry fees, additional shavings, gas, accommodations, food, or souvenirs. 🏆

🐴 WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

To apply, you must:

• Have participated in at least ONE (1) 2026 Kick the Dust Up Jackpot in the Youth division
• Hold a valid 2026 MBRA Youth Membership
• Have qualified for the 2026 MBRA Finals in the Youth division

📅 APPLICATION OPENS: August 23, 2026
⏰ APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 28, 2026 at NOON
🏆 RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED: By September 1, 2026

📋 READY TO APPLY?

💥 Step 1: Read the full Bursary Rules & Terms 👉 https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Frxm0fgcZ9S_zwfgjnUnM_Uf4qbpYE2emD1GVt0bis/edit?usp=drivesdk

💥 Step 2: Apply here 👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdehk01hXuTLjNPVwmt_2AaS0cbbWjwb72OXG3VdKpsm7c5-Q/viewform

This is your chance to tell us your story, celebrate your partnership with your horse, and represent Kick the Dust Up at the MBRA Finals!❤️🐴

Parents — encourage your Youth rider to apply!

Good luck to everyone applying! We can’t wait to read your stories! 💖

🔥 WE’RE SENDING A YOUTH TO THE MBRA FINALS — FOR THE 2ND YEAR!🔥

That’s right — the Kick the Dust Up Youth MBRA Finals Bursary is back again this year! 🎉

Kick the Dust Up is giving ONE Youth rider a $500 bursary to help them compete at the 2026 MBRA Finals in Brandon, Manitoba!🐎💨🏆

💖 WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Because we believe in supporting the next generation of riders.

We know that competing at the MBRA Finals comes with a lot of expenses, and this bursary is one of the ways Kick the Dust Up can give back to the Youth riders and families who support our series. ❤️

💰 WHAT CAN THE $500 BURSARY HELP COVER?

The bursary is intended to help with expenses associated with competing at the 2026 MBRA Finals, including:

✅ Youth Division Finals entry fees
✅ One (1) stall fee
✅ Six (6) bales of shavings
✅ Any remaining funds can be used toward other Finals-related expenses such as side pots, Open entry fees, additional shavings, gas, accommodations, food, or souvenirs. 🏆

🐴 WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

To apply, you must:

• Have participated in at least ONE (1) 2026 Kick the Dust Up Jackpot in the Youth division
• Hold a valid 2026 MBRA Youth Membership
• Have qualified for the 2026 MBRA Finals in the Youth division

📅 APPLICATION OPENS: August 23, 2026
⏰ APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 28, 2026 at NOON
🏆 RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED: By September 1, 2026

📋 READY TO APPLY?

💥 Step 1: Read the full Bursary Rules & Terms 👉 https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Frxm0fgcZ9S_zwfgjnUnM_Uf4qbpYE2emD1GVt0bis/edit?usp=drivesdk

💥 Step 2: Apply here 👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdehk01hXuTLjNPVwmt_2AaS0cbbWjwb72OXG3VdKpsm7c5-Q/viewform

This is your chance to tell us your story, celebrate your partnership with your horse, and represent Kick the Dust Up at the MBRA Finals!❤️🐴

Parents — encourage your Youth rider to apply!

Good luck to everyone applying! We can’t wait to read your stories! 💖

Wow… just wow! ❤️

Now that the dust has settled and I’ve had a chance to catch my breath, I just want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for making the 2026 Kick the Dust Up barrel racing season one to remember.

A huge thank you to all of our competitors, volunteers, spectators, and most of all, my incredible KDU Board. Without Jennifer, Anamee, Sarah, Amy, Rhonda, Charissa, Jorja, and Halie, this series would not have been what it was this year. The countless hours you volunteer behind the scenes to make every jackpot happen do not go unnoticed. Your dedication, passion, and teamwork are what make KDU so special.

A special shout-out to Steven—you’re the glue that holds Wednesday nights together and keeps everything running smoothly. We truly appreciate everything you do.

To Jamie, Tim, Gail, and Rae, along with the entire Selkirk Ag Society Board—thank you! We know we’re a high-maintenance group at times, but you always welcome us with open arms. The Selkirk grounds are second to none, and the arena is beautiful, safe, and so well maintained. Thank you for everything you do to give us such an incredible place to compete.

And finally, to all of you—our competitors. Without you showing up week after week, there would be no KDU. Thank you for racing through the rain, the heat, and everything in between. Thank you for being flexible when weather forced us to change dates in order to keep everyone safe. Thank you for taking a chance on us, supporting our series, and helping make KDU the biggest barrel racing event on this side of the province. We truly couldn’t do it without you.

A few highlights from our 2026 season:

* 🤠 We averaged 100 competitors at every single jackpot!
* 🏆 We handed out 113 finals prizes—and that doesn’t even include our High Point awards, Dedication Award, Heart & Hustle Award, or Volunteer Awards.
* 🎁 Every single competitor who ran at the KDU Finals went home with a prize. That’s something almost unheard of, and it’s something we’re incredibly proud of.
* ❤️ None of this would have been possible without our amazing sponsors, whose generosity allowed us to give back to our competitors in such a big way.
* 💰 Throughout the 2026 season, we paid out almost $25,000 in cash, plus awarded over $18,000 in prizes (including High Point awards).

Giving back has always been our goal. We want KDU to be more than just another jackpot—we want it to be a place where competitors of all ages and abilities feel welcome, appreciated, and excited to come back each week. Seeing so many smiling faces, cheering each other on, and celebrating one another’s successes reminds us exactly why we do this.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making 2026 such an incredible season. We hope you made memories, built friendships, achieved goals, and had as much fun as we did.

Here’s to an even bigger and better 2027. We can’t wait to kick the dust up with you all again! ❤️🐴🏁

Your KDU President
Lorie