Tillett Old-time Horse Races

Lembke, Rule champions of Crooked Creek competition

Augastina Lembke and Freedom Rule were the big winners in the eighth annual Gail Tillett Good Memorial Old-time Horse Races Saturday in the Crooked Creek area west of Horseshoe Bend.

Lembke, a 2025 graduate of Lovell High School, won the All-Around competition by winning five of the racing categories plus one special event. Rule won the One Horse, One Rider competition in which the competitor uses the same horse for all events. Rule and her horse, Tango, captured three categories plus one special event.

Nick Mundy won the Dryhead Tillett family competition, and Olivia Phillips won the All-Around honors for the family races.

“We basically had three races in one,” organizer Randi Tillett Weaver said. “The races were fantastic. We had a few challenges, but we all pulled together and made it work.

“I would like to thank all of the competitors, spectators, officials, behind-the-scenes workers and everyone that made the races great.”

The races were held in two locations this year. The main event was moved to the Rob and Marilyn Tillett place on Gypsum Creek Road due to the possible presence of distemper and the traditional site on Highway 37 near the turnoff to Horseshoe Bend.

Lembke cleaned up this year, winning the Short Race in the All-Around Division, the Trotting Race, the Long Race, the Bareback Race and the Surprise Race, in which competitors had to dismount partway through the race to run on foot to grab an envelope that could have cash in it.

Charis Bischoff placed second in the All-Around Trotting Race, with Mark Ringler third, and Cinch Bischoff won the Trotting Race in the One Horse, One Rider Division, with Rule second and Grace Kolancy third.

Rule won the One Horse, One Rider Walking Race, with Oakley Bischoff second and Cinch Bischoff third. She also won the Short Race with Cinch second and Oakley third.

Rule won the Long Race, as well, in the One Horse, One Rider division, with Oakley and Cinch Bischoff second and third, respectively.

Oakley Bischoff won the Bareback Race in the All-Around Division, with Rule second and Cinch Bischoff third. Oakley also won the Surprise Race in the One Horse, One Rider Division.

Kolancy placed second in the Long Race in the All-Around Division, Mia Ringler third.

Brynlee Mundy, age 4, won the Youngster’s Lead Race with Julia Tillett leading her horse, and Easton Sessions was second with Lembke leading. Olivia Phillips won the Beginner’s Race, followed closely by Mia Ringler.

Mia Ringler won the Walking Race in the All-Around Division followed by Mark Ringler and Charis Bischoff, and Lembke won the Pony Race, followed by Cinch and Oakley Bischoff. Rule won the Houston Race for large horses, with Mark and Mia Ringler second and third, respectively. Lembke won the special $100 race, earning herself the C-note.

At the end of the race competition, Weaver presented a special belt buckle to Cash Good in honor of his grandmother, Gail Tillett Good.

Songwriting contest

Seven competitors entered the first Pryor Mountain Songwriting Competition organized by songwriter TJ Casey of Lewistown, Montana, though one was unable to compete due to sickness.

Each competitor drew up to two song titles Friday at noon, then had 24 hours to write and perform the song for judges. Bill Clark of Colburn, Colorado, won the contest with “Burnin’ Hair,” and Levi Klemm was second with “Kickin’ and a Spurin’.”

Jess Klemm placed third with “Sortin’ Calves.”

Casey was featured in a Saturday evening concert, then led a Cowboy Church service on Sunday morning.