Kristie Peterson & French Flash “Bozo” Hawk
Kristie started her Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) career in 1989 when she was working as a captain at her local sheriff’s department. She decided to try her hand at professional rodeo after earning titles in youth and amateur rodeo. She started with a gelding named French Flash Hawk (nicknamed Bozo) that she trained and brought through futurity competitions. He was bought by Kristie for $400 even though he was considered an outlaw and was previously relegated to feed lot work. She and Bozo were enamored with one another, and together, they achieved great things! Kristie and Bozo are an unprecedented four-time Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Barrel Racing Champion team. She won in 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. During the 100th celebration of Frontier Days in 1996, Kristie set the arena record of 17.03 seconds, which she set through rain, hail and a tornado warning. This is a record that still stands today, 25 years later. She is a four-time world champion of the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, winning in 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1998, and has three reserve titles which she won in 1993, 1995, and 1999. All of these titles were accomplished on the legendary Bozo. With her first win in 1994, she ended Charmayne James’ 10 year streak of world titles. Kristie was the inaugural winner of the Hazel Turner Sportsmanship Award and was inducted into the Pikes Peak or Bust Hall of Fame in 2015. Prior to her induction into the CFD Hall of Fame, she was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2018. Bozo placed in 22 consecutive rounds at the NFR, missed one in 1998, and then went on to place another 17 times uninterrupted. He also earned four RAM Circuit Finals titles in 1992, 1994, 1995, and 1998. Bozo was voted AQHA Horse of the Year every year from 1995 to 1999 and the Horse with the Most Heart every year from 1995 to 1998. In 2003, he was retired from competition and was later inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2018.