Guillory takes fourth straight Tournoi title

After being postponed for three weeks, flooding, which is one of the seven evils of cotton, finally gave way so that a 2015 Louisiana Tournoi Champion could be crowned. The nail biter race made the wait well worth it.
At the Tournoi Running last Sunday, the crowd was left wondering if the reigning three-time champion Eric Guillory would be able to hold on to the coveted Tournoi title.
After only capturing six rings during his first ride, Guillory, who was looking to earn his fourth straight title, was plagued with the battle of having to come from behind if he hoped to win.
Posing a threat to Guillory’s desire to capture the 62nd Tournoi title was rider Chuck Manuel.
Heading into their third and final ride around the semi-circle track, Manuel had secured himself 14 rings after having captured all seven rings in his first two rides. Guillory, who had captured a total of 13 rings after two rides, was trailing Manuel by one.
During the final ride, if Manuel was able to catch all seven rings, which represent the seven evils of cotton, then Guillory’s dream would be shattered.
Being down by one though, did not phase Guillory, who when asked if he was nervous at the start of the third ride responded, “No, I was still just mad that I had missed a ring.”
That one missed ring during his first ride, however, did not determine Guillory’s fate.
As Guillory prepared for his final ride, Manuel, who had only caught four rings during his third ride, was no longer a threat to Guillory.
Now, Alex Haller, who had captured a total of 19 rings, had become Guillory’s biggest competition. Guillory needed to either capture all seven rings or catch six rings in a faster time than Haller to become the 2015 Tournoi Champion.
In the end, Guillory successfully captured all seven rings, which he said “felt awesome.”
Not only did Guillory once again claim the Tournoi title by capturing 20 rings, but also with a time of 12.53 seconds he earned the trophy for the fastest ride.
While Guillory made history by becoming the first rider to win four years in a row, there was another rider that day making history as well.
Lisa Crane became the first woman to qualify and compete in the Louisiana Tournoi ride. In her first showing at the Tournoi, Crane captured 13 rings total, which landed her in 12th place.
Crane, who was wanting to come out in the top 10, said, “I didn’t place in the top 10 like I was hoping, but I know I did my best and it was a lot of fun. I am just glad that I didn’t let everyone down, no one fell off their horse, and no horses got hurt.”
While she may have not placed in the top 10, Crane still put on a performance to be proud of. The first female rider finished in second place, behind Guillory, for the fastest time around the track with a time of 12.72 seconds.
When asked if she would ride in the Tournoi again, Crane answered, “Yes. I’ll do it until I can’t see the rings anymore.”
Other riders that earned a trophy for their performance at the Tournoi ride were: Alex Haller, who placed second with 19 rings; Ryan Haller, who placed third with 18 rings; Chuck Manuel, who placed fourth with 18 rings; and Paul Fontenot; who placed fifth with 17.