Tumbleweed Derby originally aired on November 13, 1982 and is part of the eight episode of the Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour. Written by Gary Greenfield, we return to Tumbleweed County to hang out with Scrappy, Yabba-Doo and Dusty.
Tumbleweed Derby – Episode Review
It’s another dusty day out West for Deputy Dusty, Yabba-Doo, and little Scrappy as they get their trusty horse Wildfire all scrubbed up and shining for the big Tumbleweed Derby. Dusty is pretty excited to win a solid gold trophy. But not everyone’s thrilled about Wildfire’s chances. Rival racers Slade and Silkie, with their horse Cactus Flower, roll by just to sneer at the trio’s prized horse. The townsfolk are all betting on Wildfire to win — and Slade’s not about to let that happen fairly!
That night, as our heroes snooze under the stars, Slade and his slippery sidekick sneak in to horse-nap Wildfire. But Wildfire’s not going quietly! A tug-o-war erupts between the crooks and our sleepy deputies, and despite Scrappy’s best barks, the bad guys make off with the stubborn steed.
The chase leads to a cliffhanger — literally — when Slade’s wagon careens off the edge! Thanks to Yabba’s quick thinking (and some makeshift wooden “wings”), the gang soars to the rescue and finds Wildfire stranded on a tall rock spire. Yabba chops it down Paul Bunyan–style, and they catch the grateful horse in a blanket — just in time to realize the race has already started!
No time to waste — Scrappy and Wildfire gallop full-speed into the action, quickly catching up to Cactus Flower. But Slade isn’t done cheating yet! He snaps Dry Gulch Bridge, sending Dusty and Yabba tumbling into the ravine. Luckily, Yabba’s never short on ideas — and wooden barricades — and the duo literally holds up the bridge so Wildfire can cross!
Silkie swings a tree branch at Scrappy, knocking the little pup off Wildfire, but Dusty and Yabba swoop in with their trusty chopper to get him back in the saddle. It all comes down to the final stretch: Slade throws barrels in Wildfire’s path, but Yabba’s stumble accidentally sends those same barrels — and Slade himself — rolling right past Cactus Flower! Wildfire leaps over the chaos and crosses the finish line first!
When Slade and Silkie try to make off with the trophy, Yabba and Wildfire give chase, ending with one perfect lasso toss that wraps up the dirty duo for good. The Tumbleweed Derby trophy goes to Wildfire, while the horse thieves ride off to their own first-place finish — a trip to the Tumbleweed Pokey!
My Review
I give this episode a 2 out of 10. It’s not horrible, and it’s totally watchable, but it’s also fairly standard fare for a Yabba episode, so nothing stood out to me, other than Wildfire’s spirit. That horse is cool!
Also, no Yippity-Yabbidy-Doos and no Chili Snax, so not even any tropes were tossed in there to pull me in. (although we do get a ta-da-da-da-da-da horse and puppy power)
