Some people when they think about horses they think “Oh how cool!” and then some people think “Scary” or “Gross.” But when I think of horses, I think of the fun, heart-warming and thrilling moments I share with my companions. I barrel race for a living. I’m not the best at it yet, but as they say, practice makes perfect!

On March 4 and 5, I ran my two mares, Scooter and Breeze, at the Flickerwood arena in Jackson, Missouri. I won first place in the youth 3D with a 15.180 second run on Breeze, and third in the open 4D with a 16.01 second run on Scooter. This was beyond my proudest moment of my girls, and it was in fact my first-ever show on Breeze; I see a great future with her. And of course, Scooter still amazes me as we go on further into our career!

The barrel racing “society” can tend to be super toxic. It’s either you don’t have that “perfect 1D rodeo horse” or the most expensive. But, in general to me, all that matters is that we have fun, and my athletes come out healthy and sound. I’ve been recently recovering from a pretty bad fall from the past season. Let me tell you, building the confidence that I had again after something like that happens, is a super difficult thing to do. But the trust I have in my two girls, and the support team I have to come with me to every show and cheer me on, have really helped me pick myself back up and keep going.

All things considered, remember to have those who support you the most in the things you enjoy doing around because those who drift from you the most are the ones who hold you back from chasing your dreams.