Hattiesburg,Ms

I must say..the Forrest County Multi Event complex is SUPER nice. They have 5 stall barns, 2 on concrete, the rest on dirt. Then they had a big building all the rodeo contestants could back up under and plug in. They didn't charge for stalls or hookups. EVERYTHING was connected by a huge covered walkway. They had a covered warm up pen, and the arena was super nice. Its rare you run across a indoor air conditioned coliseum that you can set up a STANDARD pattern and have the barrels 25' off the walls.

They usually have a entertainer, then the team roping, then the barrel racing. So usually I get on when the entertainer goes in and have PLENTY of time. So I was doing the same thing, put the last boot on my horse as the guy is going in. Then I hear his mic cutting out as i'm going to get my hat out of the trailer. I step out of the trailer and here..."We're setting up the barrels and going barrel racing" They said forget the entertainer for then since the mics wern't cooperating..and the announcer skipped the team roping! So I ran grabbed my bridle, threw it on. Then went trotting across the parking lot putting rubber bands on, tucking in my shirt, putting my hat on. Got there as the first girl was going down the alley. So I quickly finished tightening my girth, trotted a few more circles then went down the alley.

Jet WALKED down the alley so I woke him up and off we went. He felt like he was a little lost going to the first. Kinda had problems slipping on the backside of the 2nd on his front end, then bowed off the 3rd barrel. Landed us 2nd place by a tenth. I was really happy with him lol.

Little Rock,Ar

It rained, rained, then rained some more. Thankfully it was a indoor run. But there was no where to warm up besides walking and trotting up and down the isles in the horse barn and cow show barns..on asphalt.
I ran a 15.7, but hit the 2nd barrel going into it. It was won with a 15.9..eerr
We leave for Hattiesburg,Ms Thursday sometime.

It's been awhile.

Since Deridder,La rodeo, we went to Alvarado,Tx to the Marry Etta Madness the next two days (April 4th-5th). Saturday night was a total pilot brain fart error, That made me go wow..did you seriously just do that? I have only tipped the first barrel going into it 3 times in the 6 years i've been running Jet..THREE times. Saturday night in Alvarado I hit it going in, due to bumping him. Then he turned back so hard and quick I hit it again before it ever fell very far and drug it over leaving it. Turned a nice 2nd, then hit the 3rd going in just due to quit riding him way too soon.
Then Sunday I let him rock and roll and said I was NOT going to touch him. I didn't lol. He just made a awesome first so I spaked him to the 2nd and turned that one great. Now.. brain farts seem to go hand in hand in Alvarado it seems. I switched hands (I run left, whip with right hand) to pick up my over and under..and I missed it the first time I went to grab it. So I reached to grab it again, then just thought oh well and kept kicking..but never switched back hands. Right before he went to start his turn I thought uhh, I have the wrong hand on the reins, I have no idea if this will work..but I hope it does. He got to the backside and I usually just guide him around the backside..well I couldn't pull with my outside hand so I just had the reins totally loose. He took a stride out of the turn and I switch hands and made him complete it. But when I switched hands and pulled him it stalled him out. So it deffinetly cost us some time. We ended up 19th out of 900+ runs.

We didn't go anywhere the weekend of the 11th.
April 17th we went to the first outdoor pro rodeo i've entered this year. So of course it rains..and rains..and rains. That is hopefully the sloppiest, muddiest, suckiest, worst ground i've ever run in. They NEVER drug. I was 43rd out including the ones in the performance. Soo by the time I ran we wern't running barrels we were swimming through deep nasty trenches. So needless to say we saftied up, and ended up 6 tenths off so we didn't place.

I was entered at another rodeo on the 21st, but had to turn out due to a sore horse from the previous rodeo. Went and had his hocks, stifles, and ankles injected on the 21st(I love my vet, got in the same day even though he was fully booked) So then I had to turn out of a rodeo on the 24th. I did run on the 25th and won the long go, short go and of course average.

We're now in Little Rock,Ar...run tonight.
Then next weekend will be Hattiesburg,Ms

Deridder,La rodeo

Ahh back to civilization!!
There is NO cell phone service in Deridder,La..its crazy lol. I got to turn my horses out Thursday night in the warm up pen for them to roll and buck and have fun for awhile. Then put them up around 10:30 and went to bed. Not a whole lot to do during the day,so I took them out and ponied Jet off Shorty for awhile. Then we put up our little portable pen and let them eat some green grass for awhile. Around 2pm we put them back up and took a nap since we knew it'd be late when we left.
I knew he was going to take off from far back down this long alley..just didn't know it'd be that far back lol. He was just calmly walking along then he was like ahh I know what we're doing and off we went. Wow did he leave hard..harder then he has in awhile. He ran really hard to the first and turned it good, then I held my outside hand on the reins the WHOLE way across the pen and switched right before we went to turn. He dropped just right and inhaled it, we were REALLY close coming into the 3rd but squeeked by it and left it standing thankfully. Not sure what I ran due to no one could hear and it wasn't posted by the time we left.
We left Deridder at 11:30, crossed back into Tx from La, got to the first little town and we saw the speed limit sign saying it dropped to 55..so we did. Then all a sudden we see flashing lights, and we got pulled over. We were all wondering what was wrong..turns out somewhere there was supposivly (lol) a sign that said it drops to 45. Thankfully after lots of apologizing and saying we didn't know she let us off with a warning.
It'll be around 2:30-3am by the time we get home.. then we have to get up at 6am to go work the dirt at the churches arena, by the time were done there it'll be time to go home and load back up and leave for Alvarado,Tx around hopefully noon for Win More's Merry Etta Madness.

Beaumont,Tx pro rodeo

So we made in PLENTY of time since they had the calf roping and steer wrestling before the barrels. It thankfully quit raining in time for us to saddle, warm up and run with the sun shining. We were headed towards the alley and he lunged like he always does..then stopped..that was a new one. Then he took little baby steps just walking..which again was a new one. I just sat there waiting for him to take off when finally I was like ok, you should be running by now...GOOO! I guess it finally clicked and he took off. We tipped the 2nd coming into it, then stood it up and rocked it again leaving it..but thankfully it stayed standing.
Right now after slace Shelley Morgan is winning it, i'm not sure who is second, I'm sitting 3rd and Jackie Dube Jatzlau is 4th. Sooo I'm very happy with my pony.

Rain rain Go AWAY!

We left at 5:30 this morning..as soon as we get to the end of our driveway it starts pouring...err. Once Mount Enterprise,Tx till the north side of Lufkin it rained soo hard the visability was half mile at best with the wind pushing cars all around on the road. We got to Huntington and we ran into hail. It finally Stopped from Wooden-Kountz but now that we're just north of Beaumont it has started again... I hope it stops before we have to run.

Ready to go!

Trailer is packed, everything is ready to rock and roll. We're leaving out at 5:30am for Beaumont,Tx then i'll try and update after we leave there as once we get to Deridder,La there is very little, if any cell phone service out there.

Nacogdoches pro rodeo 3-27-09

This arena is notorious for having HARD ground at the pro rodeo. So I of course took Jet. I was number 25 out so I was up there for the first few to run. It became very clear that I had loaded up the wrong horse this morning. Someone got very happy with watering the arena. They did do a good job disking it..but the water made it very deep and sucky..literally. Lol As soon as he set for the first I thought we were going to come to a stop, At that point I realized this wasn't going to go well, I picked him up and thought I could make it by it..but alas I couldn't and we hit it going into it..which in the 6 years i've been running him that is only the 2nd time that has happened. You could literally hear the ground making sucking noises while you were trying to turn.

Next stop- Beaumont,Tx pro rodeo for slack Thursday at 10am, then the pro rodeo at Deridder,La Friday night. Then leave there go home for the night, we'll leave around noon Saturday for the Marry Etta Madness show at Alvarado!

Since the last update

Went to a barrel race March 14th... got the 2nd leaving it again.

Then went to a RCA rodeo in Lafayette,La we got there Thursday afternoon the 19th to get the ground ready and such. Found out when we got there we couldn't keep our horses on the grounds enless we kept them inside the trailer. So we found a card from a guy we met at the pro rodeo in Lake Charles,La the month before that lived in the area. He offered to let our horses stay at his house. When we got there.. there was no way we could get down his driveway, even if we did there was no where to turn around at. So we left the horses there and went back to the coliseum. We then decided to rent a car due to the VERY narrow roads down there and driving the big truck back and forth would be no fun. Saturday morning the guy brought our horses to the arena for us. I ended up 2nd that morning in the long go. 13.7 won it and I was a 13.8.
They had to stay in the trailer all day..not that I think they cared any, they each had two spots, hay and water. That night I ended up winning the short go with a 13.4, closest thing was a 13.7 I think it must of been like the picture perfect run!

We left Lafayette that night around 12:30, about 2:30 I took over and drove the rest of the way home, we got to the house at 5am..and we just crashed after that of course.

Learning by mistakes and how to scare your parents..and everyone else 101

I was 9 years old at a Josey clinic and they still had that deal where they put you into 3 teams and those teams compete and it was a 50 cent jackpot. Well the two loosing teams had to run the pattern on foot and I just wasn't going to do that. I tell my dad i'm going to win this thing! (you think from my previous story he'd know what was going to happen by now) He said Ok, you go do that. I had a pretty new to me mare and she was great. I was the first one out. I come flying down the alley and turn the first..I go running across to the 2nd and I knew you had to check her to slow her down to turn, but checking takes time away and how was I going to win if I slowed her down??? Bless her heart she turned anyways and lost her rearend. She tried not going down but finally her rear end slid way down and her front feet came out from under her..WHAM we hit the ground on our sides. The swells of the saddle caught my ankle cracking it.

Next I hadn't had my bay horse too long and we were winning quiet a bit. We went to a little show in Longview and I decided i'll run in the youth then the open. Well miss Spoon had been stepping off the backside of the 3rd and I decided i'd make sure she wouldn't do that today. The youth was first, went in and turned two good barrels and we're off to the 3rd. The ground is pretty deep but she handles it well. I get to the backside of the third and my plan to keep her from blowing off was to pull her. Pull her I did..right off of her feet. Wham we hit the ground all four feet out from under her at once. She got up stepping on my hip, then trotted back to my dad.

Now how to scare your parents..and everyone else.
I came running down the Marshall,Tx alley on Jet (for those of you that don't know him, he starts from the back 40 and comes to the first wide open) He drags his rear and about the time he goes to start his turn his back end comes out from under him. I went up and he slid out from under me. When he came back up I was behind the saddle. I knew there was NO way i'd make it across the pen, much less around the 2nd barrel like this. I see Paula Muirhead coming over the fence and she's yelling pull him around! So around and round the first barrel we went till she got him stopped and I slid back in the saddle.

How to do a front flip off a horse

I was 8 and I decided I wanted to be a big girl that night and I was going to go fast and ride just like all those HS girls that run in and leaaannn towards the barrel. I told my dad I want a whip! Why he ever gave me one is beyond me, but he did...don't think he thought i'd ever use it. I go running into the arena and around the first we go. I decided here's my oppertunity to whip! I spanked him and my little rascal caught a whole new gear I had never experienced. Now this is where I stop and tell you..he was the best kid horse ever, Always took care of me and my sister..but maybe he and my dad made a deal on teaching me how to do this right? Back to the story. I get almost to the barrel and lean to the inside when Rascal does a front feet stop.. I didn't stop. I went over his head..over the barrel, completed my flip and landed on my butt. I jumped up and my dad ran out, put me back on my horse and away I went. I did whip to the 3rd..but I didn't lean. I didn't lean on anything for a LONG time after that.

One PO'ed calf and a paint horse

Jan. 9th 08 my dad decided we just HAD to pen some calfs that morning to take to the sale for that day. It was soo cold so we bundled up. All I had to ride was the paint horse that we drug out of the pasture to play on or do crazy things like this on. Which might of been ever 4-5 months. Me and her never meshed but we made do. The cows were following my dad and one was missing so me and my sister go on the hunt for it. Never find it so we decide to hurry back to the house. We're running across the pasture across the terris and hills..when it hit me..ole paint has no breaks and were headed for a big ditch. I'm yelling at my sister to slow down, hoping mine does the same but that was happening. We jumped the ditch.. and I hung with her, with some pain but I made it to the house.

We now have all the cows in the pen, get the cows out and now have just the calfs in there. We're working on getting them down in the end pen to put them in the trailer and this one heifer doesn't want to comply. So I got back on my horse as I was on foot and she was acting like she was going to run me down (got run down by a cow a few months earlier..it only takes me one time) Me and my sister are moving them slowely when my sister stops and is like you go that calf looks ready to fight. PSSHHH you sissy! I'm pushing up on them when ole paint hangs her head over the arena fence and this calf sees a chance to strike. She hit the horse in her chest then went down her right side with her knubby little horns. Was fine till she got her flanks with those knubby little horns. At that point she rocks backwards and starts bucking..remember how I was bundled warm? yea..that was totally against me at this moment. The 3rd buck her head came up as mine was coming down and our heads met. I got knocked out, the next buck I went over her head, slid down the arena fence and landed on my head (yep..I'm pretty good at meeting fences and landing on my head) I rolled over and sat there thinking OOHH where is that calf! When I hear my dad yelling are you ok?? I was like uhh..I think so? He asks if I want to get back on i'm like uhh yea..I don't want to be on foot in here thats for sure! Then I reached up and felt my face. I had blood coming out of my nose and mouth. So I crawled out of the pen and sat there for awhile watching the blood pour out onto the ground making a pool. Then my dad calls my mom and says..you might want to come to the arena I think she got hurt. Hmm, ya think? I never felt any pain till I went to the ER and my face warmed up LOL. But I ended up with a broken nose and concussion. Skin tore off where the split reins ran threw my hand.. and blood ALL over my jacket. I do my best not to work with cows anymore.

Walking to the house in the rain

Me and my sister were riding to the back to check on the cows, and it had rained off and on all day long. We're counting away when we see this dark cloud rolling in really fast. She goes Lisa we better go! I was like nahh it looks like its going to go around us. We start walking back to the house and it starts raining so we take off running across the pasture. When it starts POURING. We stopped under a tree..then my sister decides she has to go rrealllyy bad. I was like you can't wait?? Nope..So we both get off and I was holding the horses when my oh so lovely project that dumped me in the first story sets back and gets away from me and to the house he goes. Lightning booms and bye bye sisters horse! So we ended up running all the way back to the house..a quarter mile up hill.

Why are you staring???

This wasn't quiet a horse wreck..but it was funny..now atleast. We're in Ardmore,Ok for some barrel race and they had a big team roping going on in the back arena. I went to run my bay mare and she kind of hopped in the alley and when she took her last leap and took off..I couldn't get away from the saddle horn. My belt had hooked over the saddle horn, lovely! I finally got my belt unhung and turned the first and made the others. But I believe we smooth ran over the third. I wasn't too happy with her when I came out but I bailed off and loosened the girth and started walking back to the trailer. All these ropers kept looking at me funny and i'm thinking WHAT are they looking at??? Must have staring problems or something.I start unsaddleing at the trailer when I feel a cool breeze..where there should not have been one. I quickly dropped the saddle and ran in the trailer where I run into my sister who looks down and just starts laughing. I had ripped my jeans all the way across the front. There is a picture of that somewhere..

Ohh how I love Jet...haha

In mid December I was riding Jet.. he had been good for two days..big shocker there should've known something was up. The county extension agent had come to talk to my dad about planting grass. I climb on Jet and start for the back to exersize him..we're trotting along on a loose rein (should've been my clue something was up) when all of a sudden he takes off. I'm pretty sure I got slung backwards and jerked his head but he usually never stops...just that day he did. He slammed on the brakes and went right and I didn't follow suite. I remember seeing the ground thinking I am coming off. Then when I opened my eyes I was standing in my left sturrip with my left arm over his neck and my right hand on the horn with the reins in it. But alas I can't reach the ground..or atleast i'm scared to as my foot is now SHOVED way in the sturrip and i'm not sure if he'll be a retard and take off when I step down. So as he's backing up cause I have the reins tight..that i'm not turning loose of I think hmm I bet I can swing back up on him! He stops and i'm like Ohhh here's my chance! ....Riigghhtttt As soon as I went to swing over his back he started bucking..I'm pretty sure he went all diffrent directions at one time. But I wasn't turning loose..until his front end went up and I went even further up. I came down hitting the ground with a thud.. then had to walk a quarter mile to the house where he was waiting at the barn on me. But before I could make it to the barn my mom and the extension agent come driving by me..and she asks "Why are you walking???" Umm..Cause I felt like it??