10/19/2024
6 years ago, when I won this Rodeo, what no one could see is I could barely walk still and had recently had to learn how to do everything again...
This win is different from every other win I have had. While winning this rodeo no one could see that I could barely walk still, or that I had completely lost my balance on horseback, or even that I had to pretty much figure out how to do everything again.
9 months before this photo was taken, I had a 1,700lb horse trip and fall on me while I was at training. I had my whole life going so smoothly. I thought I knew what I wanted, and I was at my peak in my barrel racing career. I was training horses for a living and life was perfect.
Then in a matter of seconds, the whole right side of my body was crushed by a 1,700 lb horse (not this one in the photo;) and my whole life crashed to the ground quite literally, and I had to figure out how to pick up the pieces.
So fast forward 9 months at 18 years old, trying to figure out how I was going to make money since I physically couldn't ride and train up to that point, I had to figure out how to walk again, gain my balance back and so many other things.
This was the 2nd race back after all of that and I won the Rodeo. Talk about a humbling reminder that even know my life had been shattered into hundreds of pieces, my life wasn't over, even know it had felt that way. Heck, I am lucky to be alive. It was just getting good.
Now looking back, I am grateful for that experience 6 years ago. I am where I am supposed to be. I wouldn't have ever met my Husband, I wouldn't have ever finished college a year early, and I would have never been where I am today with my rodeo career and coaching if I didn’t go through this.
I have learned two things. A positive outlook will get you further than the one with a negative outlook. Second life has to take those lows to get you to your ultimate highs.
