Day 30 in my program, 15th ride…this filly is learning fast, trying hard and going to go big places in the future!
LD Bullys Fiddler aka Winnie
2 more weeks until the 2023 season begins! 2022 was our 3rd year running and our best yet…can’t wait to see what this year holds!
Thank you Autumn Gibbs for another awesome TikTok!
I do not own the rights to this music
Solo trip to New Boston today for an NBHA NH double header. Hotter than the hinges of hell, so wasn’t so bad being first in the draw afterall! Belle came out and worked hard for me, running a 16.884 and ended up putting herself perfect again to win the 3-D open and middle in both race 1 and race 2!!! Her consistency is amazing, I am so incredibly lucky to have this badass little mare!
Back home for the night, then on to the 2nd day of the IBRA state show in Exeter tomorrow!
Huge thank you to Amy O‘Neill for the video today when everyone else was back home at states!
Took Belle and Steele to Knox today for IBRA. Hotter than the hinges of hell, so I didn’t end up doing anything with Steele because I was dying, though he had another rockstar day hanging tied to the trailer stuffing his face…but Belle came out and did her thing winning the 3-D open with a 17.143, and taking 3rd in the 1-D masters. I swear she just knows…
💜💚💜
Absolutely COULD NOT be any more proud of this mare today! She is consistent as the day is long! Today she ran a 16.886 to win the 3-D open in race 1 and 2, as well as the 3-D middle race 2, and was 2nd in 3-D middle race 1. May not have been her 15.9, but still crying tears of joy as I swear Belle just KNOWS exactly where she has to be! Forever the best little 3-D girl I know! So incredibly proud of her and her fire!
🖤💜🖤
Guess I had better not leave the dragon out of todays posting! Belle ran a 16.859 which was good enough for 3rd place 3-D open, and won 2-D masters…2/2 checks is a good day! But honestly, I was so happy from Steele’s performance today, Belle could have hit all three barrels and it still would have been a great day! So blessed to have such an amazing group of horses!! 💙
Day 1 of Pull Turn and Burn in Windsor, Belle ran a 16.971…I can’t hate it! She was a little sassy getting in the holding pens and the arena, but she laid down a decent run once she got going. We’ll see what tomorrow brings!
Belle was more than a little excited to be back on home ground today, back in the first arena we ever ran in 2 years ago…traditionally I have let her just run down the hill and give it hell, this year we have been really working on “the flip and rip” as we’ve been calling it, trying to really set her up on that correct lead going in. After a few conversations in the chute and her waving at the crowd I got her flipped the right way and off we went. She ran a 16.325, her second fastest time in this arena. She was 2nd in the 2-D open pulling a check, and I believe 4th (?) in 1-D masters. Can’t say enough good things about the footing there…it can pour buckets the night before and I still feel super confident pushing her to her max knowing she won’t take a bad step! Was a great day racing with some great friends I haven’t seen in a while!
Busy weekend with a few hours in the trailer…
Landed in New Boston NH this morning for NBHA NH double header. Belle ran a 17.018. Not her best, but not her worst…it’s like she knows what she has to do to land where she needs to be. Ended up 2nd 3-D open race 1, 2nd 3-D middle race 1, 4th 3-D open race 2, and 3rd 3-D middle race 2. I can’t hate it…she pulled 4 more checks! So proud of my girl! Now north bound loaded up and truckin’ headed for Exeter ME for IBRA tomorrow! The June show in Exeter is always special for us…tomorrow marks 2 years we’ve been chasing cans, and the official start to our third season! Can’t wait to see everyone that has been so huge in our success as a team! 🖤💜🖤
Our 4th and final run of the weekend, and a 16.199! Belle ended up 12th in the 3-D open championship, and 5th in the 3-D middle and pulled one final check for the weekend! Overall we made 4 runs in 4 days, counting for a total of 14 classes and pulled 6 checks. She ran a 16.8 Friday night, followed by 3 16.1’s for the rest of the weekend. I could not possibly be more proud of my fiery little mare if I tried! So blessed!!
💜🖤💜
She does it again! It’s a weekend of breaking PR’s…that 15.9 is sneaking closer every time! 16.101 with another crazy leg lift on first, and a pretty sketchy slip on third! This mare is a total little badass and absolute FIRE this weekend! One more run for the championships tomorrow…🔥
*Edit:
12th 3-D Midland open
8th 3-D NBHA open
4th 3-D Midland middle
2nd 2-D NBHA middle
8th 3-D Midlands members
And 2 more checks…
16.132!!! New fastest time! Thank god the right leg still works, saved again by a leg lift-and I certainly couldn’t do it with the left!! Half way through the weekend, Belle is on fire! 🔥
Always grateful for my little rogue western pleasure horse! 💕
*Edit:
18th 3-D Midlands open
10th 3-D NBHA open
9th 3-D Midlands middle
3rd 2-D NBHA middle
10th 3-D Midlands members
Picked up a check for NBHA middle
Day/night 1 of 4…Belle ran a 16.869…good enough for 4th place in the 4-D. I can’t hate it, she is as consistent as the day is long, and right now with all the damn hip issues she is 110% carrying me! Grateful for my pretty little dragon!
*Edit-also took 2nd place 3-D middle! 🥰
Day 2 NBHA 03 in Knox…who is this horse WALKING in the gate?!? I was literally laughing at her saying what is happening right now, GIT! She dropped and off she went! Belle ran a 16.928 today, not bad for me having a junk hip, absolutely NO shape and guide on that first barrel, and totally almost eating sh*t on the back of third! Incredibly grateful for this little mare who is as consistent as the day is long, she pulled a couple more checks today taking 3rd in 3-D open and 3rd in 2-D middle.
A couple days off, a couple days on, and then we are off to Midlands in NY for the championship weekend!
Having a few difficulties with the clarity of the video, but…not a bad day at NBHA 03 in Knox! 5th place 3-D open and 2nd place 2-D middle with a 16.674. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
WOW! This is the only word I can come up with to sum up this day…season opener for NH NBHA in New Boston NH. The dragon was on fire today and laid down a beautiful clean run at 16.966. She won the 3-D open for both races and the 2-D middle for both races, and took the entire 2-D in race 2!! I could not be more proud of her! The added stress and anxiety of running once and rolling her times is becoming a little easier as I learn to trust her more and try to improve myself to be the jockey she deserves. Throwing all your eggs, and money in one basket is not an easy pill to swallow, but I will continue to do it for her, because as much as she likes to run, she will literally run herself to death if I let her, and deep down we all know we only get so many runs…
The last week has been extremely hard for a couple of my close friends and their amazing heart horses. Today we wore mint and purple as a special request in honor of beautiful Mac…the co founder of the buckskin brigade. I think we made her proud today, and she was definitely tagging along with a little extra buckskin mare grit! 🤍
Thank you to everyone who helped today, and a special thank you to Miss Barb for the brain picking and pep talk! I look forward to so many more!!
Belle is off next weekend as it is my turn to do the racing on Sunday when I run the Sugarloaf marathon…here’s hoping I can scrounge up some of her grit and determination and get it done! 💪 🏃♀️
Our last run of the weekend this afternoon at Midlands, Belle is nothing if not the queen of consistency! 16.311, each run faster and 3 clean runs for the weekend! Overall, I couldn’t be happier with my girl this weekend. Her first runs since last October in Georgia, she hadn’t even seen a standing barrel until her run Friday night! She came out right where we left off last season, and improved every run…if this is any indication of how this season is gonna go, this will be HER year!! So proud of her and her grit and determination…and so incredibly blessed to have bred such an amazing animal and have her in my life!
Much love to the Midland Barrels crew for hosting such an amazing race…can’t wait for memorial weekend!!
UPDATE: Sunday placings as follows-
22nd 3-D Midlands open
10th 3-D NBHA open
10th 3-D Midlands middle
6th 2-D NBHA middle
11th 3-D Midlands members
Thank you Tonya for sending these!!
16.398…nearly a full second faster than yesterday! It’s amazing what a couple minor tweaks and the ability to set her up right can do! Haven’t posted results yet, but I imagine she cracked the hell out of the 3-D for open…this run counts for 5, so I am just happy it was clean and felt GOOD!
UPDATE: 26th 3-D Midland open, 6th 3-D NBHA open, 5th 3-D Midland middle, and another check, 5th 2-D NBHA middle and 5th 3-D Midland members.
Today we rode for a great friend and one of the coolest yellow horses I have ever known! Thanks for being our wing man Cody…you gave us the push we needed! Fly high and run free old man!💙💛💙
Well, not our best run, but not our worst either. For our first run and Belle’s first time even seeing a barrel since Georgia, I will happily take it! Not exactly where I wanted to come out…but it got a paycheck none the less, placing 2nd in 5-D open, they haven’t posted middle yet…
*UPDATE…1st place 3-D middle. Day 1 entries paid…I can’t complain! 🤷♀️
