Today was our 4th race of the season. We have had our ups and downs so far this season, from not being in the top 5 to just being out of the money 2 races in a row to having a not so good run that won us some money. We had a tough run today, which included wrong leads and a trip at the 3rd barrel. My gelding is 23 and still gives me his heart and soul! We won 2nd in the 4D with a 21.2 today which is slower than last month, but we got our entry money back and made $5.
Running barrels is a split second win or lose game. I do it the thrill and the adrenaline rush. Today I learned a few things about myself and my horse. First my horse gives me is all no matter what. When I hit that 2nd barrel back in November he still ran his heart out. Today he kept himself up after the ground shifted under him coming off the 3rd barrel. Second, I would do anything to keep running this horse forever, but I know deep down that the day will come that I will have to retire him. Third, I need to make sure that I keep up on all the preventive stuff I do for Rocket. Having his teeth done on a more regular basis, get his acupuncture done before our races (and once or twice in between), keep feeding my feeding program and continue to patch him right before we run.
I also learned this week in general that I have an amazing support team that has faith in me even when I lose the faith in myself. There are going to be days where everything comes together and there will days when it will all fall apart, the key is picking yourself back up, learning from your mistakes/troubles and moving forward leaving your bad run in the past.
“Why are barrel racers cremated? Because the ground is never good enough!”
