NFR Dreams: Part 1

            On February 14^th, Valentine’s Day, most people were with their boyfriends and girlfriends, going on dates, and eating chocolate. But for me, February 14^th was the first day of extensive rodeo training for the 2011 season. You can ask any successful barrel racer how they got there, and every one of them will tell you the same thing: sweat, tears, and hard work. Though the season doesn’t actually start until April, our ranch and The Triple T Speed Team, is already preparing to hit the season hard. So many people underestimate the sport of barrel racing, and rodeo in general. Many people don’t even consider it a sport, and it’s easy to see why we are sensitive to those comments, especially this time of year. This is the inside story of why we ride, why we run, and why we work so hard.

Every barrel racer has the same dream: to compete at the NFR, or National Finals Rodeo. NFR is like the Olympics of rodeo. Everyone there has fans, has success, and has worked extremely hard to be named one of the best in the world, and this is what we think about as we sit in front of our TVs watching the barrel runs with the fastest and most amazing horse-rider teams in the entire world. This dream happens for very few, but with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.

<-- grand entry at the NFR, the biggest, and most prestigious rodeo in the world