July 27, 2010 – Rodeo, like life, can be like a roller coaster. Up one day and down the next. Everything looked great on the 4th. Then the bottom fell out. A good friend of ours was killed in a car wreck, and a trip to the vet revealed that Amigo needs the rest of the summer off. The only good news was that we found that Goose’s stifles were sore, so we treated those, and he needed several days off. I flew home for the funeral.

Horses are one thing, and they are a very important part of my life and job, but losing a good man is another thing. Whitney Marlon was my husband’s right-hand man at Cowboy Rigs, a good friend, and most importantly, a husband and father of four. He will be greatly missed.

I flew back to Cheyenne where my good friends, Brandie and Shawn Halls, have been graciously taking care of my horses. I jumped in the trailer with Jeanne and Brenda Mays and headed out to Nampa. I worked Goose when we got there and he worked great. Maybe things were back on track.

The next morning, Goose took the wind out of my sails and ducked the second barrel. We drove all day to Cheyenne where we ran twice the next day in slack. He ducked again the first run. Our other run was really ugly. No time to lose, we drove back to Salt Lake and Spanish Fork. Back to the practice pen for me and Goose. Things seemed to be better.

We ran in the perf at Salt Lake where Goose jumped the second barrel. The bright spot, I figured was that I managed to keep him on the right side of the barrel. At least that’s what I told myself. No time to worry, we jumped in the truck and raced to Spanish Fork to run in the slack after the perf. Making it just in time, Brenda and Jeanne were placing. Our run was better, but not up to par.

The last few days, Jeanne and Brandie have been helping me get my act back together. Life, no matter what goes on, comes back to good friends and how much they mean to us.

Great friends don’t let you stay down, they pick you up, dust you off, kick you in the butt, and help you get back on track. I thank God for putting awesome friends in my life.

It’s off to Deadwood to watch Marty, my husband, rope. It will be nice to get to spend a couple of days with him. It gets lonely on the road when you are away from your family

July 12, 2010
We rested in Oakley for a couple of days after the rodeo. Jeanne and I both won money, and we found an awesome pizza place! From there, we went to Vernal where Jeanne smoked a run and won the rodeo. The next night we ran in slack at Laramie. I ran Goose both places and he is still not working. We had a vet watch us run and he thought his stifles might be sore. He agreed to see us on Sunday down in Greeley.

Yes, Goose's stifles were sore which we are taking care of. I thought I'd just have the vet go over Amigo too, just for maintenance. Unfortunately, we found that his slight limp on the front was more than a bruised foot. He'll be off for the next 3 months to let his suspensory ligament heal. It was a good thing I had him checked. Amigo has such a big heart and tries so hard, he would have kept running till we did permanent damage. Praise God that we found it.

I'm sitting in Cheyenne at the airport. I'm flying home and let both horses rest this week. Good friends are truly a blessing, and I thank God for my wonderful friends who are taking care of both me and my horses.

Sunday – July 4, 2010
We are leaving Greeley just in time, it is fixing to pour. We went to Crawford last night after the afternoon perf at Greeley. I made the short round back in third, and Jeanne just missed it. She made up for it at Crawford, and smoked a run. I ran Goose and did horrible. I’m going to have to get some practice runs in to get my timing back with him. We got back to Greeley about 3 this morning.

Today went better. We finally got by the Greeley gremlin three times in a row. The short round wasn’t very pretty, the ground at the first barrel was really getting the horses today. Since Lindsey (Sears) was at Ponoka, that put Jesse Eagleburger and I at the top going in. Amigo cut the pocket off at the first and I rocked it going in, but we recovered and finished with a 17.55. Jesse and John didn’t fare quite as well and ran a 17.7. Congrats to Savannah Reeves for winning the short round with a 17.39. I guess today was this dog’s day (as Toby Keith sings), we got to win the average! No time to celebrate, we are headed over to Rawlins to spend the night. We run at Oakley, Utah, tomorrow night.

July 2, 2010
We ran at Livingston, MT, in slack yesterday. Jeanne ran a 17.71, and mine wasn't so good. Amigo must have thought the gate was closed, because right at the line he ducked to the left. Just about left me sitting right there! We left there before 8 pm, drove all night to get to Greeley. We arrived just after daybreak, built the horses pens, fed them and went to sleep for a couple of hours. (This rodeo life is so glamourous! I don't know what we looked like at 6 am, but it's probably a good thing no one else saw us!)

Amigo did so good today. The ground seemed a little slick underneath, but he kept his feet and clocked a 17.3 which might be third in the first round. Jeanne got past her first and was a 17.9. We were ready to go to bed when Jeanne checked the horses. They were covered with mosquitos. We're too close to the river, I guess. So, we rented stalls and moved the horses to the barn where they could here the concert much better. Amigo wasn't impressed, but Goose seemed to be dancing a little!-- It's lights out for us.

June 25, 2010

We had a blowout yesterday on our way from Reno to Lehi. This is the third blowout in the last two weeks. We made it into Wells, NV where the wonderful guys at Les Schwab Tires went to work. Unfortunately, they couldn't fix it in time for us to make Lehi. We missed the turnout deadline by five minutes. NNTO, that's a non-notifyed turnout which is a costly fine when you have drawn the perf that you requested.

My husband who owns Cowboy Rigs in Pryor, OK, is shipping parts today. But, there is no Saturday delivery in Wells, so I will have to drive 100 miles to Twin Falls, ID, to pick up the parts and bring them back so the guys can fix it tomorrow. The good news is that we found Jeanne (Anderson, my hauling partner) a ride back to Reno with Terri Wood-Gates and Norma Wood so she can run in the short round. It could have been worse, God sent a sheriff to help us change the tire, and the rodeo grounds in Wells is close to the tire shop, and we aren't up anywhere else till Wednesday morning (Cody slack).

Some days are funner than others, but these days make the good ones that much more enjoyable. You gotta keep smilin.'

June 21, 2010
Well, we finally get to catch our breath. We are in Reno. We spent the day icing, riding, and working on our horses. Then we went to town to buy groceries, more ice and shavings. It's amazing how long it takes to do simple errands when you are in a town that you aren't familiar with!

Unfortunately I tipped a barrel the first round here in the rodeo on Friday. I hauled Goose back in to the jackpot on Saturday, and he did awesome. First good run we've had since Houston. We have had several issues. We'd get one thing fixed to find another. The latest was ticks in his ears which we found (and removed) on Friday. Good times were short-lived. I was going to run him on Sunday only to find a hind leg swollen. (That explains the all the icing.) He has also been getting a healthy dose of NutraWound every day since then. The good news is that he doesn't seem to be lame, so he must have just banged it on something. That's life on the road, we spend most of our time taking care of those precious horses that God had entrusted us with.

May 30, 2010
I'm sitting in my trailer cooling off at the Windy Ryon steer roping. Marty roped this morning, so we drove here (Saginaw, TX) last night after I ran at Claremore.

I was so disappointed with my run last night, I sure let my friends and fans down that came to watch. Goose has been having some issues and my confidence in him is lacking. I tried to help him too much last night and it ended in disaster. The highs and LOWS of rodeo. People often think that when you are in the standings that you don't go through problems, but that's not true. Real champions ride on through the low spots and come out the other side.

Tomorrow, Brodie ropes at the Barry Burks' Junior Calf Roping (for the last time) so we are going to watch. I'm entered somewhere every day next week, and the next week I'll be packing for the summer run so I may not have time to give you any updates, but please think fast thoughts for me! I do appreciate all your support. Happy trails!

May 7, 2010 - We just arrived at Bridgeport, TX, and put up the hotwire so my horses could eat grass till the rodeo starts. We don't run till in the morning in slack. Goose will get a chance to redeem his self. Then Amigo and I will run at Mineral Wells tomorrow night. We were so blessed this week to draw up so we didn't have to do any backtracking or late night driving.

We ran yesterday at Jasper in the slack. Why I smooched to Amigo going to the first barrel I'll never know. Of course he ran by it. He slipped a little on the second, too, so I'll be lucky if I get even a little check. We were up in the perf last night at Crockett. Great ground! Best I think I've ever seen. Sandy, but wet and it held so well. Thanks to the committee for such a great job. Unfortunately, I sat too early on Goose and we got the first barrel, then he got lost and couldn't find the second. Sooo, we stayed after the perf to work. They had several rerides so it took a while. Goose made two smokin' runs, I guess the green horse still comes out every so often. That's rodeo.

April 28, 2010 - I didn't get to stay home long. It's Wednesday afternoon and I'm headed back to Guymon with my husband, Marty. He ropes steers in the morning and Friday. It's slow going today as the wind is blowing out of the south about 40 miles an hour. These rigs drink the fuel on days like today.

Tuesday evening at 7 pm (central time), I am going to be the guest speaker on a webinar sponsored by Agri Best Feeds talking about EquiPride. If you'd like to learn more about this great supplement, go to http://agribestfeeds.com/informational-webinar and click on my photo or the title, and it will take you through the registration process.

Gotta go, it's hard to type and hold on to my hat at the same time!! If you see me blowing by, catch me if you can!!

April 27, 2010 - Boy, the last week flew by. I left home in the dark last Monday, and returned in the dark last night. We drove to Corpus Christi all day Monday. I picked up Jean Winters at Alvord, Tx and on we drove. We arrived at Corpus in the dark, also.

The barrel slack was run after noon, then we headed to Lufkin. Jean had a good run and placed. I tipped. It was apparent that something was wrong with my ride. We wobbled in to a friend's house near Marshall, and had to put the truck in the shop the next day. We borrowed a truck and trailer to go to Lufkin, where we did no good.

I had planned on leaving Thursday morning to go to Oklahoma City for the Better Barrel Races Finals, but it was 4 days before they got my truck fixed. A new tie rod, and two front tires later, we were back on the road. There were tornado warnings out in the OKC area that night, so I opted to stay south of OKC at another friend's house where my horses and I could get a decent night's sleep, at least what was left of it.

We got checked in and made our first runs (I ran both Goose and Amigo) in barn 6. Goose placed, and Amigo tipped. The next day, Goose had a bad run, but Amigo did good so both horses qualified for the finals on Sunday. I used the rest of the day to meet people and talk to friends at the EquiPride booth. Both my horses love the stuff and that's good, because it is a great supplement (an all-in-one). You can check it out at www.equipride.biz. They are great people who make a great product, and I sure enjoy them.

Sunday, Goose had another OOPS moment, but Amigo ran well. As soon as we ran, we loaded up and headed to Guymon for Monday morning slack. It was beautiful there that evening, but it didn't last. At 2, the wind started whipping the trailer, so I got up and tied the horses up and took down the hotwire fence. At 7, I repositioned the trailer to give the horses a windbreak, and it started raining. It's Guymon, gotta love it!

Amigo smoked a run and we split 2/3 with Jill Moody. Congrats to Syndey Blanchard on winning the first round. We will run again on Sunday afternoon. The week didn't start off to well, but it ended well.

April 12, 2010 - The rodeo schedule is light in April, so I get to spend some time at home, playing catch-up. You know, cleaning house, washing clothes, cleaning the barn, yardwork, yada, yada.

Goose has been getting some time off, but I took Amigo to Carthage, Mo, to a Heartland Barrel Race. On Saturday, I was dissappointed with our performance. After a little coaching from my son, I decided that I wasn't hustling Amigo enough, and trying to run too pretty. On Sunday, we left all the barrels up and made a nice run, winning the barrel race. Sometimes I back off too much trying to be perfect, smooth is fast; but you still have to "want to win."

I guess my son HAS been listening to me throughout the years, because I asked him how he got so smart and he said, "I'm just telling you what you always tell me."

During the BBR (April 23-25) Finals in Oklahoma City, come by and see me at the EquiPride booth. I'd love to meet you.

March 1, 2010 - Tragedy struck the rodeo world Saturday. Shelley Morgan lost her great horse, Short go, in a freak accident at San Angelo. Many tears were shed, and hearts broken as we hurt along with Shelley and Rex. Short go was a champion. Shelley and he had made the finals at both San Angelo and Tuscon. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, we don't understand, but what I have learned is that God can take anything and turn it around if we let Him.

Let the peace of God comfort you and keep you as you keep your mind on Him. -- Isaiah 26:3

February 11, 2010
Ft. Worth, wow what a rush. You read about girls having a great rodeo and winning a lot of money, and now it's actually me. Pinch me so I know it's not a dream! Goose likes the pen at Ft. Worth and he worked really great, especially our second run. I am so blessed.

It wasn't too many years ago that Ft. Worth was an invitational barrel race. They should be commended for their great WPRA race. Ft. Worth opened its entries up this year and drew 236 barrel racers which was nice for the purse and great that it let so many girls compete. Unfortuntely, the down side is that it shortened the second round to only 50 girls. Hopefully, next year, they will run a couple of slacks to allow everyone to get a second run. I personally don't like progressive rodeos because if your horse slips or you knock down a barrel, you are out. If you pay for a second run, you should get a second run. You at least have a chance to recoup some of your money.

We ran at Jackson, Ms, last night and didn't do well at all. Goose and I weren't on the same page. Mostly it was my fault. I better get it together, because tomorrow we start four days of runs at San Antonio.

January 26, 2010
Last fall, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by More Magazine about how I changed my career so drastically in the midstream of life. I really didn't want to officially become a member of the "40 & over" club, but I thought it would be great publicity for our sport to be recognized in a national women's magazine.

We did have a lot of fun shooting photos for the story. A real photographer, Chris Buck, and three assistants came all the way to Big Cabin, America, to shoot pics of yours truly. In my other life, I shot photos for our corporate publications. It was tougher being on this side of the lens!

If you're curious about my midlife switch, pick up a copy of More.

January 21, 2010
Well, we’re off and running in the winter season. It has truly been winter in Kansas and Oklahoma this year. Jeanne and I just got back from Odessa and Denver. Amigo had an abscess so I rode Goose. He did very well. We won second in the first go at Odessa, then came back with another good run except-- you know, a tipped barrel doesn’t win anything. At Denver, when Goose gets nervous (in front of big crowds in little coliseums) he gets more FOCUSED. He wants to turn so much that I have to really push him past the barrel. He was REALLY focused and dropped his front end and smoked around the barrel, only I didn’t quite make that first hard step to the right. I felt like a rag doll (looked like one too!). He stepped out a little so I could get back in the saddle, and we went on.

My Dad came out laughing. He said, “I was waiting for you to pull up and climb back on. But you didn’t. You just kept running.” I learned a long time ago that I’m not the world’s best rider, and if my horse is working that well, my job is just to hold on and let him work. We actually had the second fastest run of the day. Jeanne had a nice run and was placing in the round. Hey, if you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at??

I was in OK shape. With a good run in the second go, I could still make the short go. Sometimes you have to stir your guts up, and sometimes you don’t quite make it. I thought I could push him all the way to the barrel, but I was going to cheat and drop my outside rein and grab the saddle horn before I sat down. Goose felt me drop that rein, and he dropped and started his turn (a hair too early) and I hit the barrel with my knee. He finished the run with a time that would have placed high in the go IF.

I am excited that Goose is working so well, but we have to do some tweaking before Ft. Worth. Amigo is doing fine now. I’ll be taking him to some jackpots to get some runs on him before we go to Texas.

On another subject--My heart goes out to the Randy and Toni Gower family who lost their son, Cody. Perhaps you’ve read about Cody and Lindsey Sears. Anyway, Cody was a 23-year old Christian cowboy who has finished his earthly work and gone home to heaven. As a young boy, he wasn’t afraid to show his faith. He regularly led the bull riders in prayer behind the bucking chutes at junior rodeos, and continued his faith in God till He called him home this week. We rejoice for Cody, but as Toby Keith sings, “I’m not crying for you, I’m crying for me.” We’ll miss Cody. Please keep his family in your prayers. --- Tell your kids that you love them today.

December 11
I hope that you are watching the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, cheering for your favorite!

The race for the championship is coming down to the wire between Lindsey and Brittany. Sheri Cervi and Stingray are making incredibly consistant runs, and if the other two stumble, they could pull off an upset. What other sport can offer this much excitement?!

Shelly Morgan seems to have found her rhythm at her first WNFR. She is placing good and winning money. I am still pulling for Brenda (Mays). Jethro is making consistant runs, but needs to find a couple of tenths.

It is great fun to watch and cheer, but my heart goes out to Tiffany Fox and PJ Burger who weren't able to compete on the horses that they qualified on. It gets to be a long ten rodeos when things aren't going well. Hopefully, these two can make a couple of good runs to end on.

Remember, no matter how these all the girls do in Vegas, they earned the right to be there by winning in all kinds of arenas at big and small rodeos all year long. They are the best of the best for 2009.

Next, I am thankful for my wonderful husband, Marty, and son, Brodie, who have supported me in my rodeo career. I know sometimes they get sick of doing all the chores and taking care of everything at home while I am on the road. Knowing their sacrifices makes me want to perform even better for them. Every professional athlete has a great network of people who help behind the scenes and make it possible for them to focus on their sport and become the best they can be.

I am grateful for the rest of my family, also. My mom often goes with me to keep me company, reminds me of things I am supposed to do and videos. My dad checks with me after every run and offers helpful ideas to enhance my performance. Marty’s folks who keep the laundry done, cook, and feeds the horses when we are both gone. My brothers call and keep tabs on me, often encouraging me at just the right time.

How can I not mention my long-time hauling partner Jeanne Anderson? I have always cherished her friendship, but this summer she went beyond that. She took care of my horses, drove, and patiently waited on me as I limped around as I tried to compete this summer after my injury. Thanks Jeanne.

Also, thanks to Shawn, Brandie and Shae Halls for their hospitality this summer. There are, of course, other hauling partners and friends who helped but I could never name them all, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate all they did. Thanks.

I am thankful to all of my TeamAmigo partners who help us go down the road: Cowboy Rigs Trailer Sales, Total Health Enhancement Co., Professional's Choice, EquiPride, Mike Donnel at Rodeo Promotions, Barb Poulsen at Redhawk Communications, and Roberts Auto. Also, I want to thank Justin Boots and the Justin Sports Medicine Team who made it possible for me to compete this summer.

I am also very grateful for the numerous friends who pray for me, encourage me and support me with their love and friendship all year long. So to all of you, BE BLESSED this Thanksgiving season!

October 16
The 2010 season is here. Jeanne (Anderson) and I started off with a long haul. We are on our way home from Billings, Mt. It’s a good rodeo with $9000 added. It drew over 130 barrel racers. I guess we weren’t the only ones who were ready to start over.

Amigo had a pretty good run. We have finally (a year and a half after his surgery) started making runs that are comparable to his runs before he got hurt. I ran a 13.98 which should win a good check. Jeanne wasn’t happy with her third barrel. She took it wide and ran a 14.14. I think it will still get a check. So, we are headed home at a pretty good clip. We left Billings after the rodeo last night and drove 3 hours. We left before daylight this morning, and will drive all the way to her house. It’s about 16 hours from Billings, then it’s at least 4 more to my house.—We do a lot of drive time! If only we could get internet service all the time.

Next week we will be at American Royal in Kansas City. It’s the Prairie Circuit Finals, so we will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I will be visiting with local Girl Scouts on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm.

September 27
Goose and I took the New Mexico tour - El Paso, Albuquerque and Amarillo. It is very clear that the two of us need more runs as our timing wasn't very good. It is easy to think that once you are at a certain level of competition, that you can just pick up there and go on after a break; but that isn't true, especially after injuries. The new season begins Oct. 1 and we have a lot of work to do. Amigo and I have an "extra step" issue that we are diligently working on. He started it last fall after he was off for his surgery, and I kept thinking that he'd finally work out of it with more runs, but not so. Now that my leg is doing better, I am working with him to lose that step. It has cost us a lot of money this year.

In my line of work, pro barrel racing, a tenth of a second costs you several places in the payoff. Many times, a couple of hundreths have cost me three or four placings. The payoff, of course, decreases the farther down you place. In reality, only the top three fastest times win enough to let you make money, and that's at the bigger rodeos. At the smaller rodeos, it's usually only two. Our sport is costly, fuel prices are better than last year, but still trucks pulling big trailers don't get good fuel mileage, and when you drive 50 - 60,000 miles a year, it adds up. Then you have the vet bills, feed bills, shoeing, supplements, and don't forget the entry fees.

This past season has been a patience builder. The injuries we've had have forced us to coast a little on the homework side, but no more. 2010 is here and I am ready to get back to the standings!

People all the time say that they'd love to do what I do, but they only see the glamour end, the 17 seconds in the arena and in the magazines. They don't realize that this is a 24/7 job that you have to compete with the best riders and horses just to get your paycheck. It's a challenge to say the least, but as I've often said, if it was easy anyone could do it, and I'd probably quit long ago. I love the challenge. The competition forces me to step my game up! Or the alternative is to go home and get a real job.

I believe that I'll go back to the practice pen, and step it up!!!

September 12
I had the chance to attend a customer appreciation dinner for EquiPride at Hallsville, Tx, a couple of weeks ago. I had a great time meeting lots of neat people and hearing their success stories.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell when you are feeding supplements whether they are helping or not, especially if you aren’t having any major problems. After hearing several of the other people’s great results, I realized that if something is working – it IS PREVENTING problems, and I am grateful.

I learned a lot more about the mineral, and all its benefits and realized that I haven’t had any problems with my horses feet shelling off and being brittle; probably due to the biotin in EquiPride. After Goose started getting EquiPride, his mane grew and is now healthy looking as well as his coat; another benefit. I mainly fed it for the electrolytes and because it is good for the gut, kind of a pro biotic. I realized that I haven’t had any trouble with my horses eating on the road and never really worried about ulcers either, so I guess the stuff IS WORKING.

That makes my list of stuff to be concerned with just a few items shorter—every little bit helps! Again, it was really fun meeting new people and the food was great! Thanks to Rick Reeves for inviting me!

September 10
Everyone needs a break now and then. I've had mine. My leg is doing better, the muscles and tendons are getting stronger every day. Not where they need to be, but better than they were. The new season starts October 1, and I figured I bet get with it and get my horses and myself back it top shape. To do that, it means competing. You can practice at home and you can ride your horses in the practice pen, but until you compete, you really don't know where your performance level is.

I entered 2 rodeos and a 4D last week. My first run was at Elk City in slack. Our run was about the same run we've been having--good, but not where it needs to be. My timing and Amigo's needs to improve at the 3rd barrel. We ended up placing--maybe 8th. But that's not going to cut it if we plan on a return trip to Vegas next year. Next we went to Longford where it had rained. I was up in slack the first night and was pretty sure it was going to be better the next night, so I decided not to run Amigo in the mud and turned out.

We then went to the Barrel Bash in Topeka Sunday and Monday where I could run both horses. Amigo's first run went well and we set the pace at #42. Three hundred and fifty horses later, we still had the fastest time. WoHooooo! Goose hadn't had a real competition run since Reno, and I must admit; thinking about running full tilt to the first (it was the first I hit and broke my ankle) was a little intimidating. But God didn't give us the spirit of fear but love, power and a sound mind. II Tim 1:7. So I prayed and stood on that scripture, and He took the fear away. Goose worked really well and tried hard. I was so proud of him. He ran right behind Amigo, winning third.

My congrats to Renea Boling and her Barrel Bash crew. They run a great race.

Today, I'm waiting to meet Jeanne (Anderson). We are headed to Ft. Madison, Iowa, to the rodeo.

August 15
Sorry it has been so long since I have given you an update. To be honest, this summer has been tough, and I was getting weary and a little down. You can ride when you are hurt, but you don’t ride well. That takes a toll on a person, at least it did me. Thank God, I won enough to pay the bills but I didn’t come close to the goals I had set for the summer. It is always tough being away from my family, but with Brodie going to college this fall, it was even tougher. I was getting discouraged and I needed to go home and rest and let my leg heal.

I do not like to pass negativity on, so I chose not to give you any updates. Instead, I am home recharging my spirit. In Isaiah 40:31, it says, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.”

It is never fun going through tough times, but we have to learn to wait on the Lord. I am learning that waiting is not a passive “pass the time” but an active service as a waiter in a restaurant.—It is still a lesson is progress.

July 20
I am back at the fairgrounds at Tremonton, Utah. My trip to Nampa was dissappointing, but it reminded me that success takes hard work. Good runs come when there is totally unity between horse and rider. Even though I am competing with a broken ankle, I have not been able to ride and work my horses every day, and have lost the edge I need to win.

As soon as I got back to Tremonton, I saddled and worked Amigo in the indoor arena. (Salt Lake is also in a small building.) This morning I rode Amigo and ponyied Goose around the track several times. This is the first time that I have been able to ride for very long. My ankle is getting better, but I still can't use it like I should. It is amazing how my body takes care of itself. I'm not consciously favoring that ankle, but that whole leg is sore and my whole body tires way too fast. I will need to consciously tell my thigh, my calf, my ankle and foot to do their job before I run each time.

Slack is at 9 am in the morning at Salt Lake. I plan on icing both Amigo and my ankle tonight, and getting a good night's sleep, so I can drive in before the traffic gets bad in the morning.

When the going gets tough, the tough call on God and get going. -- I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.

July 18
I am sitting in Tremonton, Ut, to find out whether or not I need to drive back to Nampa, ID, for the short round. Right now I am sitting 10th, and there is a performance this afternoon. I am about 3 and a half hours from Nampa, so I guess I'll wait till the perf is over before I leave. (We drive enough miles without wasting any!) I am up in the slack at Salt Lake City Tuesday morning so I had to drive over here anyway.

My ankle is getting better. Driving with this big walking brace is a challenge, good thing it's all interstate. Amigo had a good run at Cheyenne on Tuesday. We ended up 12 which was just out of the checks but was stilll a good run on the slack ground. I am just running Amigo until my leg heals. He takes less "legwork" during a run than Goose. Goose is getting fat and sassy. He is enjoying his "vacation" in Wyoming this summer!

I have been living with my ice machine for the past 3 weeks. I also have been using a photonic torch, and electro-magnetic pulse maching on it. If it weren't for Jeane taking care of my horses, (and me) I wouldn't have made it. Brenda Mayes went with us last week to Casper, Sheridan and Colorado Springs. They did all the driving, including the all-nighter from Sheridan to the Springs. Congrats to both of them, their horses are working great. Brandie and Shawn Halls kept Goose that week, and let us stay with them in between rodeos. Great friends are truly a gift from God. Let the people in your life know how much you appreciate them.

July 6
Cowboy Christmas is over, and, well, the week didn't go the way I had hoped. During our second run at Reno (6/23) the first barrel flipped up and caught under my foot, twisting it back and to the outside. I thought it was just sprained really bad, but x-rays showed a break in the long thin bone that runs down my leg just above where it attaches to the ankle. I have a stylish black walking cast that velcros on and off that I am supposed to wear for 6 weeks. Jeanne (Anderson) has been taking care of my horses and exercising them for me. She is such a great friend.

Gut check time. I didn't have to run again until Monday at Greeley. So after lots of icing and rest, Saturday I decided to try the air cast the doctor gave me that goes inside a boot. It was REAL apparent REAL fast that it wasn't going to work. I got scared and called home for Marty to come get me. But it was going to be almost 3 weeks before he could come to Cheyenne and drive me, my rig and horses home. I decided if I was going to have to be here (on the rodeo trail) I might as well tough it out and see what I could do. Brandie (Halls) suggested that I call Rick Foster of the Justin Healers and see what he could do. He thought he could tape me where I wouldn't damage anything and I could try to run. That was great news!

Monday - Rick taped me up, and it felt very stable. It just might work. -- Thank you Rick and Justin Boots for your support of rodeo athletes!!!!!

Jeanne warmed Amigo up for me, and we gave it a shot. It wasn't the best run, but it would work for the average. It wasn't very pleasant, but I knew that the first time would be the worst. -- God gives us good friends who pull us through. Thanks to Jeanne who has taken care of my horses, listened to me mumble, and has exercised my horses. Thanks to Lita Scott who got me into a ortho doctor in Reno, to Kelsey who rode the cart with me back to the trailer, to Brandie and Shawn Halls and Bambi Robb who called Rick for me. I couldn't have made it without these people and many others.

Tuesday- Rick worked that Justin magic again, and I ran again. I was a little scared about the next few days because the Justin Healers would not be at the next rodeos, but Jerod Hoffstedder showed me a brace that might work. So Jeanne and I spent all day (that's a whole other story) driving around Greeley until we found one.

Wednesday - I tried the new brace, and found it stabilized my ankle, so I am set. We had a pretty nice run that should place at Livingston, MT. Praise God. Sometimes you just have to be shoved out of your comfort zone to expand your limits.

Thursday- We ran at Red Lodge, MT in the morning. It started raining just before we ran. Amigo took care of me and we might win a small check. We (actually, Jeanne) drove on to Cody, WY where we ran in the performance that night. Neither one of us made good runs, but we did learn that Jeanne was making the short round at Greeley, so we would have to call in the next day after the perf and see for sure.

Friday - We ran at Oakley, UT. It is so beautiful at Oakley, and the people are so nice. It is one of my favorite runs because the arena fits Amigo. Unfortunately, we tipped the second barrel (which would have paid for my week) but Jeanne was placing. The ankle is getting better. We head for Greeley. Jeanne was worn out from doing all the driving all week, so in the middle of the night I took over. It took a little squirming to find a comfortable position, and since there wasn't much traffic that time of night, I made it until sunup. Jeanne always rises with the sun so she drove us on into Greeley. She won third in the short round and placed in the average, so the all-nighter was worth it!

No matter how tough you think you have it, look around there is always someone else who is having a worse time. Please keep Tammy Key-Fischer in your prayers. She lost her only son, Reilly, in a car wreck while we were at Reno. Reilly and my son Brodie are the same age, 18.

Remember, God doesn't forsake us. He is with us in the good times and the bad. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

June 11
Another chapter in the "So you think you want to be a rodeo cowgirl" saga...

Last night we were at Gladewater, TX, right in the heart of the severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. It was hot, and the clouds starting coming in from the north and west.

Just as we (the barrel racers) were heading towards the arena to get ready, we heard the announcer say that the National Weather Service had just issued a severe thunderstorm warning for--you guessed it--Gladewater. We were right in the path of a bad storm with 50-60 miles an hour winds, torrential rains, and lots of lightning (which we were already eyeing watchfully). He suggested that the fans go home and take cover because the storm would be here very soon. He also said proudly 'that rodeos were never canceled, that we are tough athletes, and rodeoed no matter what.' (Speak for yourself!) That lightning was making me really nervous, but I thought, 'they are the ones up there in that metal crow's nest, if they aren't worried, why should I be.'

As we are watching the grandstands empty and people hurry to their cars, we are wishing that the team ropers would hurry! Just as the Dodge truck was pulling into the alley with the barrels, the announcer said to take cover and postponed the rest of the rodeo. Then it hit! I was racing back to the trailer to load Amigo (I had already loaded Goose) and getting soaked. But I jumped him in, saddle and all, and dove into the pickup.

After an hour of listening intently to the radio, the rain dies down and rodeo personnel appear. After some discussion, they come up with a plan. When the ambulance arrives, they bucked the bulls. Then they ran the steer wrestlers' slack, and about midnite, we finally got to run barrels. By then, the arena has lots of nice reflecting pools, and it is pretty nasty, but still consided safe. A couple of girls left, but we paid our fees, and by golly, we're going to run, come he-- or high water! The latter being the case.

It was really sloppy, Amigo skied past the first barrel, then tiptoed around the other two. Covered in slop, Amigo and I trudged back to the trailer. As I unsaddled him, I realized that the mud had sucked off both his bell boots. I threw the rest of his boots (which now weighed several pounds each) into the trailer, loaded up and drove off thinking, 'Tomorrow will be lots of fun; cleaning all this sand off', but who said being a rodeo cowgirl was glamourous?!

May 11
Time is beginning to fly. I haven't had time to write about the BBR Finals, and it already seems like a month ago. Several of the big race producers in this region go together and have one big finals under the name Better Barrel Races. It was held in April in Oklahoma City. They had almost 1500 entries and everyone ran two races with the top 15 in each race (and each division) running again Sunday for the prizes. Goose had made two pretty good runs and placed in the top 15 each day. My hauling partner, Jeane Anderson won first and second on her good horse, Firebug. I just had a feeling that Goose would run better on Sunday, and he did. He ran the fastest time of the entire week putting us atop the leader board!

We were awarded a beautiful saddle and other prizes. But the glory was short lived as we loaded up and headed to Guymon for the slack the next morning. That trip was a little hairy. We had to dodge tornadoes and heavy rain. We detoured across to Texas instead of our normal route thru Woodward because of flooding. We got to Guymon about midnite. We ran in the first drag about 10:30.

This sport is so humbling. We were on top of the world Sunday, and Monday morning we were out of it before 10 horses ran (we tipped a barrel). You have to rodeo and run barrels because you LOVE it, not for the glory, because that is short-lived and there are lots of hours and days in between the big wins.
Well, got to go!
--
Tana

This gives me time to see some friends and give my horses some pasture time, which they love!!

April 20

So you want to be a rodeo cowgirl?

We just pulled into Corpus Christi. To my surprise, where I usually park was vacant. I guess all the bulldoggers left to go to Lufkin (that's where we came from today). Overjoyed that I got to actually pick where I wanted to park, I survey the area, then back up to the wooden fence and start to unload Amigo.

It is then I notice that one of my trailer tires is going flat. I am thankful that it happened here and not on the road. I unload Amigo, and am quickly trying to build his pen so that I can get the tire off and downtown before everything closes. (It is about 4 pm.) The first stake I drive goes about an inch and then the hammer 'bout jars my teeth out. I quickly move the stake and try again; same result. So it takes a while to get my pen built, and oh, yeah, it's about 95 degrees down here. So I'm sweating and pounding and pounding and sweating.

The pen is built. Turn Amigo loose and he is happily munching on the dry, but green-tinted grass. I turn my attention to the tire. I get the hub cap off, and using my cheater pipe (no girl should be without one), I get the lugnuts loose. I go to back the trailer up on the ramp, and realize I have my hotwire tied to the trailer. I get out, untie the fence, back up the trailer.

I then start the generator, it takes two tries before it kicks the juice on. Now with my airgun, I get the lugnuts off quickly. Of course, Amigo doesn't like the sound it makes so now he is juiced up. And the seagulls flying around and making whatever noise they make really keeps him jumpy! OK, I have the pickup unhooked, and I get it parked in a low spot and roll the tire over to it, but it is a 17.5 tire & wheel, -- I can't lift it! Never fear, there is an A-frame sign at the other end of the parking lot. I propped it up to the tailgate and WAALAHH. I'll just roll it up there. UUUGGGGGG, little by little I push and grunt and finally get it in the back of the pickup. It's 5:15.

I jump in the pickup and notice Amigo is spinning around his pen, still juiced and not liking it that he is still the only horse in this area. Mom stays with him, but I tie him up and give him some alfalfa (the great pacifier), and off I go in search of a tire shop. I find one, but of course it's closed. I decide to go into the building in hopes that one of the rodeo committee will know where I can get it fixed. God is smiling and directs me straight to Steve Hindman, the marketing manager of Allen Samuals Chevrolet, who is a big sponsor of the rodeo. He calls the service department and tells them I am coming. Off I go, again overjoyed that I am actually going to get it fixed today.

Long story, but it can't be fixed till in the morning. Back to our camping spot. Amigo is now distraught that I have left him, and he is still the only horse in the area, and those pesky flying squawkers are still around!! Good thing I tied him up!

I drive over to the other parking area and recruit a neighbor. She is new to the road, so I help her set up camp. This, of course, includes building another hot wire pen. I am now getting the hang of swinging this hammer -- Break time--another friend is pulling in, so I'm going to stop and help her. Back in a few--

Well it's two days later and I'm now in Oklahoma City before I have had time to get back to you. Back to the Corpus story.-- Robert Trevino, the service manager at the Allen Samuels Chevy, was so awesome. He tried to find me a new rim the next morning, but couldn't. So they fixed it and then brought it to me at the rodeo grounds. He took a big stress off my shoulders and I am very grateful. There are still wonderful people in our world.

Back at the campsite, it was a long night. Amigo never really settled down, so about midnight, I gave up trying to talk him down so I tied him to the trailer so I can sleep. HAH, now he is rocking the trailer. OH what fun. Sometime later though, we both finally fall asleep.

The next morning one of the team ropers helped me get my spare off the front of the trailer and put in on for me. I take down Amigo's pen and get ready to roll as soon as slack is over.

Amigo loves the pen at Corpus. Even though he stumbled and got past the first, we still had the fastest time of slack. As soon as slack is over, we hook up the pickup, load Amigo, and off we go to Oklahoma City, thankful for the awesome people that have helped us.

Then I took Amigo to Ardmore to the rodeo, and I hit a barrel. -- You can be on top one day and the bottom the next. That's why it is so important that we remember who we truly are, and not base our identity on what we win! --

Next week will be busy as I am in the slack at Lufkin, TX, Tues. morning, Corpus Christi slack Wed. morning, at OKC at the BBR Thursday evening and Saturday morning.

March 26
My how time flies. We went to Monroe, LA last Friday night and ran. I think we placed. Then we drove to Austin where I stayed with Kappy Allen and her family. She is a sweetheart and a very busy lady. Our first run at Austin was not good. I sent Goose too hard to the first barrel and he came out straight. When he realized that he wasn't in position to turn the second, he paniced, and went left. (He was pretty wired that day. I think the squealing pigs at the fair had him revved up.) Ahhhh, the joys of seasoning a young horse, you know you don't have pigs at the 4Ds!

Goose tries so hard. He knew he had messed up. He really worked great on his second run, and we are placing with just one set of girls to go. Tuesday afternoon was the slack at Huntsville. There were 90 some girls supposed to run in slack, several turned out. Huntsville is a deep sandy pen, and hard to win money at the bottom of the drag. Praise God, we drew the top. Goose was glad to be outside and ran hard. He ran the fastest time in slack, but we'll have to wait and see how the perfs go.

Last week, Roberts Auto sponsored a clinic for the 4H girls at Pryor. We had a good time and a good turnout. Here are a few of the girls.

March 15
Well, Goose did OK at Houston, at least he managed to stand up the first two runs and leave the barrels up which was an accomplishment in our set. We had a good chance to place in the average, and I didn't ride him hard enough into the first the third run and we hit it.

We went to Montgomery from Houston. Deb Renger went with me. Her horse had an infection in his ear so she rode Goose. She rode him pretty good, they got the first barrel or they would have won third. Amigo and I had a good run, just not fast enough. A 15.14 won last hole, and we were 15.15. Now that I have him in good shape, it's time for some strength training. I have been logging him and riding up and down a really steep bluff.

I'm up at Monroe, LA this Friday in slack after the perf, then Austin Sunday and Monday. We drew the slack at Huntsville on Tuesday afternoon. I plan on running Goose.

Feb. 24
Since I didn't do well at San Antonio and San Angelo, I came home, a little discouraged and a lot determined. My time is split between home "work", fine tuning me and my horses, and work for my sponsors. I stopped at Alvarado last week and worked with Winning Runs.com taping a session for them which will be releases as their May or June video of the month. They bring guests on each month who offer some of their expertise in training, riding, and/or competing on barrel horses. It's a great place to learn from some of the best.

Last weekend, I went to a Sr. Pro Rodeo at Sperry, where Mr. Amigo ran off the first run. Even the old campaigners have to be tuned. He can go only so long before his run gets the best of him, and I have to reemphasize to him what WHOA means and what "staying under control" means! But the second run, I had his attention and he worked like his old self again. -- Don't ever get discouraged if things go bad, fix it and go on. -- If you don't know how to fix it, go to someone for help. We all need help now and then.

Saturday night Marty and I drove to Poteau to a CRRA rodeo where I ran Goose. He made a nice run, but there were no big lights, loud crowds, or bucking stock like at San Antonio. I forget sometimes he is still young and needs some help.

If you are in northeast Oklahoma this weekend, stop by and see me at Roberts Auto on Hwy 69 in Pryor. Check out the new trucks, I hear there are new tax breaks for buying new vehicles as part of Obama's jumpstart plan. They will be cooking hotdogs and I'll be signing autographs Friday and Saturday, so come on over to Pryor!

We'll be running at Houston next week (March 3-5) and Montgomery on Saturday. Rodeo Houston has a great website so check on us. I hope to return to the winning column!

*Click here for an online interview with Tana Poppino

Feb. 14
Just a quick update. We are at San Antonio this morning. We run this afternoon, evening and tomorrow (Sunday).

Feb. 7
Well, the rodeo road, like life, is up one day and down the next. After my last entry, I ran Sunday at Chickasaw at the D & G. (They put on great races by the way.) Both my horses ran better on Sunday, and I rode better. We finished 1st and 3rd.

I am writing now from Rendon, Tx. We ran Thursday at Fort Worth. I had been looking forward to running Goose here, because Amigo has never done well with the setup here. (The first sets out in the middle of the pen, and it is a long run to it.) Goose never saw the first barrel and he didn't act like he even knew what we were there for. I was so disappointed. I felt like somebody let the air out of me. Marty had come with me to watch, we were both flabbergasted. Goose always hunts the first barrel.

Well, I had a decision to make on the second run, do I ride him to win? or do I ride him and keep him from making another big mistake? I was reminded of a verse in Luke (9:62), "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." My interpretation, once you've committed to something, don't look back, charge forward!

So I did. That night Goose felt totally different in the holding pen. He felt like he usually does before we run. He charged down the alley, and as I started to shape him, I could just feel him say, "I got it this time!" So I rode him hard all the way to the first, and he smoked a run. It was the fastest run of the rodeo so far!

Sometimes stuff happens, and you just have to forget it, and charge ahead!

January 31
January is over, and it hasn't gone quite like I expected it to. This is only the second time in 6 years that I have not done any good at Denver, and that bums me. Frankly, Amigo and I need more work. We had made a couple of awesome runs at jackpots in December, but haven't quite got it together at the rodeos yet.

It's funny, to most people a couple of tenths of a second is nothing, but in our world it means thousands of dollars.

Amigo and I split 9/10th in the aggregate (total on 2 runs) at Odessa in early January. I knew we needed a little more tuning, but didn't quite get it fixed at Denver. We slipped and knocked a barrel over in round one, but our times on two would have been just out of the top ten.

As I am writing this I am in Chickasaw, Oklahoma at a barrel race. Today we finished one out of the money. So tomorrow I ride a little harder, and get tougher! Goose ran good today, but we tipped the second barrel to win second. I am so proud of him. He is doing so well, but I have to figure out this second barrel muff. That barrel has cost us winning at several of the races we've been to lately.

January 12
Odessa is over, we split the last hole in the average with Meagan Reichert. It won’t pay much, but it all counts.

We have been busy planning the next two months. We entered Houston (it’s in March) already, and Ft. Worth. (Jeanne & I are in the first set at Houston on March 3, 4, & 5 and we’ll run at Fort Worth twice on Feb. 5). It’s always a challenge to enter the big rodeos because they overlap with smaller ones. You really have to lay out a plan before you enter anything, and then ProCom can throw you a curve and you start over with your scheduling. It’s a game you constantly play with the computer (ProCom) trying to guess how & when everyone else is going to enter and then finding out if your name got drawn high enough to actually get your preference. It’s all complicated--suffice it to say--it is a real challenge.