Timing is everything

In a sport where one thousandth of a second can determine a championship, timing is everything.  Rating too late, picking up too soon may sound minor but the affects can be very large.  I'm always amused that a barrel racer can describe in such detail all that happened in their runs, making it almost sound as if they were out there for an hour.   We spend hours training, tuning, studying so that we can trim seconds off that clock leaving it all out in the arena.  But what about our timing outside of the arena?

I am a guilty believer of the saying 'Everything happens for a reason,' and if I really think of about it, timing is a big piece when you start laying out the puzzle.  When life seems to go on in a smooth rhythm, it's easy to not see all the little rights.  Turn that around and go through a long dry spell, and boy we can sniff out every small wrong.  so what does that have to do with timing?   Maybe I can explain using a little personal experience.  Missing out on our California rodeo season  pushed the decision to start entering our California ameture circuit in an attempt to make the finals.  The plan was to enter a few and make enough money to secure a spot in the top 15.  Clearly there was something off in my universe, and my empty pockets were hungry for the smallest taste of any placing.

Now here's where I had an opportunity to chose a road that would bring the majority of plausible positive outcomes.   With a few options to think over, I made my decision based upon Stella's needs.  I also figured that the large amount of frustration wouldn't aid in winning.   It was clearly time for me to step it up on a few others, begin their careers and increase their talent.  So off I went with Flo Jo, Kesler and his two girlfriends to a few of my favorites that just so happen to be April's and Buzzie's first CCPRA's years ago.  I didn't make a dime, I didn't even make a clean run.  I enjoyed the moment

More often than not I see girls trying to force the puzzle pieces together.  Taking horses that are too young and pushing them to take on the hard life of a rodeo horse and expecting to win. When it becomes an experience that only we are gaining from, guilt lurks in the back of of the mind.  If the win is more important than the health of our horse we risk possibility of damage physically and mentally on the pair. And I don't know that I have met a competitor who hasn't risked this, even if it was a small risk.  Lessons only come from experience and each time knowledge can be gained.  Although the reason may not be known, being able to find the positives in each situation aid in learning and ultimately growing as a barrel racer.
-"There is always another rodeo."

The Next Big Thing

When it comes to choosing a barrel horse prospect, there are many factors that buyers will focus on.  From characteristics such as height and color to breeding and previous discipline, if any.  Spend enough time on Barrel Horse World and you will see numerous ads with designer breeding as in Dash Ta Fame, Firewater on the Rocks, Frenchmans Guy, etc.  However, with these fancy horses often comes a hefty price tag and a buyer on a budget needs other outlets to search from.  Reject cutting and reining horses are a very popular outlet, as well quarter horses coming off the race tracks.  But one outlet that has yet to become a main resource are Thoroughbreds retired from their horse racing career.

A few months back I stumbled across a training contest presented by Dreaming of Three that takes 15 trainers back to Ohio for the Ultimate X Showdown Competition.  The trainers each chose a thoroughbred that has retired from the race track and within 100 days teach them to be a barrel horse.  The vision of Dreaming Of Three is that barrel racing will soon be a second life for the many OTTB and help keep them from devastating life endings.  On May 1st, the top 15 trainers were chosen and my name was among them.  My search for an OTTB didn't require much, I thought at first, as I had two mares in the backyard owned by my father Richard Scott.  Unfortunately, both were quickly out of the selection process to my dismay when my Dad revealed one never had an official track start and the other had previous stifle issues.  Although I could have chosen the second, I wanted to avoid possible soreness in the short time allotted and thankfully I had more options.

With my Dad being in the Thoroughbred Horse Racing industry for decades, I was lucky to have a few connections close to home.  A trip down to Golden Gate Fields located on the outside of San Francisco brought me three more prospects, all bay geldings with earnings on the race track.  With three good looking potentials, I told myself to make the selection fast.  The first day's ride was comical considering these three geldings have had some time out in pasture. The boys tried their best to buck and bellar, but none were too scary and I didn't take long before throwing a leg over each.  The first horse, Cardifbythesea was mellow and a good mover until he began getting short on his front leg.  Later we found out through our trainer contact Sheri Monroe that this horse had an old injury.  A call to the owners after revealed he had fractured his ankle requiring surgery and a metal rod which had been removed a few weeks before we picked him up. Then there were two.

The two geldings left were; Greylaine, a 5 year old bay that was very eye catching and would certainly fit the mold of a barrel horse, and Really Surprised, an 8 year old bay who was relatively smaller in size and had a more nervous nature to him.  They were full of spunk putting on more of a show as I lunged them with the back cinch in-tact, and both jumped out from under me with my first attempt at getting on.  The bucking continued some after getting in the saddle, but nothing I knew I couldn't handle.  It is very common for any horse coming off the track to adjust to the feel of a back cinch, or even weight from a western saddle as they have only had the small jockey saddles on their backs.  The new experiences does not stop there and right away I introduce them to pressure from a spur and adjust their knowledge of bridle pressure.  A jockey uses the reins as a balancing tool and race horses are taught to run into this pressure.  As a barrel horse, I want my horses to respond off this pressure, giving to it, slowing down from it and turning through it. I assessed both geldings in how they reacted to the process of teaching these tools and made my decision on which horse I will be showcasing.

As of today, the trainers were to designate their horse for the contest.  The criteria were that the thoroughbred was to have one official race start and no other training outside of the track.  Age was not a factor, however, we were asked to choose horses measured under 16 hands as those measuring above generally have a dressage/jumping/English future.  Out of the two prospects I had left, my choice to go with Really Surprised came easy as he was my favorite from the very first ride.  Zoom, his barn name, showed a lot of natural ability I personally look for in a barrel horse.  He carried himself well, keeping his hind end underneath himself and light on the front end, quickly learned to move away from leg pressure and eased into a few turns on the barrel.  I also really enjoyed his general attitude during the first few rides, seemingly wanting to please his rider and learning what is being taught with relative ease, showing himself as a horse that wants a job.  There is no doubt in mind that both these geldings will make a nice barrel horse prospect and the choice simply came down to Zoom moving through the first few weeks quicker and is already putting together a nice pattern.

Tonight will be Zoom's first experience at a jackpot and I will be taking him only to ride around and work in the arena after.  I will be looking at how he handles the entire experience including hauling, standing tied, warming up, and where his focus will be once inside the arena.  This experience has a lot of buzz circulating and I truly hope that it helps the original idea that Dreaming of Three has of promoting off the track Thoroughbreds into the sport of barrel racing.  Stay tuned for videos and updates along the way as well as possible sponsorship opportunities to help us through the process and getting back to Ohio come September.

Zoom at Run2Win Arena

Please take a moment to check out these two websites dedicated to this competition.

Ultimate X Showdown

Dreaming Of Three

Living the....

Everywhere I look on social media there are posts that mention 'Dreams.'  'Living the Dream' 'Chasing the Dream' 'Follow Your Dreams.'  Am I the only one who's stomach turns lately at the abundancy of dream catchers?  A dream is nothing more then a split second in ones sleep that is usually forgotten before being awakened.  Or even worse, something short of a nightmare.

This week marks the 93rd Annual Red Bluff Round-Up and in the past it has been nothing short a nightmare for many, least of all myself.  For the locals, its one of the first big wide open pens of the season after running for months in small indoor pens.  The rodeo has been rained upon on many occasions causing the ground to be, well, literally underwater.  It can be deep one day and hard panned the next, leaving many making last minute decisions on game plans.  If you are a local and lucky enough to make it back to a performance, then you have the entire crowd rooting for their 'hometown gal.'  Either basque in the excitement or quiver at the thought.  Being mentally prepared for this rodeo has been a goal that I haven't as of yet accomplished but will never give up trying.

My Grandma used to tell me how much she would love to see me win the Red Bluff Round Up and I would sigh, probably roll my eyes, because inside I knew I didn't have what was needed, I knew I wasn't ready to win such a daunting tactful rodeo.  The past few years I ran Stella there left negative thoughts in my head of a flat, stiff, struggled turn.  Frustration and friction between my partner and I.  Excuses versus reasons pushed through my head hiding the truth, the real reasons as to why I have been unsuccessful.

I do not hang on to the same dream anymore.  I do not lay awake at night envisioning the glorious win, buckles, publicity, congratulations.  Instead, I lay awake smiling inside as I feel my body naturally making the proper moves, not just visualizing my run but feeling it.  I'm not dreaming of a win, I'm embedding 'Our Run' into my mental focus.  That run we have made so many times before.  The sweet spot of a turn, the fluid power around the barrel.  Oh man, oh yes, that run. I'm looking forward to that run this year.  Such a lucrative and prestigious rodeo is now what I call my hometown rodeo.  I want to show my hometown they have some one to be proud of and to have my Grandma smile down from the Heaven's above.

A dream is unattainable, not able to be grasped, and are merely seconds in our lives.  I would rather have goals.  You can reach a goal, achieve one, grow from one.  They are what can bring confidence to a rider and a horse, and can build a champion.

Revelation

Some say 'don't look back for we have already been there; rather, look forward in the direction you wish to pursue.' No reason to dwell on past experiences, losses, hardships, or haunted memories. I say, 'only look back when you are ready to open your eyes to the bigger picture.'  Its not about what went wrong, but how you were able to grow from that moment. If that moment was one day or a decade, you may find the key that can unlock the door to your dreams and goals. When you are confidence is strong, grab that key and turn the handle, its time to take what you've been working for.

My little video camera got dusted off this weekend and inside were treasures galore. Old videos from 2010, 2011 and 2012. These three years each held large events in my life; marriage, pregnancy, and the arrival of Kesler Joe Smart.  When I looked closely, I could see these stages being expressed through body language as I rode. Isn't that odd? As if I were an artist and the horses were my canvas, I painted images so intricately my body mimicked the feelings I remembered having in and out of the arena.  Holding my breath, my heart aching and yearning while I portrayed my nerves from desire to desperation.  The ups and downs have made me realize that the happy ending I dreamed about was here.  I found my confidence.  

Most of us have been running barrels for many years, a good amount of us have been doing it since we were little girls.  For me, its been 29 years since I won my first buckle.  I will turn 32 this year.  Riding horses is my sixth sense.  As a little girl, I was at the top of my game, and once I gained a few pounds and my legs passed the saddle pad, I was unstoppable.  When puberty hit and high school came, the Jandee I remember was gone.  My talent, my brain, and my confidence packed their bags and left me dumb.  We tried everything from cutting to dressage lessons.  I fought myself, my mom, my horses and it was miserable for all.  During college, I made the finals in the breakaway.  It was time for a change.  Little did I know, she came to me in a hot little sorrel package with a wicked first barrel. 

Colonels April Smoke changed the miserable feeling in my stomach while walking in to make a run.  I can not even begin to address the horrible and negative vibes that stole my heart away leaving an empty shell behind.  I had kicked my ass so many times it left dimples.  Ok, well maybe those were really caused by Kesler, but he cant take the blame for everything, can he??  The point being, April taught me what it was like to have fun again. Then she taught me how to win.  Damn, we were one hell of a pair.

It had been a long time since I had built such a strong relationship with a horse. I began to trust myself.  However, I knew my work was only beginning.  Becoming a competitor again helped me realize how much work was needed physically and mentally in order to be a winner.  The win isn't as important to me as being a true, honest winner. It began with simply listening to those who I respected in the industry and started listening to my mom's advice.  Overtime I learned to address my weakest components without allowing it to be a negative factor.  I quit watching videos of my ugly runs to keep from having the visual stuck in my head. Focusing in on that muscle memory I have referred to, and keeping a positive mental visual began to strengthen both areas.  I even read articles and books on the mental aspects of sports not only applying them to barrel racing, but life as well.  Afterall, life is a competition and we all step in the same horse shit.

April was definitely a gift in my life, for more ways then one.  One of the greatest was helping me walk into an arena with happiness and dissipated the fear I once knew.  Walking in to make a run is not an easy feat and obviously April never really walked in, more like sashayed, sometimes leaping.  I even felt so good I would blow bubbles with my gum running the first.  Finding the tools to start a run successful can be dependent on what is underneath the saddle, but finding the tools to get the head right are very attainable.

Aprils Tip: Find a positive component to work on during a run.  For instance, "lift my hand,"  "sit down,"  "inside leg" are all simple and easy factors that most of us utilize during a run. April could hear me from the time I saddled, during my warm-up, to the point where we running to the first barrel say to myself over and over "pick up."  It was my key component and ultimately turned the looming negative thought of "just don't hit a barrel," into dust.

The strong get tougher

When you go through a losing spell, there seems to be nothing harder, more consuming then the feeling of disappointment.  It can encompass your world, evaporate your confidence, and make you wish to never walk in an arena again.  Walking back to the trailer, head down, trying to determine 'Was it me? Was it my horse?'  We start analyzing every detail and manage to talk hours about a run that was only 18 seconds long.  Regaining your stride together takes a good combination of training, riding, and mental preparation. The winnings will start rolling in once consistency of good positive habits are established.  Note that when I say 'positive' I'm referring to anything that will make you or your horse better competitors.  I work hard to learn how to be better and do better, to be the very best possible version of myself, and although I may fall here and there, I keep trying.  That's 'Cowgirl' to me.

If you have rode with me recently, you have heard me spout off about conquering your mental game.  It's not just about 'Think Positive.' Sure I can think positive, the sun will come up tomorrow, I will get it the next time, blah blah,much like traditional motivational posters you find in a school gym.  The sport of barrel racing isn't just about ourselves as an individual; we have an equine partner that encompasses more than 3/4 of our brains.  Add multiple horses or futurity horses and the amount of focus points adds up. Which reminds to mention I'm pretty excited for my little red corvette and plan on sending off entries for the 2014 Sand Cup Futurity!!

Keeping myself focused in the mind and body enables me to make the correct reaction quickly if my horse gets out of position.  I have yet to perfect my approach every run.  Usually on my first barrel with Stella it takes a few runs on the same size course to be able to get it right, and I'm working on becoming more consistent with this.  She has turned me into an honest rider.  It's annoyingly wonderful and has me completely consumed with feeling my muscles react and actually accomplish what my brain says to.  So many times I would swear I picked my hand up, and so many times the video showed me not doing what I swore I did, or thought about doing.  Or knowing I used my inside leg only to find out my foot was inches off.  This is when I started focusing on good positive habits.  I began to ride every horse, make every turn, exactly how I wanted in my head.  I strengthened my body and positioned myself correct in every turn so when I walked in an the arena, under pressure, my body would react with well-balanced muscle memory.   For years I've been working on what my mind was thinking, and even longer to make this mind and body connection.  Now that I am seeing the results, it makes me eager to go even further.

Going through a tough time in the arena is never fun, but if you are willing to learn and work hard, success can be achieved.  There are always lessons to be learned and within every athlete lies multiple steps and stages.  Training, competitions, diet, traveling, diet while traveling, are just a fraction of the responsibilities we have to master and there are always new and better ideas.  If you legitimately love to learn or teach, then I want to ride with you.  I am the girl who took summer school during college, because I wanted to.  The knowledge I gained riding various horses and riding with numerous others;  some even in other fields such as dressage, cutting, jumping, etc., have been the leading tools in my own personal success. Being able to share this with fellow barrel racers and helping them succeed never gets old.

There is something to be said about those barrel racers who last around the industry through their old ages.  They have learned to make winners and ride winners.  The strongest in talent and mental toughness combined makes for beautiful watching.  And I love watching beautiful runs.

Take some time to learn your mind, teach yourself to relax and keeping focus on 3 barrels, you, your horse.  

She works hard for the money

When life is complicated, its good to let off some of the load. I have a bad habit of running too fast to keep up with life, stressing over financing, turning away from opportunities because I won't risk the thought of not clearing the book at the end of a weekend. It can take away the joy in simple pleasures, like having my husband and baby eat lunch at work with me, or feeling a colt work great for the first time. These weeks are tough on this girl. We work long hours in wacky weather, I wreak like a diesel mechanic (no offense) for days, I miss my family and home from 5am to 9pm, and I can't even set my ass in a saddle. 

There are days that I know how much the simple act of just walking around on a nice horse is true happiness. All of a sudden my mind clears and the stress just disappears and its me and her hanging out.  Stella knows me, and I can feel her. Its a true form of building a strong relationship, knowing and trusting each other through ups and downs and everything in between. I said to someone this week after Steve and Kesler arrived, "Now if I just had my horse...."

Good luck to everyone his weekend at the Greg Olsen. Hope everything goes as planned and we will be able to attend the PacWest and BBR American Qualifier race next weekend :)

I am now officially the designated driver of two new "Ride Smart" students.

A few years ago I would have just been getting over a good hangover, it was always a good time so it had to be a good one.  And this....is a good hangover.  I may had been the only one having fun running barrels on New Years Eve, hell I was proud to be doing it.  Loved it.  Didn't love the cold though, and when I saw my photo from the novice class Tuesday night, I thought I was drunk and didn't know it.  Seeing as how I don't drink hardly at all, my attempt to try to set a barrel on Big Mac must of been the last little "can-do" attitude I could muster out.  In reality, I felt like a mom when I heard the voice in my head, "what are you stupid?"

Needless to say the barrel went down but I stayed on, so I win another day.

What a barrel race these past two days.  Run2Win's Rockin' In The New Year Race was a huge success for the Northern California associations.  630 or so Open riders, and at leasst 800 overall runs this weekend, great ground, great stalls, (Oh hey Sharra, are there any stalls available now??) AMAZING announcer, (I'm partial), staff who will work their asses off, (Jack told me he didn't have one to work off).  Mandy has done a great job busting the Rolling Hills Casino in the butt getting that facility prepared for this and she stuck around till the bitter end to collect that pretty buckle Stan the Man won.  When you mix talent and work, it makes for success.  Love it.  Drives me.

Speaking of success, did anyone see that little red rocket Tuesday night? Holy cow that dude can move for being about as big as my dog.  I had so much fun that night on him I made sure I was ready to fix some corrections Wednesday night and that little speed racer still picked up 1st in the 2d futurity side pot.  Which by the way, yayyy for a futurity program close to home!!  It made staying home from Arizona a little easier.  And made making plans to get down there for the Pac West Race and BBR American Qualifier, more of a reality for me.  Thank you Stella.  Thank you Mom for keeping the boy so I could concentrate on the horses.  Thank you Karly, Deanna, and Elizabeth for helping me with the hurd.  Thank you Kesler for being so cute.  Thank you Steve for talking to your woman and telling her what she needed to hear, Woman=Stella, she loves him.  Like literally loves him.  I usually ask him to blanket her, because she bites me and tries to kick me.  I love her.

And a great big thanks to James Gradney for putting some rims on Stella's hind end to help her stay on her ass without slipping.  Lameaway for being their to help her muscle soreness.  Cathy Ruda for treating her as if she were your own, well maybe better then at times.  On Monday, Stella's gaskin was big and as hard as a rock.  She wasn't off, and at least 10 of us all saw the same thing.  I dropped her off that night, took her girl pills, and a butt load of grain.  And she outran even my ass on the first barrel come Wednesday.  I love her.

The kicker is, I talked about arena resolutions, and resolutions, and I met some of my own.  I have been focusing on my hand placement every day, on every horse, in every drill, since Chowchilla.  And damn it felt good seeing some results.  I wasn't perfect, my shin reminds me of that, but I saw a great start to a better habit.  And I wanted to start writing more, look at me now.

A little fun grammatical usage of the word 'And' at the beginning of a sentence, for no more then 4 in a row, always makes me want to raise an eyebrow in a matter of fact sort of way.

I may be more proud of the two girls mom and I had been working with, and the horses carrying our brand.  Karley Pedley and Buzzie won their first big check, entered their first "BIG" barrel race, heck she tried to throw her saddle on when we pulled up Tuesday.  I said, "Oh, you may want to put that back, we are gonna be a while."  Great kid, who just wants to be a barrel racer.  Do you, remember those days?  I do, try to grab it every once in awhile its enlightening.  Elizabeth Browning has been coming over riding her little gelding, and Sunday at the Run2Win Headquarters she had her get on Georgia for a spin.  Elizabeth and Georgia ran two, clean, consistent and very nice 16.0s.  Lady and Candace Zappetini placed 6th Tuesday night in the 1d, and Dally and Kristel Ising with their beautiful 15.5 Wednesday, Ryon and Sasha for their 3d win in the Novice Tuesday and a big improvement on the first the second day.  Good job ladies.

I hope everyone had a fun, safe, --Mom--, New Years and put a step forward for a great year.  Hello 2014, ya ready?

BCR Stella Bella
Rolling Hills Casino & Run2Win
15.139 Fast time of weekend.
Click here to watch BCR Stella Bella and Jandee Smart's winning run.