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.