a leap of faith!

     There is a small little indoor arena in Kuna, Idaho, that holds many rodeos and other events related to horses each year. For the last six years, probably one of the most popular rodeos is the Bikini Barrels and Bull Riding in the middle of February! There are about 30 bull riders and 30 barrel racers that compete in this rodeo. The bull riders and fully clothed and protected, the barrel racers.....have a slightly less amount of clothing. The ladies barrel race in bikinis. Yes, bikinis. As crazy as this may sound, there is a lot of money to be won. Over $550 to the first place lady.
     For the past few years, I have only gone to watch the bikini barrel race because my dad did not want me to participate...since I am 18 this year, I decided that I was going to take a leap of faith and enter! For the past couple weeks, I have been out every day riding my horse to make sure he is in tip top shape to run against some of the best barrel racers in this area. Who knows what will happen, but I am SO very excited to participate in this annual event. It is something new for me and it is taking a lot of courage, but I know it will so be worth it in the end.

a little thing i like to call rodeo.

     It is hard to imagine someone having the same love for a sport since they were seven years old. I am now 18 years old, and it seems every year, my love for rodeo grows stronger and stronger. Since I was a very little girl, I had always wanted to be a rodeo star. I would sit there on my little horse, Lucy, and pretend I was this big time barrel racer. One day, some friends of my parents, who had a son that was very involved in rodeo, called me and said that they had a horse for me to rodeo on. Instantly I knew that my dream was coming true!
     As the years went by, it seemed that every weekend my parents, horses and I were headed to a rodeo. We would drive anywhere from Twin Falls, to Jordan Valley, Oregon. Not a minute would go by that I was not thinking about or practicing for my next rodeo.
     When I got into high school, I started planning new goals for myself. It was not very often that a freshman would make it to the high school rodeo state finals in Pocatello, Idaho, but i made a promise to myself that I was going to make it every single year. So far, I have held up to that promise. Now being a senior, rodeo posses  a slightly different aspect. It is something that is now going to get me a full ride into college! This makes it even more of an incentive, goal, and dream to make it to the high school rodeo national finals rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming. Since it is my senior year, it is something that is constantly on my mind. Nothing is going to stand in my way.
     Rodeo has become not only a sport or hobby for me, it has become a lifestyle. I am the only one in my family to rodeo so far, so it is amazing that I have as much talent as I do :) Rodeo is something that I hope will take me even farther in the future. I can see myself 100% in the future on my black horse, Titanium, raking in the money at every rodeo we hit. It's the rodeo trail, and it's my life. It's all I have ever wanted to do. Having a boyfriend who is not only a good bull rider, but also a district and state champion bull rider makes me love going to rodeos just that much more. I have made irreplaceable friends and unforgettable memories. It is what I do. It is my life.