High School Rodeo Success

On Saturday September 15, we went to the High School Rodeo in Delta. Although, we said that we were not going to do as much High School Rodeo this year, we still are going a lot.

Although Racheal has tons of success in showing, she struggles with rodeo. Racheal is an excellent rider and a great trainer. However, she has serious confidence issues when it comes to rodeo. She over thinks everything. She doubts her and her horses' abilities. We all know what happens when you think negative, negative things happen. She proves herself right all the time.

I have tried and tried and tried to talk with her about thing like visualization, positive affirmations, goal setting and other things that make the difference in becoming a champion. But, she thinks I am crazy and that those things don't really work. I have explained that all of the great champions use them from Michael Jordan to Michelle Kwan. She does not want to hear it. She likes justifying her inability to herself. It makes her feel like she is right. Unfortunately, justifying your feeling and making yourself think that you are right is a very powerful motivator. It is a trap a lot of us fall into.

As a parent at this point all you can do is advise. It takes a lot of effort on their part to incorporate these positive habits into their lives. Unfortunately, you can not do it for them. Our only resolve was that if she was not going to take become a rodeo champion seriously, they we were no longer going to pay for it. So this year she started to pay all of her entry fees. We thought at least if she had the pain, she would practice more.

She really has become more dedicated to her practice. She is out at least 4 to 6 days a week on her horses and practicing the right things. I am not sure how long it will take for her to start working on her thinking but at least it is a start.

Back to the rodeo, Preston and Racheal did really well in the Team Roping. She has been struggling with her dally. So when she got it on Saturday, I am sure everyone at the rodeo heard me. I was so excited for her. I did not even care if they placed but then they announced their time and it was really good. I was even more excited.

The placed 8th out of 100 and something teams and they qualified for the State Finals. Racheal really wants to go to State Finals this year. So maybe that is a goal to start with!

2-Handed Show Nephi

We held our last 2-Handed Show in Nephi on September 13. Brent was still hoping to win the all around buckle. He really came to show. He looked so much better than he had in the last couple of shows. In the end it was not enough points to over come Jordan though. However, I was glad to see him put some real effort into it.

The show had a great turn out. His division was really tough. The top four kids all night were really good at showing and they rode some really nice horses.

Brent did well in Showmanship. He looked really sharp but his horse took a step and that cost him. He placed 4th. He won the Western Pleasure class. I don't think there has been a time this whole season when he and that mare worked so well together. Their work was almost flawless. I was so excited when he took first. He placed 4th in Equitation and Trail. Overall he had a really good show. The best one he has had on her all year.

Racheal rodeo a palomino colt she had been working on for a friend of her grandfather's. The colt is especially sweet and well dispositioned. Racheal has been working with her a lot. It seemed to pay off. Although the horse is only 2, she did really good for her first show.

She was a little on edge in the Showmanship and Western Pleasure but Racheal got by with her. We were just glad there was not a wreck. Then she had a nice Equitation pattern and took first. Then she had a really good Trail pattern and took first again.

We were all really proud of Racheal during trail. In the back through the L, the horse started to get really nervous. It could have been a really bad thing. However, Racheal was amazing. She totally kept her head and relaxed the colt and got her through. It was great to watch a child who usually has very little patience, exert an enormous amount of patience and skill.

It was a really good series. All of the kids in the series and their horses have really learned a lot this year. You can see such a dramatic change in all of them. I have a soft spot for this program which is why I work so hard for this series each year.

PHSC Show Mt Pleasant

We went to our final PHSC show in Mt Pleasant. The day was important for Brent to win the All Around Youth.

I wonder some days if he really wants it. Maybe we are the ones who want it for him. He went out in Showmanship and just half did the pattern. In the Youth Pleasure class, he could have had the winning ride. He started off looking great. Then half way through the class, he just quit riding and let the horse do whatever.

I am not really sure what the problem was. It could be that we have just done too much competition this summer. This the second one this week and we have rodeo finals on Monday. That is the reason my blog title is finding balance. I am not really good at balancing work, competition and down time. Down time is really hard for me. I need to be constantly doing something. However, I am sure that my kids would like more down time.

He still won Youth Pleasure for the year. So that is a good accomplishment. He tied for first in Youth Barrels for the year. He had a really nice run on Dasher. With a little work, Brent and Dasher could come together for an all around horse. We will see if we have him that long.

Mac was a completely different horse in Halter. He actually stood squared for Racheal. I am sure that made her feel better. He was still a run away in Pleasure but he looked better in Discipline on the Rail.

Mac is really fast. I thought he would be but today I really came to that realization. I was amazed watching him run barrels. Racheal just slow loped him because he is still learning. However, he has a lot of speed left. I just hope she will decide she has the ability to really run him.

She is struggling with her confidence. I am not sure why. Racheal is really an amazing rider. She has a really touch for training colts. However, she is not convinced she can compete with everyone else. One day when she really decides she can out ride and rope everyone, she will. There is no question. However, winning is much of a mental game as it is a physical one.

2-Handed Show Ephraim

We went to the 2-Handed Show in Ephraim on August 30th. Racheal took Mac and Brent rode Sass. She really lived up to her name that night.

Brent started off with a good Showmanship class. He placed second and Sass worked pretty good. She could have done better and he could have been a little more sharp. Then we went to Western Pleasure and it kinda fell apart. She was being especially sensitive to not being with Mac. So she tried to put her head down and be a little broncy. (I am sure broncy is not a real word just a word horse people made up. :) Anyway, he got by in Pleasure.

Then he went to Equitation. He kicked her into a lope and she dropped her head and really tried to buck. He got a hold of her. I am sure the other parents did not appreciate us but I yelled for him to kick her butt. She can not get away with that behavior. She definitely needed to be disciplined immediately. Needless to say, he got a white and last place. Your horse bucking a class drops you to the bottom. The most important thing was he stayed on top and made her mind.

It made a big difference in Trail. She had settled down and she worked a decent pattern. He took 3rd. Then he stayed after the show and made her lope by herself in the arena.

Racheal really loves Mac. She really wants him to break out and become her back up rodeo horse. There are 2 problems with him. One he is a lot of horse. You can ride him for hours and never wear him out. The second is he just a little wild, spooky, and untrusting. We will see if she really has the resolve to get him broke.

He did much better in Showmanship this time. I think she felt a little better about him. However, he is not a Pleasure horse. So even when he was behaving in the Pleasure class, he was not working as well as the other horses. But most of the time he was misbehaving. He did a little better in Equitation. He actually had a pretty good Trail pattern. The only obstacle she truly skipped was the slicker. He still has issues when you pick things up when you are on his back.

Overall he had a better show than the last one. This is the important thing as she tries to train him. He just needs to make little improvements. I hope he does not totally frustrate her before he settles down and start to act like a real horse.

Steer Riding Over?

On Labor Day, we went to CUJR finals. The kids did not have enough points to win the year end except Brent had a chance to make up some points in Steer Riding. However, he had to ride 2 that day. The 2nd one was is the short go.

Well, he did not get the first one rode. He was disappointed. He had to come back in the short go. It did not go well. He got thrown in the first 2 jumps but then the thing that happens frequently in riding did. He got kicked twice. The first one got him in the shoulder just on the other side of the vest. So it was nice and brusied. The second one got him in the leg. It tore a hole in his pants and he had cuts on the back of his knee and leg.

Of course, I caught the kick on film. The 2 pictures of his second ride are included. The second picture is pretty cool. I was really worried about him until he got up. Then I knew he was okay.

I am wondering if this will be the end of his rough stock riding. He does not seem to be as interested in it. He has not asked to ride in Little Britches that starts in October.

I will just have to wait and see. I am perfectly happy with him being a roper.

Cute Rodeo Pictures

I have some good pictures of the kids at rodeos in the last couple of weeks.


The first picture is Brent getting thrown from a steer. It looks much worse than it was. He did not get hurt. He only made it a couple of jumps out of the chute.




The second picture is Racheal waiting in the rope box. She looks like Hollywood cowgirl. What a cute expression!





The third is the picture of Brent behind the chutes. It is one of my new favorites.

Benefit Rodeo

We went to a benefit rodeo a couple of weekends ago. It was a junior rodeo but we allowed the adults to compete as well. The rodeo was so much fun. The adults were great entertainment.

The chute dogging was so funny. Chute dogging is an event where they let a steer out of the chute and the person has wrestle or put them to the ground. The men were so funny. They were all macho out there. Coy's brother Troy took second. A picture of him dogging is on the right.

The other funny event of the day was the adult goat tying. They were trying to get off as fast as the kids and several of them biffed it. They all had a lot of fun competing though. Everyone thought we should have another rodeo like this.

Brent's friend Shad had a good calf ride. There is a picture of him. He is so cute.