Personal Narrative: Junior Show Horse Riders

I remember as a little kid and now being fascinated by race horses. When I was around eight years old, my grandfather took me to a farm where they raise race horses. They were out exercising Mine That Bird and a few other horses. I thought it was so fascinating! The owner walked up to and asked if I enjoy watching them, I said very shyly,” yes sir.” He took me to the barn and let me look at all the foals and I was astonished. I got to thinking what all do they have to do to get these young foals ready to one day race? I asked Mr. Allen, and he said, “there are many things that you can do but some people don’t do the right thing and they cheat their way to victory”.

My mind, my leg and body are now a battle zone, a battle of emotions, cancer and pain.

It can lead to permanent, irreversible and incurable effects that will bring a lifetime of pain for

It has always felt as if everyone around me has been on vacation at some point in their lifetimes; however, I have never once been on a vacation that didn’t involve competing in a rodeo. Many people think this is an unusual fact. Myself on the other hand, would not have it any other way. I enjoy life on the road! In my spare time, I can always be found either in or around any arena as it is my favorite place to be. Ranch work was always a job for my family, and rodeo quickly became our hobby on the side. On the rare occasion that I am not with my horses, I am usually working or spending time with family and friends. My family is a sixth-generation ranch family in Castle Rock, Colorado; but, I am only a third-generation rodeo competitor. We have a total of six horses at home, and I have brought two with me to Frank Phillips College. The two who have joined me at college are horses I have personally raised

My career in barrel racing began when Katie, a lifelong role model, brought me to one of her races. Immediately after seeing her run, I knew my calling in life, I was to become a barrel racer. Arriving home, I immediately attempted the pattern on Patches. As we worked to perfect the pattern, I came to the conclusion she wasn’t fast enough for what I seeked to accomplish. Agreeing with me, my mom started looking for a new barrel horse. Around six years old, my new horse, Tip, came home. When he arrived, we quickly learned he was “too much horse” for me; he was nothing short of a bucking bronco horse at a rodeo. For further training, my cousin took him to college with her. He returned back home as an utterly

In the space of two years, Kristine Hewlett was thrown from her mare, Cher and broker her back both times. The accidents occurred while Hewlett was at her riding lesson on her mare, Cher when the horse suddenly spooked. After having such bad luck with her horse and both of her injuries Hewlett still vows to ride again. “She said, ‘I have thought long and hard about my future but I love horses and I want to carry on taking lessons.’”(Evans) Kristine Hewlett is so passionate about her love for horses that even after suffering not one but two broken back injuries she still vows to ride again. “But despite her second scare she has vowed to carry on riding.”(Evans) For most people one broken back would be enough to stop them from living their dreams but not Kristine Hewlett. Hewlett’s second broken back injury has made her even more determined to get back on and be successful. “Kristine Hewlett was flung from nine-year-old mare Cher in November and suffered a spinal fracture but she has vowed to ride again.”(Evans) Kristine Hewlett is very confident in her own ability to have a solid recovery and get back on. Though Kristine Hewlett has had her fair share of injustice she has overcome this injustice through passion, determination, and

It all started as a passionate love towards the sport, then came as a dream to be one of those guys you see on t.v riding their bikes down a mountain, then became reality, and then….I was there on those mountains. Breathless. Just staring down below me as if I was a bird looking down from the clouds. I could taste the pine from the trees below and beside me. The taste was so surreal. And for a split second I couldn't believe where I was, and who I had become. I was so happy to be where I was, and was sure my mom was looking down on me today, and smiling from ear to ear seeing her son fulfil his dream.

Julie Goodnight was raised on a horse farm in Orlando, Florida, where she was raised riding horses. In her youth, she started taking riding lessons in English riding and started to pursue hunter jumping. She started competing in hunter jumping shows. She began training at competitive facilities to get the training need to start riding in more elite hunter jumping competitions. During her college years in New Mexico, Goodnight got a job exercising Thoroughbreds on a nearby racetrack. After college, she got a job in Colorado, where she was a trail guide in the Rocky Mountains. While in Colorado, she worked at an Arabian training farm, then started to form her own training facility and camp. Through these experiences, she gained experience in many different disciplines such as: cutting, jumping, racing, colt-starting, dressage, reining, and wilderness riding (juliegoodnight.com). Goodnight has commented many times that she believes this is what gives her an advantage in the training industry (YouTube).

At the 2016 Kansas State Fair, I was the leader of my small show team. The eldest and most experienced, Madeleine and Rylynn were cheering me on through each class. I had already had a wonderful time, winning reserve champion in my equitation class, making pleasure finals and placing fourth in hunter under saddle, horsemanship was my last class. There were 40 in my class, and I was twelfth in the working order. Maddie and Ry sat on the other side of pen happily eating soft pretzels, eating up pattern after pattern. I walked in the small warm up arena as much as I could, I was terrified that my horse would turn up lame, as he had gotten a cut on his coronet not but a few days ago, and I had scratched him out of trail and hack because of it. Though there had been no sign of soreness from him, I was terribly worried.We worked on our spins, I backed him to the gates more times than I could count, and his trot offs were prompt and rhythmic. Our gatekeeper called my number to tell me I was on deck.

Other than the very prestigious Longines World Cup, having as participants the best riders in the world, the competition ground hosts

It all started on a cold and rainy day. I arrived at the barn, slamming the door behind me the warmth of the barn brushed my face. The tack room door creaked as I pulled it open. It was fairly quiet. I began rummaging around for my tack. I piled it all up on top of my saddle like a misbuilt tower. Struggling, I managed to open the tack room door and headed towards Turbo’s stall. I dropped my stuff down and slid his stall door open. I fed him a treat and he whinnied with glee. I pulled my hair back into a low tight ponytail, and placed my helmet on my head. Paige was standing in the aisle tacking up. She was around my height 5”0ft, with light brown hair. Paige nicely helped me finish tacking up. Anna gave us permission to bridle, and we walked into the arena. Turbo had been amazing now that I was big, it made it easier to ride a small pony like him. I walked into the arena towards the mounting block. It was barely an effort getting on Turbo; he was so small that I could have mounted on without the block. Warming up was a breeze. Turbo stayed ahead of my leg and had a smooth and steady tempo. Turbo cantered along happily and soared over the jumps. By the end of the lesson I could not have been more proud of my pony! I hopped off and gave him

The ideal time to ride came rolling around at approximately six o’clock, when a chilly breeze picked up. Unprepared and starting to shiver, my older sister notified us that she was going to grab her coat from the house. She left my younger sister and I to deal with the horses which was easy, or so we thought that it was. Assuming that it was going to be an effortless task, I took my attention gradually away from the horses, and commenced a conversation with my sister. Totally forgetting about what I was supposed to be doing, I did not perceive that Dexter spooked and pulled back on the board that he was attached to. Turning around and seeing him rear up on his hind feet, shocked me and I froze. My mind went blank for a second, and when it came back, Dexter was darting so rapidly you would assume a bear was chasing him. I could see the fear in his eyes. He was terrified of the post he was dragging behind him. Not knowing what to do, I immediately yelled at the top of my lungs for my older sister. Never in my life has my heart beated so fast. Freaking out, panicking, stressing out, I attempted to grab Dexter’s lead rope, but him being a thoroughbred caused an issue. He was too quick for me to even get near him. I knew I had to something to calm him down, I didn’t want him to get hurt. This horse means the world to my sister, and I want to slow him down

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is the most painful disease known to medical science. Greater awareness of CRPS will help people who get misdiagnosed or not diagnosed soon enough to go into recovery before symptoms become permanent. Learning what CRPS is will help people learn to live with it while doctors learn how to treat it.

The following time period between 1992 and 1996 proved extremely tough for Armstrong when his career had plummeted and his wins were becoming rarer. These years had revealed a different Lance Armstrong; his confidence had dropped to the lowest it had ever been and he had even considered quitting the sport (Deoden, 2012). The drive in Lance may have urged him to stay strong, but it was this strength and desire to win which had consumed him, leading him to act recklessly both on the road and to the

Pain is a basic mechanism in life that helps the body identify that something is wrong or dangerous. Without pain, the body would be severely damaged without realizing it. Pain can become an inconvenience when it spirals out of control; chronic pain, for example, leaves many miserable and unable to enjoy life to its fullest extent even with traditional medical intervention. Around 80% of people report chronic pain in their lifetime (Holtzman & Beggs, 2013). People afflicted by chronic back pain turn to modern medicine for relief, but even these alternatives are not always 100% effective.