Happy Thanksgiving!

Hobby Horse Photo Shoot

Me & my Mommy

2008 Show Season in Review

• Completed in 20 shows in 5 different states
• Won over $5,500 in NRHA earnings
• Top 15 NRHA Earnings in Novice Horse Non Pro for the year
• Top 20 NRHA Earnings in Imtermediate Non Pro for the year
• 1 Morrison Bronze ($1000 Intermediate Non Pro at Cactus Classic)
• 3 Pewters (1 at Del Mar National and 2 at Hollywood Charity)
• Circuit Award (3rd) for the Non Pro division at Reining by the Bay
• 13.5 AQHA points in Amateur Reining (Breezy achieved his ROM)
• AQHA World Championship Show Finalist in Amateur Reining
• 10 championship belt buckles (Hollywood Charity Intermediate Non Pro, 3 CRHA year-end reserve high points, 2 PCHA year-end high points, & 4 DRHA year-end high points)
• Wildest dreams became reality!!!!

This could have never been accomplished with out, 1st God's amazing grace. And 2nd some amazing people in my life. To name a few....

Dave - My support and benefactor. He made countless sacrifices this year so that my dreams could come true.

Johnette - My trainer and friend. Just a year ago Breezy and I had only $266 in NRHA earnings and not a single AQHA Amateur point to our names. All of the above definitely could not have been possible without her coaching and dedication.

My Mom - Who's commitment to my passion as a kid has given me the ability to be successful now so many years later.

Cheryl - My encourager and mental coach. She kept my head on straight. And partway thru the year when I felt hopeless and wanted to give up she helped me find 'me' again.

Family & Friends - Who supported me with encouraging words, blog comments, cards, e-mails, texts, and especially cheers from the side lines.

A special thanks to those that came out and cheered for me this season - Dave, Nick, Vera, Aunt Coletta, Mom, Dad, Lanell, & Lila. Also my fellow Burman Reining Horses Non Pro Teammates - Maria, Kim, & Wendy.

World Show ride to make the finals

Finalist Photo

Finals

Had a great time showing in the Finals tonight. Rode hard and had fun, which was the plan. Unfortunately, Breezy apperently wasn't as enthusiastic about the finals and did his little bolting trick again. But, oh'well. Ended up tied for 12th. I'm competely exhausted so I'm going to bed now.

The Finals

Well, tonight is the night of the finals. It starts at 7pm CST with the finals of Heading and then the Finals for Heeling. And then Reining. I, of course, drew up 1st (seems like a always have bad luck when it comes to draws, but as long as I have good luck in the show pen, who cares!). So I think I'll show between 8pm and 9pm CST if you want to watch along on the web feed.

I woke up this morning feeling a bit nervous - at least my body is telling me so much. I am hoping that goes away over the course of the day. Really I am just excited to be in the finals and whatever happens tonight the whole thing is just a dream come true. Worst case scenario tonight is that I don't make top 10 and walk out of the arena a World Show Finalist with a vest with "Finalist" patch, a World Show Finalist ribbon, and a World Show medallion. And that actually sounds wonderful to me and beyond expectation.

Don't Sell Your Saddle

Don't give up on dreams.

Take time to see 'em through.

There is no magic recipe,

hard work makes 'em come true.

Even when you're struggling,

your friends will stick like glue.

Don't ever sell your saddle,

your dreams won't give up on you.

By Don Bilup

Full Story of Making the Finals

I wasn't nervous at all, but was a bit emotional. I got the to show grounds early that morning and when I walked in to the coliseum to watch a couple barrel racers go (the class before mine) I totally started to get teary. It was just so surreal. Even as I was getting ready and warming up I still never got nervous. It wasn't until I was standing in the tunnel waiting for my turn to run in that I got emotional again. Johnette gave me a few final words ("Ride one box at a time" or something like that) and then walked in to get a seat to watch. I turned and looked down the tunnel and at the words that arched over the top "Gateway of Champions". I'd seen it in pictures and on TV, but to be sitting there about to go thru that gateway myself I just started to tear up (as I am now doing even now as I type this 3 days later). But, I pulled it together and had a great ride. Breezy ran down great to all 3 stops up the middle with no bolting. He didn't stop his best, but we still managed to get some +1/2s from most of the judges, other then the 2nd stop where we trotted out and got 1/2 penalties for 4 of the 5 judges. Breezy backed up to center great after the last stop, which was especially good since we had to back a very long way because he had slid so far. Turns were OK, got mostly zeros on them, but I under turned on the 2nd set giving us another 1/2 point penalty from all the judges. The circles were super fun! We ran hard and we ran fast. Breezy guided great and came back to slow great both times. I even forgot to set him up for the 2nd lead change, but he still changed perfectly for me. He did bolt a bit on the last stop, but then stopped HUGE. So most judges gave us a +1/2 anyways. Since I was the 2nd horse in I didn't know what to think of my score. I thought it seemed about right for how we ran maybe even a bit high, but I didn't think it would be high enough to make the finals (which, btw, was fine with me. I wasn't at all disappointed. I
had just had the time of my life showing and that was good enough for me). Johnette thought the score would put me on the bubble so she held on to hope. I sat in 3rd place for a long time and half way through the order I was tied for 5th. It was at this point I allowed myself to hope. We watched horse after horse go and not beat my score. Seemed like a lot of people were really struggling with nerves. I watched some people I thought for sure would be in the finals make big mistakes (like only turned 3 times for example). Finally when there were only a few horses left to go and I was still tied for 5th, Johnette double counted and told me that there was now no way that I would not be in the finals. I had done it! I immediately started balling. I mean balling - huge huffs, can't catch my breath, tears streaming, balling. Even now I still can hardly believe it. Just doesn't seem real.

God is so GOOD!

AQHA World Championship Horse Show Finalist!!!

We made the finals!!!!

We marked a 212.5 which was good enough to tie for 7th place putting us safely in the top 15 and into the finals. Now I get to come back on Wednesday and show again!!! I still can hardly believe it. It is just a complete dream come true. Only in my wildest dreams did I dare that this could be a possibility. And to top it off I had an absolute blast showing. It was so much fun!!!!

AQHA World Championship Horse Show

I'm here! I can't hardly believe it!

Tomorrow I will complete the in Amatuer Reining at the World Show!!!

I'm not nervous at all. Just excited. My plan is ride hard and have fun. Whatever happens I'm just going to love every minute of it! I'd, of course, love to make the finals, but honestly won't be disappointed if I don't. I'm just going to do my best and hope that Breezy does his best too. But, if he doesn't I don't really care. I'm just so excited to be here.

I'll probably show between 11am and 12:30pm Oklahoma time if you want to try to watch on the streaming video. Here's the link:http://www.aqha.com/showing/shows/worldshow/schedule.html ("Live Video" link is at the top of the page).