Farmington!!

So I really blew it in Farmington this weekend! If I would have paid Junior into the Target Race we would have won the horse trailer. Bummer!! I never pay my colts into target races as they usually come back the second go and run alot harder. Junior and I ran consistently crappy all weekend! I still love him though!

My cousin Nicole and her hubby Mike came out on Saturday and watched us run and then that evening we picked up my nephew Taylon and he stayed the night with us. He was such a trooper! He really wanted to go swimming and the indoor "heated" pool was sub zero temperatures. Tay and Uncle Greg did jump and in swim for about 15 minutes until they couldn't take the icy water anymore! Even the fricking jacuzzi was freezing!


I honestly don't know how my sisters do it when they let Taylon sleep with them! I got kicked and shoved to the edge of the bed all night. The next morning Taylon told us when we go to Disneyland next month he wants to stay in our room with us because we "have the TV on all night". Could make for a long 5 nights in California!

Thanks again Lindsay for helping me out on Saturday! I should have left myself paid into the Target the way you had me entered. My bad! Thanks to Chablee to for her words of encouragement all weekend. I sure miss you girl!

Taylon and Junior

Taylon and Blades! Blades is Taylons favorite horse. He actually walked him over from the stalls to the trailer all by himself.

Taylon after a long day of running around at the barrel race.

2008 NBHA Awards

I am very proud of my Junior. He came from a 47 points behind to end up missing first place by 6 points in the First Year Horse Class for NBHA UT#01 2008. We ended up with a beautiful halter for second place but I cannot even put to words how proud I am of him. I know I've said it before but I am going to say it again......Thanks for everything JR! You are the most incredible animal with a ton of heart and I am so blessed to have you in my life.











Junior also received a very special award that was actually voted on by my fellow barrel racers and I want to say thanks to everyone for seeing in him what I have known has been there all along.

Most Improved Horse 2008 - Junior!!!

Also pictured here is Lindsay's dad Steve who was voted most improved rider for 2008. Yeah Steve! We sat by them at the awards dinner and had a wonderful time. They are super people and I am so glad we have gotten to know them this past year.

Finally Halloween pics!!

So here are some pics from our big Halloween party at Bryce Canyon. It was really weird not being home to hand out candy to the trick or treaters but it was a lot of fun!! Notice my husbands original Halloween costume. Sometimes I really wish the man would let his hair down and cut loose.

Devo wannabe and I'm not sure who her hubby was supposed to be???

Bunch of weirdos in this one! I loved my buddy Heath's Austin Powers costume.

Dancing on the picnic table!

Sarah, Norma, Karah, and Dolly aka Becka!!!

My best friend Amber and her hubby Austin....oops I mean Heath!!

Steph who was supposed to look like a female Nikki Sixx from Motely Crue and I think Andrew was supposed to be Bob Marley. All I know is we all had fun flipping his dreads and tying them in knots all night!

The Force was with us all night!!!

My personal favorite Joe Dirt aka Rayne!!! He grew his facial hair out for a week to be able to shave those side burns!!

Joel and Dan "Ho"!

My Dad's cute little pumpkin. Its a Rick Swanger original!!

Crash n Burn at the Blackhawk!!

What a wonderful day at the barrel race in Salina! First off I rated my horse too early on the first barrel and we tipped it coming out then to top it off he slipped and fell on the 3rd. This is the second time since our thank goodness now "ex" arena director from the Triple C has taken over running the Blackhawk Arena that I have had a horse fall down in there. Unless the Shaw family is running the show I refuse to run one of my horses on that junkie ground. I am extremely sore and we will see in the morning how Junior is doing. I plan on getting him a vet appointment just in case! I do hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween and will post pics soon from the "Rock Star Party" that we went too. Also made the trip up to Provo yesterday to see my nephew get baptized. It was a very special day and was great to get to see my family!!!

Yeah Dale Jr.!!!!!

Happy day at my house yesterday! Dale actually finished a race for a change and he came in 2nd!! Darn that last caution flag or I think he would have caught JJ for the win.

South Jordan yesterday!

So I must admit I am totally insane (I have an extreme barrel racing addiction) and went to South Jordan yesterday for a $500 added barrel race. It was a fun day and both of the horses worked nice. I did a time only on Blades and he worked a 3-D time against some tough open horses. I can't wait until December 1st so I can start entering him.

Junior worked good as always. If I would learn to totally trust him and just let him go do his job he would be such a super star. I haven't ran him in about 3 weeks and he was off for 7 days while I was in Denver so I was a wussy and rated him too much and too early. He always trys for me and I just love him to pieces!!!! Thanks J!!!

I also have to brag a little on Noelle and Diva from the Little Britches rodeo held at The Blackhawk Arena this weekend in Salina. The first go in barrels they ran a 15.9 and then yesterday they blew everyone else out of the water with a 15.6. They are currently sitting in the top ten in the National Little Britches standing (and will definately move up after this weekend) and are 11th in the State of Utah High School Rodeo standings. Yeah!!!! What a team those two are making!

Sorry.......

Ok, so I have been severely lacking in the blogging department for the past month. SORRY!!! (especially to my dear darling little sister Krissy who is such a faithful blogger)

So I finally got a promotion at work! I am the supervisor over 6 seasonal employees and 2 permanents. It also came with a very nice raise!!! Yeah. I am very excited after busting my butt at Bryce Canyon National Park for 17 long years to get some recognition for all I do there.

So Greg and I went to Denver, CO for I week so I could go to Fee Supervisor training. The training was good but the best thing was being able to spend some time with my husband away from home. We ate a ton of great food at some very nice restaurants and got to see some beautiful scenery. The fall colors on the way home were spectacular!!!

We were taking some photos at a rest stop called "Grizzly Creek" when it started to pour rain and as we turned around to head back to the truck this train came screaming by and scared the poop out of both of us!!!

Here are some random pics from the Utah State Fair a few weeks ago!

I know I am a slacker....

Just wanted to say Happy Fall to everyone!!! I promise to get caught up this week with my blogging. I have been super busy with work and horses but things are finally starting to slow down. I am heading out for Denver, CO on Sunday for a week long training for my job so I will have a lot of spare time in the evenings to play on my computer.

My boy Junior is stepping it up!!

I know I have said this before but.......I LOVE THIS HORSE!!!!! He really stepped it up for me this weekend. His fastest time in the Triple C Arena up until this weekend has been a 17.101 and on Sunday he ran a 16.642 and won some 2-D money!!! I was so proud of him!!!! Sunday afternoon was a hard one for Greg and I as it made the first week for us without our beloved Cash and Junior must have known we needed that little extra something to brighten our day. Thanks J-man, you rock big boy!!!!!!

Here is a photo I took of my "little" yearling Hollywood today. Isn't he just handsome????

Bryce Canyon Trail Ride

Yesterday my co-worker Juanita and I went on the 4 hour trail ride at Bryce Canyon to do an evaluation of the trail ride operations. We had an absolute ball! It was so good to get out of my office for a change and see the park. I forget what a beautiful, amazing place I work at!

We were told this hoodoo is known as"Viagra Rock"!!!!(hehehe...I just don't know about those wranglers)

My friend Juanita and Fester! I was thinking about offering to buy him for a barrel racing prospect. What do ya think???

Lucky me!!!! I got to ride this cute little mare named Daphne and we were right behind the wrangler so I didn't get a face full of dust the whole ride. I did get "hit on" by our wrangler. Yuck......he was even a team roper!!!

This formation is known as the "Organ Player". Kind of cool huh????

40th Birthday!!!

Ok, as much as I hate to admit it I celebrated my big 40 on September 3. My family came down this past weekend and the party started Saturday night and kind of carried through until Wednesday. I have the most fabulous family that will never miss a chance to celebrate a special occasion and I want to thank them all for making my day such a special one. They tried to take it easy on me and use a lot of pink along with the black. Thanks guys! Also for those of my friends that are wondering about "Dude".........I have always been Taylon's Aunt Dude and 7 years later the little nickname has stuck!!!!

Saturday night my Dad set up a the projector in the back yard and we watched Transformers on the "big screen". My Grams hadn't seen it before and such a trooper to sit through the whole movie.....that is until the very end when my Dad's copy of the movie quit working and we didn't get to see the end!!! Oh well!

Thanks to my wonderful family and friends for making my b-day such a special one!!!!!

Oops I almost forgot to mention one of the big highlights of my actual birthday. I was on my way to do a pick up for the Bryce Canyon Shuttle with one of our Law Enforcement Rangers and got to go on a high speed chase. Some Czech was doing 35 mph over the speed limit in the park. Needless to say he got a very hefty speeding ticket and I now know the real meaning of an "Oh Shit Bar" in a truck!

JUST A HORSE.

I thought this poem was very fitting for me and my lifestyle........

JUST A HORSE!
From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse," or,
"that's a lot of money for "just a horse".

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or
the costs involved for "just a horse." Some of my proudest moments
have come about with "just a horse."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did
not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about
by "just a horse,' and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just
a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understand
phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."
"Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and
pure unbridled joy.

"Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all
the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the
pure joy of the moment.

"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse"
but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they
"just" don't understand.

I hope everyone that was involved with getting my horse loaded and finding a place to lay him to rest knows how much I love and appreciate them for everything. He has a nice little spot in the cottonwoods close to the river and we plan on planting some wildflowers where he is buried. The barn seems so empty and quiet without Cash.......I used to always cuss him for banging his knee on the stall door when he wanted something (he loved crumb donuts!!!) but I really miss that now. My 3 yr old Blades picked up the habit and has been doing it constantly for the past 2 days and I don't mind it at all!!! Bang away Blades!!!!

Goodbye my friend

I am posting today with a very heavy heart. This afternoon I lost my great horse Cash on Fame to a lung aneurism. He had just got done making a pole bending run with Noelle when he collapsed. I held his head in my lap until he was gone......it was an absolutely awful thing that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Cash has been my "go to guy" the past six years and I can't imagine what life is going to be like without him. He was such a clown and he will be dearly missed!!! Thanks for everything big guy........I love you with all my heart and may you rest in peace.

Cash on Fame

April 16, 1998 - August 31, 2008

My Lanie.

This little mare is by far one of the greatest horses I have ever put a leg over. She is so talented but unfortunately now at just 8 yrs old she is a broodmare (for my non horse people that means she can only have babies now...) Lanie got a career ending injury in September of 2005 which we have tried to get her sound multiple times but have finally come to deal with the fact that it just isn't going to happen. Anyway, I have her booked to a gorgeous son of the great Dash Ta Fame for 2009 so hopefully she has a little one that will carry on her talent and heart. Lanie is a sister to my great horse Waynadash so she comes from a great family. The last sister to Dash is a cute little gray mare I call Diva whom I recently sold to Noelle Perkins. Noelle has been riding with me for 7 yrs now and is one awesome kid! I love her dearly and next to my nephew is probably the closest thing Greg and I will ever have to a kid! She just started high school this year and qualified for state at her third rodeo! ( she would have qualified at the first two here in Panguitch but ko'd 2nd barrel both days) I am so proud of her and Diva!! All of us "big girls" had better watch out for this pair down the road.

Here is a video clip of one of my favorite runs on Lanie.

Junior running with the big dogs!

Here is the video of Juniors 1st 1-D run. He is so awesome and still has lots of room for improvement. He is such a blessing and I look forward to every run I get to make on him!

For those that don't know his story last March when Junior was only 4 yrs old he completely severed the tendon in his right hind leg as well as a major artery. We almost had him put down it was so horrific. Junior had different ideas though and had such a great attitude we had to give him a chance. Greg doctored him faithfully every day for 4 months ( along with inventing a great little contraption that acted as Juniors tendon while the real one healed) and thanks to my husband and the wonderful huge heart of this incredible horse he healed completely is coming along wonderful.

Another twist to Juniors story is that he was born the exact day my great horse Waynadash passed away-March 22, 2003. Junior was actually born about 1/2 mile up the road from where my Dash died. Junior came to live in Panguitch in July of 2005 and was in race training with our friend Brady. His owner decided to sell him and unfortunately Greg and I did not have the money at the time. We told our friends Neil and Barbara Merrill about him and they ended up buying him. Junior sat at their place in Axtel, UT from Oct. 2005 until June 2006 when Neil called us up to see if we wanted to buy him......needless to say I was at their house the next morning to pick up my new horse.

I thought when I lost Dash that I wouldn't ever find anything that would compare to him. Junior will never take his place but he has healed my heart and put the fire back in me. God works in mysterious ways!

Figuring out how to blog!

So here is my first attempt at blogging! Just a quick note to my dear adorable sister for helping put my little page together......Thank you Krissybell.

We went to the last Xtreme Barrel Race of the year at the Blackhawk arena in Salina this past weekend. My horse worked really well for me and I am so proud of him. We ended up winning the 3-D Average and won a gorgeous belt buckle.