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My title is Lenna Peterson, and I compete in barrel racing. I am from Watkins, Minn., and I am 9 years outdated. I’ve been utilizing since I was 2 years outdated. My mom Teresa and I spotted barrel racing collectively and started competing and taking clinics collectively after I used to be 4. Barrel racing and taking excellent care of my horses is troublesome work, nonetheless I actually like competing. Barrel racing is so stuffed with highs and lows that I identify it a roller coaster journey usually.
In April of 2018, my dad and mother and I went to Broken Bow, Neb., and I ran a Junior Nationwide Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier on my horse, Reckless Profit. We identify him Ned, or Ned-Monster. I purchased Ned on the end of 2017, and he and I merely clicked. We turned a incredible workforce collectively. All people says he solely runs fast on account of he loves me. On the qualifier, I ended up third, they often took the very best three into the last word, so I was very excited to qualify.
A Change of Plans
I labored laborious to finish second grade and was excited to run barrel races that summer season season. We started to plan our journey to NFR, nonetheless in June, Ned obtained right here up lame. It turned out that he had a swollen suspensory ligament and would need 4 to six months off.
I was sad, on account of there was a chance of him not with the flexibility to run in Las Vegas. In July of 2018, we went to Oklahoma for a Nationwide Little Britches Finals. I was sad to not have the flexibility to run Ned, nonetheless we launched him with us, on account of my mom found a treatment place which can have the flexibility to help him.
Ned stayed on the treatment place for two months to get increased. I was so utterly glad—it solely took him two months to get increased in its place of six.
When he obtained right here once more I was excited, nonetheless it appeared like he didn’t like me anymore, or he was mad at me. It appears he merely wanted to get used to me as soon as extra. By October, he was once more to working his very best.
We made the journey to Las Vegas, and it was an prolonged drive from Minnesota! We purchased to journey through various states. In Las Vegas, it was very cool to see the entire lights and movement.
When it obtained right here time to run Ned in Las Vegas I was nervous, nonetheless Ned is an outdated skilled. At 17, he’s conscious of his job, and I perception him. We ran the first two rounds on the Junior NFR, nonetheless I ended up three or 4 spots shy of making it once more to the short spherical.
After I shed a few tears on account of I was sad. I was in order that grateful for everyone spherical us. I had various pleasing in Las Vegas, and I beloved seeing everybody that obtained right here to watch me. One different issue I beloved was going to the precise NFR and seeing the entire NFR girls there. My experience in Las Vegas taught me fairly a bit about the best technique to take care of barrel racing highs and lows.
Tragedy and Rebuilding
When 2019 obtained right here spherical, on February 19, we had been utilizing my mom’s horse, Six, and my horse, Ned, throughout the snow in a topic. We hit a drainage ditch, and my mom’s horse hit a fence submit and broke his shoulder, and we wanted to place him down.
That exact same day, my dad had surgical process on his shoulder, and I was fearful about him. It was sad. Ned was sore, on account of he moreover fell, so he wished some time off.
My mom and I labored laborious to maneuver on with out Six and leg our horses up for the spring. In April 2019, we went to Broken Bow to aim to qualify as soon as extra for Las Vegas, nonetheless I tipped a barrel. In another case I might have been throughout the prime three.
In May 2019, I met a model new horse owned by our buddy Hannah. Her title is P-nut. I purchased to aim barrel racing collectively along with her on the Sherry Cervi Youth Championships in Verndale, Minn., and she or he merely beloved me, and I beloved her.
Hannah let me welcome P-nut into our residence and as part of my workforce. All via the summer season season, P-nut, Ned and I purchased to barrel race and have loads pleasing. I was ready to journey P-nut, and she or he gained some barrel races. I moreover gained a large jackpot on Ned and gained two buckles on him this yr.
In October, me and P-nut positioned first out of 450 riders on the ProElite World Drawback Finals in Verndale, Minn. I hope to set some large targets for 2020 and qualify for barrel racing on the American Rodeo and compete at Nationwide Little Britches Finals with my horses.
This textual content on Lenna Peterson, a youthful rider who’s taking on the barrel racing world, appeared throughout the January/February 2020 problem of Youthful Rider journal. Click on on proper right here to subscribe!
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