Grace Under Pressure

Today I'm going to write about the other loves in my life - my horses and barrel racing. The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is going on right now, and for those of you who have no idea what that is, it's the Super Bowl of professional rodeo...only it lasts for 10 days! Based on the amount of money won during the year, the top 15 contestants in each event qualify to compete at the NFR. Each contestant has a chance to work their event every day for ten days in a row, with first place each day paying a little over $18,000 per event. Not too shabby for a day's work! Actually, it's more like a few seconds of work! Making the NFR is the dream of every little kid who ever entered a junior rodeo. It's like making the Olympic team or playing in a Super Bowl. For some competitors, it's a chance that only comes around once in a lifetime.
I have to confess that I'm completely in awe of the girls who made it. These fifteen women got off their butts and on their horses, sacrificed countless hours in pursuit of a dream, missed family functions, took incredible care of their horses, and MADE their dreams a reality. Instead of talking about making the NFR, they are running down that tunnel every night looking for that perfect first barrel. I can't imagine the amount of pressure that they are under, just by being on television every night for ten nights in a row. With social media being what it is now, they get the added bonus of advice from everyone - from their trainer to their second grade teacher who has no idea which end the feed goes in and the poop comes out! Facebook and Twitter allow people to communicate with these professional athletes on a daily basis, and although most comments are positive and supportive, there are those who are critical and downright nasty. Seems like those things just add a little more mental stress to the whole experience!
This year, Mary Walker has been the big story. She was injured just last year when the horse she is riding this week fell on her, breaking her pelvis and landing her in a wheelchair, then rehab for months. And did I mention that she's in her fifties? It's an amazing, inspiring story. And it really makes me feel like a jerk when I think: I don't want to ride today. I'm too sore, it's too cold, and I have too many other responsibilities.
But the barrel racers that I'm most impressed with are Christy Loflin from Colorado and Christina Richman from California. These two remarkable women accomplished the goal of a lifetime! They made the NFR - and then had their horses get hurt shortly before it started. They have had to climb on borrowed horses and compete against the very best horses and jockeys in the world.
The only thing I can even think of to compare it to is this: imagine you and your beach volleyball partner had been playing together for years. You knew each other so well you could finish each other's sentences. You didn't have to ask each other anything, because you already knew the answer. You knew what your partner was going to do almost before she did. You had complete faith and utter trust in her and in your ability to accomplish your dreams together. And you did it! You won and won all year and you finally made the Olympic team. All of those dreams of winning that gold medal were about to come true. And THEN - a few days before the Olympics your partner got hurt and was unable to compete. Someone else was kind enough to loan you their amazing and fantastic partner, who you had never met or played with before. And oh, by the way, this person couldn't talk at all. You had to play the ten most important games of your life with a partner you barely knew, with the entire world watching and offering you their take on how you were doing. As all of your dreams were crumbling before you, you had to suck it up and go on, knowing that you may never get this chance again.
That's my idea of what it would be like to be in Christy Loflin or Christina Richman's boots this week. I am totally impressed that (publicly, anyway) Christy has remained composed, positive, and had nothing but wonderful things to say about the horse she is riding and the special young lady who trained him. That, girls, is the definition of professionalism and class. I was not a Christy Loflin fan before this week, but I am proud to say that I am now. She has kept it together under an unimaginable amount of pressure. Here's hoping that she totally kicks butt in the next three rounds!
And to Christy and the other NFR barrel racers, just remember that all of us who are offering you our opinions on your performance are doing it from one of two places: the stands or the couch! ;)