10/16/2026
So, here's what's on my mind. I've had what I think is a good year and I have some really nice pictures and prizes that I feel pretty good about. Time for shameless marketing!!
That's not what I'm actually thinking about. I have run from show to show for the last couple years, mostly in organizations I don't really know much about. I have also had the honor to be around many people who were trying to learn to show their horses, some were clients, some were not. What is on my mind is how tough that process is.
Last year, I asked a long time friend what I could do to improve my cutting. His response was very helpful. He said, "You just need to go. Most people are afraid to fail". True dat. Good run or bad run, I could not have had any success without the bumps and scrapes on the other side. You cannot succeed without accepting failure. Maybe a better way to put that is; if you don't accept yourself in defeat, competition will be so painful that you will choke, fall apart, quit, etc. So, you WILL fail. If you accept failure as a natural part of the process it won't rattle your cage and you can just learn a little, try a little and eventually succeed.
I also was struck how many people were absolutely necessary for any success. Life is not a solo event. Sometimes just a bit of encouragement, advice or friendship can take a person a LONG way and it only takes a second or two. None of this can happen without the day in day out help of others. I guess to get everyone thanked, I'll have to start now and keep thanking for a few months. For now, I absolutely could not have done anything without Alyson Williams, Brian Lasswell, Marcia Cantrell, Karen Fellerhoff, Nicole Harvey, Laura Orvidas and Barrett Adams, and our barn helpers C**t Seeber and Mikayla Teeter. There are many others and I'll try to get to them all. THANK YOU!!!
