Remembering Shad

I had to do the hardest thing I have done in a longtime. I had to let go of one of my very best friends,my horse named,Shad Wink. Even though Shad belonged to me everyone that knew him loved him, and everyone knew that he was a once in a lifetime horse. shad was my professional barrel racing horse. Shad was one in a million. I started riding him when I was about 11 years old. I remember taking him to a barrel racing futurity in Elko, Nevada. It was our very first big barrel race together. I competed on him in the futurity winning $1,100. That was the beginning of our , barrel racing career together. In Idaho Falls, I exhibitioned Shad in the rodeo and would have won the rodeo barrel racing event, but instead I had to be satisfied knowing that I had out ran many of the very best barrel racers in the country at that time. The next year I bought my permit to be in the WPRA (Women's Professional Rodeo Association). I again entered the Idaho Falls Rodeo winning the Rodeo along with Coke a Cola money and a beautiful rifle engraved by the rodeo committee. A rifle was given to winners of each event at the Idaho Falls Rodeo. Shad and I accomplished a lot of great things together. We made 5 trips to the Wilderness Circuit Finals between 1990-1995, Shad and I took competed a The National High School Finals in 1992 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, The Silver State Invitational Rodeo in Fallon, Nevada in 1994. I feel truly blessed to have been able to own and compete on such a wonderful, talented horse such as Shad. It was a great experience and one that I shall always cherish and forever hold dear to my heart.