Determination and a Barrel Horse Goal

Heathen #2 is probably the most like me.  And I'm well aware of that fact.  And I know it is most likely the reason that he and I drive each other crazy - we've even talked about it.  It is something that we are working on improving so that we can both survive his teenage years successfully.

MONTHS ago (September 2014), after watching the barrel racing at the county fair, Heathen #2 decided he wanted to race a barrel horse.  Although we have horses here at the Zoo, none of them are suited for this (whether by age or temperament).

Heathen #2 riding Ariat.

And, I will admit, I wasn't a lot of help.  This was something that I had no clue about.  Not only had I never done this, I didn't even know anyone who had that I could use as a starting point.  I will admit that I kept pushing "find stables with barrel riding lessons" to the bottom of my TO DO LIST.

So Heathen #2 took care of it himself.  He located a set of stables and made friends.  He made arrangements on his own for when he could go (all we had to do was drive the car).  He made arrangements for ordering the tack he needed to ride and paid for it himself.  He brought home the list of Silver Shoe competition dates and put it on the refrigerator.

Yesterday morning (Sunday), my Heathen got out of bed at 4am.  On his own.  I could hear him upstairs moving around and getting dressed.  At 4:15, he stuck his head in my bedroom door and asked if I was up - he was to be at the barn at 5:30 am, and we had a 45 minute drive (minimum) to get him there.  He was practically vibrating with excitement.  It was worth getting up at that hour just to see him.

I've seen my Heathen ride the horses we have here at the Zoo - and he does very well with them.  Better than the rest of us, as a matter of fact.  But yesterday, I saw my Heathen really RIDE for the first time.  And the Asst. Zookeeper and I watched with pride.

It was his first competition EVER.  And, because of the distance to the stables, he doesn't get there nearly as often as he would like.  But he LEARNED what he wanted to learn.  He DID wanted he wanted to do.  He RODE a barrel horse in competition.   And the Asst. Zookeeper and I couldn't have been prouder of him.

As first time "show parents," the Asst. Zookeeper and I had no idea what to expect.  But we learned a lot as well, watching the kids ride.

At 10 pm, the Asst. Zookeeper and I made the 45 minute drive back out to the stables to pick up a very tired Heathen - the horses all had to be returned to the barn and the tack unloaded.  We pulled back into the Zoo somewhere between 11:30 and midnight.

Heathen #2 has had difficulty sleeping in a car since he was probably two or three.  The motion keeps him awake.  However, this is what we found when we looked behind us in the car:

Exhausted, with a saddle for a pillow.

This morning, Heathen #2 had a hard time crawling out of bed.  He is exhausted.  But he never asked to stay home from school.  He's sore and stiff and he has some bruises from yesterday.  After taking some Tylenol, I sent him back up to lay down for another 30 minutes and told him I would drive him to school.

He's going to have a long, tough day.  But, he set a goal for himself.  And, he accomplished it.  He's already looking forward to the competition next month.  The determination and dedication in Heathen #2, while frustrating on occasion, are also some of his greatest assets and will serve him well in the future.

Well done, Heathen.  You did SO WELL.

Ms. Jolene Watt, her daughters (Gabby & Billy Jo), and everyone else at Oak Street Stables - thank you.  You taught my Heathen something that I could not.  For that, I am always grateful.  While we encourage the Heathens to be willing to try ANYTHING, this is something that the Asst. Zookeeper and I couldn't have supported on our own.  Thank you.