Miles & Mountains
Join Nick, a social worker and coach by day, as he unravels the inspiring stories of athletes and the public, uncovering the motivations behind their actions, from conquering mountains to participating in ultra-endurance races and competing in rodeos. Get ready for heartwarming tales of community support, acts of kindness, and the revelation that everyone has a deeper story to tell. Whether it's running, climbing, or participating in rodeos, these stories will inspire and uplift. #Running, #Climbing, #EverydayAthletes, #Rodeo
Miles & Mountains
Bella Hester: From Horse Lover to Rodeo Queen and College Athlete
Meet Bella Hester, the self-made cowgirl and rodeo queen who defied tradition to chase her dreams in the rodeo world. Despite being the only horse enthusiast in her family, Bella forged her path with sheer determination and a touch of serendipity. From discovering her perfect mare to managing the challenges of college rodeo. Bella shares the ups and downs of her inspiring journey, proving that passion and resilience can conquer any hurdle.
Join us as Bella opens up about the unwavering family support that fuels her passion and the transformative power of animals in her life. From barrel racing to goat tying, she gives us a glimpse into the exhilarating world of rodeo, shedding light on the physical demands and unique challenges of the sport. Bella's narrative reflects her strength in overcoming chronic illnesses and maintaining her place in the rodeo scene.
Bella's story wouldn't be complete without acknowledging the impact of mentorship and community on her path. She recounts the guidance of supportive coaches and the camaraderie of her college team, highlighting their role in building her confidence as a rodeo queen. Through heartfelt anecdotes, Bella emphasizes the importance of authenticity and staying true to oneself, even in the face of external pressures. As she anticipates the birth of her mare's foal and her future ambitions in the rodeo world, Bella leaves us with a powerful message of hope and gratitude, inviting listeners to follow along on her remarkable journey.
Instagram:
@_bella_praise_
https://www.instagram.com/_bella_praise_?igsh=Nm5pc3U1YjN5cGJs
Shoutout to:
Bella
The Hester Family
TVCC
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: Milesmountainsyr3
Bella Hester. How are you? Good how's it going? Pretty good. First I thought it was Praise, because that's Instagram, but then I was like I knew something was going on. I like that middle name, though, because my daughter's names are like Zoe, jane, grace, lily and Hope. My oldest is Faith, so when Saul prays I was like I don't feel that's her last name.
Speaker 2:Everyone thinks it's my last name, but my mom did good with that. I love my middle name.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's nice. It's lovely, and I totally understand why you use your middle name, because in Facebook, because of the line of work, I do not just podcasting, I do this for fun and for free and everything else who don't agree with what I do and how I do it can search me up and find out what I do, how I do it and, uh, you know, take me to the state or something like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a smart way to go. Yeah, yeah, your whole name out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah and and uh, teachers find out like, why can't you, why can't I find you? Like, because I don't use my last name on there. You know, that's smart, I need to do that. Then they start taking it up. I'm like they're like nick, how do you do this? Like, how did you know? I was like man we go to school for you know certain things and, uh, definitely I don't. You know, put sharp objects in my office, you know, and make sure certain names don't float out in around. So, bella, welcome, thank you for having me. Oh well, you know, not too often do people just approach you and say, hey, shall I? Uh, I was telling wiley. I was telling wiley it's like, yeah, she approached me. She's like how the hell are your? I was like dude. Her approach was fantastic. I can't tell them, but I would love to read how you approached me and I totally man talk about professional and way to get somebody to look at you. Fantastic job.
Speaker 2:So thank you Well, thank you, I appreciate it. I try to be professional yeah, very professional.
Speaker 1:You know, uh, there's some people. They'll just, uh, you know, message me through instagram say, hey, can I be on your podcast? I'm like, but you, I would love to read it, but I, I keep that to myself, all right, yeah, but great job well thank. Bella, like a couple other rodeo college rodeo athletes that I've had on, you're also from Treasure Valley Community College. Now got a question for you. Is it a thing now? Do people say, hey, you got to be on this podcast?
Speaker 2:I've just a couple of my teammates have been on the podcast and I I've listened to you even before the like they were on, uh, and so when I saw that they were on, I was like hey, you know he's, he's interviewing people, that I know what's the harm in in messaging and I've listened to you a lot and I was like who knows, thank you yeah who knows magical happen now that you're on now, you just want to end this conversation, be like okay, it's not what it's all cracked up to be.
Speaker 1:No, all right, all right, we're having fun. That's all I just didn't want. I don't want anybody to like think there's so much pressure and think you know there's guidelines and everything else. So I'm glad you know you know there's guidelines and everything else. So I'm glad you know you're, you're relaxed and everything else. So when you approached me, we talked about, or you talked about yourself a little bit, you know being self-made cowgirl and everything else.
Speaker 2:Now, when self-made aren't majority of the cowgirls and cowboys, self-made or no, Um, well, it kind of depends, because a lot of people grow up in industry like their parents did it, their grandparents did it, their grandparents like it's just as like a generational thing. And I didn't have that I'm the only person that even remotely deals with horses in my family. Um, like my mom hates getting dirt under her nails, like that's, that's um right. I mean my dad, you know we have had, like I did 4-H growing up with like pigs and and all. We've had some bottle calves and stuff. Um, but horses was kind of like my thing and I don't know where I got it from, because I've loved, I've had the horse bug since. I could even remember um horse themed birthday parties and um, all like I got American Girl dolls as a kid just because I wanted to play with the horses.
Speaker 1:That came with them. I got you. Yeah, I got in the teacup studio. There's a couple of horses in.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, I got you and so when I say self-made, I just mean like um, I didn't have anything passed down to me, Gotcha.
Speaker 1:That's what I figured, but, like a lot of people don't, they're not that honest and they say that. But you're honest and you said it and you're sticking to it. So thank you for being honest, you know. So, with that said, was it difficult to have you know, to tell your parents that you know you wanted to get dirty?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it was. Uh, it was just kind of. It wasn't I wouldn't say out of left field, because, um, everyone known like knew I love horses my whole life and I would wear cowgirl boots and basketball shorts to school every day Because I just didn't want to take my boots off and stuff. But talking to my parents about it, I don't really remember how it even went down. I got a saddle before I got a horse. I got a saddle before I got a horse and I would practice throwing my saddle up on the fence and I would practice like cinching up so that when I did get a horse I knew how. And I remember it being like almost dark and my mom having to tell me to come inside because I would just be out there the whole time practicing cinching up and stuff. But yeah, it was kind of. I think everyone kind of knew that's where I wanted to go was riding horses. But I started out wanting to jump horses like ride English.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, and my dad's girlfriend at the time that what she did and she was a big like english trainer and stuff, and so, um, I didn't start riding with her until I was like 14 or so but uh, she kind of like got me jumping and kind of like really, uh, cemented in my foundation, um like made me have eggs in my hands when I was holding the reins and, um, trotting without stirrups and you know, that whole deal like kind of really set my foundation, cause, um, I learned how to write from YouTube videos. Yeah, I just Googled how am I doing, how to do this?
Speaker 2:and a lot of trial and error, but yeah so a lot of error, or just a lot of error, yeah, I hear you.
Speaker 1:So tradition like traditional, or jumping, like you said, everything sounds good. But you're, you're young, but you know your parents know, like Christopheropher reeves, that's the first thing that they think of. You know, superman, who ended up paralyzed, for you know that one accident so did they, did that scare them when they found out that you wanted to jump and be on horses or no um, I, my mom is still terrified to this day every time I get on a horse.
Speaker 2:So but yeah, the jumping thing didn't last very long. I found Fallon Taylor. She's a barrel racer. I found her pretty quick and was absolutely in love with barrel racing and so I still jumped with my dad's girlfriend for a while, but barrel like I figured out pretty quick that barrel racing was what I wanted to do and I got a trailer and a truck full of tack and two horses for $2,000. And there was a bunch of Western tack in there and so that's kind of like what set me off on that. Like I was watching all the Fallon Taylor YouTube videos and I was like I'm going to barrel race in this 18 inch rope saddle. That was about falling apart.
Speaker 2:Okay, how old were you when I got that, when I was, oh, 12 or 13, I think okay, you've been chasing barrels ever since yeah, yeah, yeah, took a, took a v-turn to jump um for a little bit and then kind of found my love for barrel racing and hasn't left me since okay now a lot of people on on the podcast that listen to the podcast.
Speaker 1:You know they're runners, like myself. They do stupid things. You know via legs. But barrel racing isn't as easy as people think, correct? Yeah, there's more to it. It's an art, just like everything else we do, but this entails a lot of stuff with the core. It's just not. You get on a horse and you run around barrels.
Speaker 1:Right, right get on a horse and you run around barrels, right, right. So what turned you on to do just that and be the barrel racer you are today? Because it's not that easy. It's not, it's, it's not easy. You can tell the people who attend rodeos they know, you know, but the people I'm trying to educate, the people that you know, are like myself. But I, I'm in the rodeo world, you know, I know, I know the gist of it and everything else they don't know yeah, it's, and it's terrifying.
Speaker 2:Right, you're running mock 10 at a metal object as fast as you can on a 1200 pound animal that doesn't speak your language, you know it's turning on a dime yeah it's. You have to be really, really in tune with your partner, um, and you know, when you love it, it just there's something about it. You just keeps you going um is it the adrenaline?
Speaker 2:like a lot of people, oh, yeah, and I'm here to say the adrenaline, like a lot of people. Oh yeah, and I'm here to say I'm an adrenaline junkie, for sure, I will, I love, I love it and so. But bear racing is just like a different type of adrenaline and, um, my favorite thing in the entire world is right before, when you're walking down the alleyway and my horse and, uh, my heartbeat like they sync up and I can feel her heartbeat and I mean I'm talking to her the whole time but I'm like that's how I know we're ready to go down. The alleyway is like when we, our heartbeats sync up like that, I'm like I know when, like we're ready to go. And I don't know if that's just a me thing, but it, it is my favorite thing in the entire world when that happens, cause just know, like that we're so in tune. What's your?
Speaker 1:horse's name shorty shorty. How long have you had, shorty?
Speaker 2:I've uh four years in May four years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, love at first sight oh yeah, yeah, I found her in a hay field, yeah, um, she was. So I was getting hay for a horse I was leasing at the time and I was having a really, really, really hard time finding a horse to buy, like they were. They were falling out for the weirdest reasons. Like I had a horse that I went and tried and it was like six grand and it was like a 2d palmino gelding. And as I was like, oh my gosh, I love this horse, like I want to buy him, and they're like, oh, now he's 10 grand, and I was like what, what, why, what? And so I didn't, uh, end up getting him and stuff.
Speaker 2:So I was kind of like down in the dumps when, um, I was getting hay for the horse I was leasing at the time, and, um, I saw her out in the field and was like who, who's that? Who's that out there? And the lady Kathleen, she was like, oh yeah, she. She came in a package deal with a mule and we wanted the mule and so she's too fast for a pack string, and so she's just kind of been sitting in the field and I was, I heard, too fast for a pack string and I was like, yeah, it's too much money just to just be out in the pasture you know.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, keep going.
Speaker 2:It was like all I know is that she was a police horse at some point and I was like, okay, Um, and a couple of days later I brought my saddle out and went and tried her and it was like she had never had a day off in her life.
Speaker 2:Um, she acted like she had been, was legged up and ready to go. Um, no bucks, no, nothing, no spooks, and um, so then a couple of days later I took her to the our like local fairgrounds and I loped some patterns on her and she was like getting up and going and I said I am buying her and, um, she was going to be like 3,500 or something like that, Like that's all they wanted for. And, um, I was going to be like thirty five hundred or something like that, Like that's all they wanted for. And I was going to put three grand down and just have to pay the rest of the five hundred off when I could. And they called Kathleen, called me and I'll never forget this at like one in the morning, midnight, something like that, and was crying and she was like my husband and I prayed about it and if you can give her, or if you can give us three grand cash. She's yours, and that was the fastest three grand I've ever put down in my life.
Speaker 1:Um, and how did you do it? With the help of your parents?
Speaker 2:No, I. So I did 4-H growing up, um, and I had two horses. At the time I had, or I had, a lease horse and then before then I had two Arab quarter horses that had two left feet and were. They were awesome, great starter horses. But, um, you know, I stepped up and I sold them and then I had a little red mare that I sold and then, uh, I've been doing 4-H, so I've saved up a little bit to um buy her, and so I put it. I bought her for three grand and has been history ever since. Um, we definitely you know, I it's. It took a couple years for us to really find our groove, but now we're money. Well, she's 10 months pregnant right now. She's about due.
Speaker 1:On purpose, yes, on purpose. I was like, what well, he said they had the differences, but also she's pregnant. I'm like, hmm, so, yeah, okay, who's boss, you or her?
Speaker 2:we're a team, there's no boss um, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Smart, that's what I thought I had to ask. They'll tell you what's up. Therapeutically, they're amazing animals, oh my goodness. They're almost like people. They'll tell you who they like and don't like. They'll tell you what's up. Oh yeah, she's very vocal about who and don't like. They'll tell you what's up, you know, oh yeah. She's very vocal about who she doesn't like, okay, so? So that's why I asked Okay, well, shout out to Shorty. Shout out to Shorty, all right. Shout out to your parents for supporting you, you know even though it was new to them.
Speaker 1:They knew the daughter you know wanted to continue.
Speaker 2:So Both my parents parents they picked it up and ran with it and I think they could see how passionate I was about it and um, you know a lot of your own stuff yeah, uh, yeah uh. It's Horse riding is expensive, um, but I think they they just saw how much I loved it and my mom still hasn't missed a rodeo yet.
Speaker 1:So I was going to ask your parents go, and yeah my, my mom has been to every single rodeo.
Speaker 2:Um, still, she drove all the way down to Susanville for my first college rodeo, um, just to watch me. Uh, but my dad is full-time military, he's active duty, and so it's kind of hard for him to go, but he goes when he can, gotcha yeah thank thanks, uh.
Speaker 1:Thank you, dad, for your service I too, was in, so I got told thank you dad. So mom doesn't like the dirt, but I bet you she likes the looks, huh, she likes that that, that cowgirl look huh, yeah, she.
Speaker 2:She used to tell me when she was a kid that, um, she would always wear like her rock revival jeans and, uh, she would, her and her best friend would go to rodeos and stuff. Um, and she wishes she still kept her rock revivals, because now they're trending again. Um, yeah, but yeah, she, she, and I'm pretty bold, I've got some pretty flashy shirts and stuff, so I think she gets a kick out of me dressing up, all right I just wonder.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure, ma yeah, mom, mom doesn't like to get dirty, but she does like that fashion I'm just saying shout out to mom not not getting on, mom, I'm just you know my wife's the same way, Like okay, you know, yeah, she, she likes. She doesn't like to get dirty. My kids do, but my girls do. You know she doesn't like to get dirty, but she loves that fashion and it's just like. The one thing that she can't get into is turquoise.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that's one thing she doesn't like.
Speaker 1:So all right. Barrel racing and then goat tying, that's not a thing, unless you're in college, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's like a high school college thing it stops after college rodeo.
Speaker 1:Why does it stop? That's why I'm asking.
Speaker 2:Why I don't know. Um, I mean, I don't, I don't, I just kind of picked it up because I wanted to. I it's kind of like the thing that I do just for fun. Um, yeah, I'm not great at it. I'm not bad, but I'm not great at it. I'm not bad, but I'm not like great at it, and I don't think I'm in love with it as much as I am bell racing. So it's like kind of just like another thing that I do.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But I don't know why it doesn't go on after. But pole bending isn't even in college rodeo, it stops at high school.
Speaker 1:So I don't, but that's that's more popular than tying of the goat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1:I know so because I've been to a couple high school rodeos and pole bendings like that. You know they have like many pole benders but then you get the goat tire. You're like what, what was that? And it's like maybe two or three goat tires.
Speaker 2:Yeah they, I that and it's it's like maybe two or three goat tires. Yeah they. I mean it's hard, it's hard on your body, it's hard on your knees. It's um, you have to have really really quick hands, um. And yeah, you have to be strong to be able to flip. You flip goats. You wouldn't think you would need to be that strong, but some, when you're flipping goats at practice all day, they start getting really heavy yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, they they get.
Speaker 1:They're heavy, they're not, they're not that small. I'm not. We're not flipping over baby goats. That's just inhumane, you know, and not kind. So do you think they should bring it up a little more, or do you think it's just, it's good where it's at?
Speaker 2:I think it's good where it's at. Um, I really I mean, I really couldn't see it being in any like pro rodeo events or anything. It just, I mean, like they don't even have breakaway at the NFR, so and I feel like that's a lot more popular than pole bending or goat tying. Yeah, they need to tell me about it. Um, yeah, I would love to see breakaway at the NFR, but, um, it's just, I think it's just kind of how it's always been, like goat tying and pole bending stay at the high school, college level yeah, but it's really fun I think they should think about it.
Speaker 1:They should think about it. You know why? Because they got calf roping, they got all that other stuff that I would like to see the ladies get dirty, you know, with some goats.
Speaker 2:I mean it's a fun event to watch for sure. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you know what equal opportunist right here. So yeah, all right. So treasure valley, community college. Why treasure valley? Out of all the other college programs out there rodeo programs you picked that one. Why I like to ask this question. So why?
Speaker 2:um, yeah, so my uncle, brandon, is the one that even introduced me to TVCC. I didn't know it existed, um, but he was telling me that a kid from our school got signed to do track over there and he was like looking at at TVCC, like on their page, and saw they had a rodeo team and was like Bella, hey, do you know this? And I said I didn't even know TVCC existed. And so then I looked into it and I had a couple of friends that were moving to Idaho to go to hair school and college and whatever over here, and it all just kind of worked out, fell in my lap.
Speaker 2:I knew some people on the team, or like I met some people on the team, um, you know, got some connections, called drew and and signed the uh last august, um, but I really love it over here and the, the people that are over here were. They're just so down to earth, like my professors and my coach, my teammates, like everyone here is so down to earth and just like I, like all of them, you know, and and it's a agricultural school, I'm majoring in animal science, okay, and so it was just kind of everything kind of fit for me to go here. Yeah, you guys are a tight knit family or team, team you know, family team, same thing.
Speaker 1:It's pretty cool to watch, you know, because a lot of, a lot of the stuff that you see at the rodeo, it's just all individual. You know, yeah, behind closed curtains, you know they're probably buddy buddy, but when they're on the field or in the dirt, you, you know, it's all like, hey, survival of the fittest. You know, but seeing you guys bringing new light to this whole rodeo scene and, um, you know, just the the sport, you know. So, uh, when, when you're, when you're approached, did you know for a fact this was your program that you wanted to do and the team that you wanted to be part of?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, it kind of you just kind of got a feeling you know when, like you're meant to be somewhere yeah and I just got that.
Speaker 2:I clicked with everybody instantly, you know, and everyone is so willing to help you. And I've had a couple of friends like, oh, you want to learn how to breakaway? Like here, use, like I have a practice rope. Here, come practice my dummy with me, like I'll help you, and just everyone here is just so willing to jump on and help and be friends with everybody. And so I just kind of knew that it was the right fit for me off the bat.
Speaker 1:Not trying to put you on the spot Now I have to ask you this question. There's a lot of guys there that are lookers. Is that another reason? Is that another reason?
Speaker 2:No, I have a wonderful boyfriend, boyfriend um back home, and he's very supportive and loves me so very much, so, uh, boys were not a factor for me I know, I just thought I'd do that you turned. Red though you turned red.
Speaker 1:The reason why I ask is because I had one gentleman here Well, two gentlemen here that from the school that came to the house. One of them really got the looks and one my oldest daughter was like oh my God, you need to have him come here more often. My goodness, you probably know who I'm talking about. But oh my goodness, that's why I asked. I wasn't trying to put you on the spot.
Speaker 2:I was like what question are you gonna ask me? Um, yeah, no, all the guys are great. Um, they're all really funny and stuff, and yeah, great guys, but not looking at any of them.
Speaker 1:Well, but you know, my, my wife was like man, that guy, that guy, I'm like what you know, and we're a lot older. But yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm shouting out Wiley, okay, wiley is quite the looker, yeah, but no, he's, he's, he's quite the cowboy and he's very nice and very professional. And for him to be his age and be the pickup man, it says a lot. That's why, yeah, that's incredible.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he was the first person I met, but, like, so, I had known one of my teammates, emery, way before I even signed, but he was the first person on the team that I met that I hadn't known and he thought I was a freshman and um, I was like, nope, I graduate in June, um, but yeah, so he and he was really sweet to me. He was like, yeah, like I'm just leaving here, have the arena, I'll shut the gate for you.
Speaker 1:And so, yeah, he's really cool yeah, yeah, sorry, hopefully I didn't uh embarrass you, I just wanted to embarrass myself and my daughters and wiley so because wiley's a good guy.
Speaker 1:He's, he's he wants me out and about with him and his buddies this year and, uh, he's like everything goes. I'm like god, how many days? He's like, don't ask, we're just gonna go. I'm like God, how many days? He's like, don't ask, we're just going to go. I'm like all right. So Wiley and I are going to spend some time together this year. Very, very friendly guy, god, yeah, it's good, all right. Now, when you approached me you talked about well, you wanted to say you know about my c word that I was going through, but you yourself battle some autoimmune disease or multiple. Okay, how many?
Speaker 2:two um two, yeah. So, and one of them is we're still working on, we're like it might be something else, it might be work. It's. Diagnosing autoimmune diseases is probably one of the hardest things to do, and so it's been a years, a couple of years worth of trial and error and stuff and things.
Speaker 1:But my one you don't one talking about this, correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's fine. It's fine Um you don't mind?
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, no, I don't care.
Speaker 2:Uh, I have fibromyalgia, um, and chronic fatigue syndrome, so they kind of go hand in hand. But, um, but it's like a chronic pain and you, it sucks trying to rodeo when you're chronically fatigued and in pain all of the time and rodeo is hard on your body, as is, and then adding all of that stuff on top of it, it makes it really hard. All of that stuff on top of it, it makes it really hard. And some days I'm my joints and Mike my backer, and so much pain that I can't get out of bed and I'm 20. Right, so I shouldn't have to deal with that kind of pain. And so that's kind of how we knew something was wrong. Um, and I the other one we're trying to figure out that I have is lupus, um, and I've had some positive. They kind of go hand in hand. Yeah, yeah, um, and I have every single symptom and a positive ANA and we're just kind of, but we're just like making sure, because there's a lot of medications I have to be on the rest of my life if I do fully get diagnosed with that, and that's not something that I want to do. So we're being 110% sure that that's what.
Speaker 2:It is also really hard, like having flare-ups and stuff like, uh, I had to miss, I had to miss school, uh, the other, just the other day, because my flare-ups were so bad and I was getting big.
Speaker 2:It almost looks like a, an allergic reaction, the the welts. I get all over my body and stuff and it's just, it's painful and it, you know, your whole body hurts and your whole body's wiped out afterwards because your body attacks itself, um, when you have this and so, um, like you're just wiped out afterwards because your body attacks itself when you have this and so, like you're just wiped out afterwards and but the world doesn't stop for you also at the same time, especially when you're a college student. So you kind of just have to power through and and get everything that you need to get done. But that's why I try and stay really on top of all my schoolwork and stuff, because I don't know when my next flare-up is going to be and you know if I'm down for the count and miss something, like I don't want to fall too far behind. But it's hard, it's hard to do and I'm such an active, busy.
Speaker 2:I love keeping myself busy and I love being active and doing all the things and it's it's really, really hard when you hurt all of the time.
Speaker 1:Well, all this, what you have to go through and what you're going through, deter you or rodeo future.
Speaker 2:No, actually it makes me want to push harder because I want to be someone that other, like little girls, just like me.
Speaker 2:You know, I want them and boys and boys and everyone. I want you know littles on the fence. That cause I used to be that you know little on the fence, just wishing I had a chance to even be on a horse. But you know, and and battling things with their health and your body and your mental health and everything. I want to be a role model for them and show them that they can still do it, regardless.
Speaker 1:Well, you, you are, just let you know. You know now that you're putting your story out there. You know, so you are. My kids will know about you soon. So when did you know you had an issue Like what came about, like what was going on with your body. If you don't mind me asking, yeah, what was going on with your body, if you don't mind me asking, yeah, you said welts, but I know it doesn't really start with.
Speaker 2:Well, it starts with the pain and everything else, so, so, um, fibromyalgia is kind of it's uh lays dormant until it gets triggered. Um is like usually by like something traumatic or whatever. And I had a really, really awful relationship my senior year really abusive, physically, emotionally, all that stuff. And after that happened and we stopped talking you know the whole deal I started getting really, really awful pain and like after a game, I would be sore for two days and I I played softball and basketball growing up since I was five and, um, usually I can bounce back and was, you know, ready for the next game or practice the next day? Um, but starting like my senior year, I would. It would take me like two or three days to feel better after a game and, um, I always got this it's called the butterfly rash and it's only on your face, like certain parts of your face, um, and I would get that really bad. And, um, my grandma and my mom also have autoimmune diseases and my grandma came up to me and she said, hey, do you have lupus? And I said no, I didn't know what that was. I was like no, and she was like you have the butterfly rash. And she was like, like are you sure? And I was like, yeah, like I don't know, even know what that is. And then she told my mom and my mom kind of was like, oh yeah, that does look like a butterfly rash and stuff. And then, but then I just kind of let it go. I was like, whatever, I'm not going to the doctor, no.
Speaker 2:And um then, oh, it was October of 2023. Um, I was at the circuit finals with a past boyfriend and um, he, anyway, we were sitting there or whatever, and I had a lot of caffeine that day, like like way too much caffeine. And I was up for like I was up at like for 24 hours at that point, or something like that. And um, something started like happening to me and I was like my heart started beating out of my chest, my left arm went numb, like my legs started going numb, like my nose started bleeding, like I was like I need to go to the hospital, something's wrong. And I called my mom and was like something's wrong, help. And I, the ER doctor, said I basically overdosed on caffeine, which I didn't know you could do, but you can, and anyways, I after that I had to wear a heart monitor for a couple of weeks and had to get a bunch of blood drawn and yada, yada, yada, and they found a positive ANA, which usually indicates like an autoimmune disease, and so after that it was doctor's appointments, after doctor's appointments, after doctor's appointments and they found out about my fibro and then now we're figuring out the whole lupus thing.
Speaker 2:Uh, but yeah, long story short, it's a lot of doctor's appointments.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm glad you figured it. I'm glad you're on top of it. Do you find yourself on top of it now?
Speaker 2:Um, I try to be, but I also hate. I feel very lazy when I cause rest is a huge thing with fibro cause stress and a lot going um, super hard is what makes it flare. But I like getting stuff done and so I feel really lazy when I need to rest and then I'm forced to rest because I have a flare up that leaves me bedridden.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, so I try to stay on top of it, but it gets hard sometimes when you're so go, go, go. When you got the news and the diagnosis, were you like aha, or were you like okay, that's helpful, Thank you. It explains a lot.
Speaker 2:It was like a relief, because 90% of the time with autoimmune diseases, your labs come back normal and right and so it's we can't help you. Your labs are normal and, um, then we finally, you know, got on top of it, and it was kind of just a relief, like I'm not crazy, like something is wrong with me right and and it's not like it's not like I wanted something to is wrong with me, Right and, and it's not like.
Speaker 2:It's not like I wanted something to be wrong with me, but it was like I know what I'm feeling is not normal and there has to be a reason for it, and so it was just like you wanted answers. Yeah, it was just an answer.
Speaker 1:And it's. It's not taking names. You're kicking butt and taking names, Correct?
Speaker 2:taking names you're kicking butt and taking names correct.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I try not to let it bother me, in the midst of all the chaos, trying to find the diagnosis or just trying to find answers, how were you mentally, emotionally, obviously, I know physical, but like, how were you, how, how were your thoughts? Did you think it was like, oh my God, the world's ending? How was it?
Speaker 2:Um, you know, like being very real. Um, the end of 2023, like from October to like all of 2024 was probably one of the worst years of my life. With all of my health things that I had. I had two, uh melanoma spots removed. I had we just now recently found some lymphatic or lymph something tumor in my side that I have to get removed. There's just like there was just a lot of health things going on in 2024. So it took everything I had to be positive, but, um, my faith and my trust in the Lord has has really helped me stay like with my head above water. Um, but that's that's truly like what has gotten me through. Uh, this last you know year or so was was my faith, so I just keep trucking along.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're. You're a fighter, oh my goodness. Yeah, yeah, I'm glad. I mean, I'm glad you're, you're able to move forward. You know positive light on that and you know, in midst of all the chaos and able to say, hey, I'm not gonna let this defeat me. So congrats and gosh, you're a warrior. You know. I don't care what people say, but you know thank you. So what is next besides this podcast? What is next um?
Speaker 2:yeah, I after, so I graduate in june, um, and so I only really get one college rodeo season, which sucks. But I really want to end PRA first. I'm going to do that for a year or so, and then it's jumping in the Columbia River Circuit.
Speaker 1:Oh, prca, mpra. I know a lot of people there. I yeah, you probably know too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I, I did it, here and there a little bit Um, but I wanted like full on train, you know going to hit up Washington a few. Yeah, I, yeah, I want to hit every, I want to go everywhere that I can.
Speaker 1:Okay. You're going to make a run for it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, make a run.
Speaker 1:All right, wow, okay, all right, I can't wait to see that. Yeah, a lot of people don't make runs for it until you know down the road when they're like, okay, all ready, but you're ready.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I don't. I mean, the best time to jump is when you're scared to jump. Okay, so I think you know you just have to go for it. Like I feel so unprepared but at the same time like you're never going to be fully prepared if you stress too much about it, like the only way I'm going to get seasoned in doing it is doing it.
Speaker 1:Doing it, yeah, okay. So MP you got, you got to run into elaine, elaine kimball. You know elaine, right, oh, yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:Um, I rodeo queen this last year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're yeah, I also wanted to say that, sorry, I also wanted to say you're a rodeo queen too. I mean goodness gracious, yeah, totally forgot yeah forgot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I, we were in Telemuc, I think, and I came up to her and the gal that runs lassos and lenses photography and they were talking and I came up to them and I said, hey, where are you guys going to be sitting? And they told me and I said, cool, I'm going to put, gonna put, I'm gonna pose at you. And she said, okay, like cool, like I'm so down, and we got some really cool pictures out of it, um of me pointing at him, um, but yeah, and then after that I've always kind of waved at her at the rodeos I've seen and stuff, or I've been at and stuff.
Speaker 1:Elaine's a good woman. She's a good lady. She's. She's taking care of some business too and she's taking names. She's, she's. She says that I inspired her to run, but she's doing it herself. I didn't inspire her at all. She's running though. It's pretty cool. It's pretty cool to see you know the rodeos doing the running, the running. You know the runners attending the rodeo. It's pretty cool. I like to see it. And for her to say you inspired me to run daily, I'm like do.
Speaker 2:I, you are, you're an inspiration.
Speaker 1:Elaine's a good lady, she's, she's good people. I'd give her a shout out every time. All right, so you know who else is going to try to make a run? My good old buddy Wiley. Oh yeah, I saw his calendar. Have you seen his calendar?
Speaker 2:No, I haven't talked to him much this term.
Speaker 1:He showed me behind the scenes calendar and I don't know how he's going to do it, but he's going to do it. I've been telling him. I was like, dude, you need to make a run, you need to make a run. Yeah, he's got a good head of horses too.
Speaker 2:so right, yeah, he has a good head on his shoulders too, and family that's supportive yeah, he rolls hard with his family yeah, I'm excited to see where he goes right with with the rodeo scene in the college rodeo.
Speaker 1:You said you only have one season left now. I was gonna ask you. I talked to wiley about this sometimes, but they don't have the nil in the rodeo.
Speaker 2:You know the whole college.
Speaker 1:Like you got x amount of time left. You know if you, if you compete here at uh n-a-i-a, can you go NCAA? You know, roadie, I was just yeah. Do you think they'll ever have that in the rodeo, or? Not enough money?
Speaker 2:I don't know, I didn't even really know about, so I only did like two high school rodeos. I youth rodeo a lot and um, I jackpotted here and there and I went to shows like in Washington, oregon and California, um, but I I got shorty in 2021 and I was a sophomore um in high school and so I just didn't feel, cause high school rodeo is pretty competitive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is, and um, I didn't feel like. I felt like I was just going to donate my entry fees if I entered at the time, and so I kind of stuck to my youth rodeo until, like, I built my confidence up and when I started winning money there then I kind of hit a couple towards my senior year. But um, I just I really stuck to to summer rodeos and stuff. But um, back to your question. Sorry, I I don't. I don't know if I don't know if they ever will or not. I think it'd be cool, but, um, I didn't really know about college rodeo until like my senior year of high school. So I thought it stopped at high school and then it went straight. And then here I am.
Speaker 1:Just hearing more of your story it's fascinating to know that you know you didn't do too many high school. But here you are in college doing your thing.
Speaker 2:It's crazy how that works.
Speaker 1:Huh, You're an all-in kind of gal. You're an all-in kind of gal Jeez and it's paying off, correct, you find?
Speaker 2:it paying off? Yeah, it is. I love college rodeo. It's so fun, jeez, and it's paying off, correct? You find it paying off?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is. I love college rodeo.
Speaker 2:It's so fun, yeah, and part of me wishes I would get. What's the difference between, like, high school and college? Yeah, finish what you're going to say. Oh, I don't remember what I was going to say. It's just kind of like I think I'm a lot more confident now than I was, like back in high school, cause, like I, when I ran in high school, it was AirPods in until I had to run, would go run and then AirPods back in and I go sit in my trailer Like I wouldn't really I'm pretty extroverted person but I just rodeo.
Speaker 2:People intimidated me, especially the, the girls that showed up in the you know big feather light trailers with four head of horses and you know like they, but you could tell they've been doing it for a minute. Um, and I had my little two horse rusty bumper pull that I still have to this day. Um, you know, I'd pull up with my one horse and we were just there to to have fun for the love of the game. I wasn't really. I didn't really care about winning money. Uh, I mean, it's nice when you do, but I was there because I loved it and I loved running on my horse and stuff, and so I didn't want to talk to them because I was intimidated and, um, I thought that they were going to be mean or you know like because I didn't to me, I didn't feel like I was on their level.
Speaker 2:Um, and now I'm a lot more confident, I think. But, like, I hang out with you know, the people on my rodeo team and, and regardless of the trailers and the people that are the horses and the tack and whatever that they have, like 90% of the people are pretty down to earth and like want to help you out and support you and and stuff, and it took me being in the rodeo industry a lot longer and kind of like being around people and getting more confident. That I like realized that, and I think that's why I like college rodeo so much, though, is because, like, everyone is kind of friends with everybody. I made my first college rodeo. I made friends with BMCC and Lassen you know people and and we're all kind of friends now, so I really like that aspect of it.
Speaker 1:So you have less than a year left, right, you graduate this coming up June, may, june. When do you guys graduate? Yeah, are you going to continue your education or are you just going to go? Guns a blazing. I'm going to go full tilt in the rodeo world.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've been sitting on that for a long time. I wanted to be a vet, since I was four, five. I've always loved, you know, wanting, wanting to be a vet, wanting to help animals and stuff, um, but the older I got, the more narrow and narrow and narrow it got, like I've always wanted to help animals and stuff, but now I'm leaning towards more, um, equine reproduction and.
Speaker 2:I want to run a breeding and training facility and that's like my goal and passion and I want to. I want to rodeo, yeah, so yeah, a lot of money. Yeah, you're, you're telling me, telling me, um. But it's the one thing that I feel like I'm really good at and that I'm really passionate, um about, and I don't want to go the whole nine yards of being a vet with all the student loans and stuff, when what I want to do I can do now with an associates yeah um, and I want to rodeo.
Speaker 2:I want to go full hammer down into the rodeo scene. Um, and I am pretty. I've only been going to college for a couple years but I'm pretty burnt out. You know, I don't think college is my scene. Uh, academic wise, I mean like I'm good at school, but I don't think college is my scene. Academic wise, I mean like I'm good at school but I don't like being there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 2:And so I'm kind of ready to end this chapter of my life and and have a real full time job.
Speaker 1:When you go full tilt and opportunities arise, will you stay in the home state?
Speaker 2:I really want to get to circuit finals for Columbia River. That's like my big checkmark. And then if I do that, and I do well, I think I will spread my wings and go, you know, like the whole cowboy christmas run and try and go to as many big rodeos as I can. I mean, my end goal is the nfr, but who who's isn't when you want to be in the prca, um, but it's just little mountains at a time that I have to conquer like I want. I want to, you know, do well at mpra finals, then do well at circuit finals, then kind of work my way up the ladder that way.
Speaker 1:What? What I meant was would you go to Texas, would you go? To uh yeah, you would move to Texas.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I'd move, but I definitely, you know, do a run there like, try and hit all the bigger rodeos and then go. You know, go South, hit all the big rodeos there. Um, california has got some bigger rodeos. I mean, we in Oregon have some bigger rodeos. Um, that I want to. I, I want to go to all of the big stable rodeos. Eventually, okay, um, but yeah, like rodeo Houston, like all of those big Pendleton, that's the, that's the goal. But I don't think I'd ever move away from my family, um, but my family is like my whole world. So I don't, I don't think I could be. I'm, I'm homesick now and I'm only eight hours away from them.
Speaker 1:Gotcha. Okay, all right, I just had to ask, had to ask you. You said someone, a barrel racer, who inspired you. You know, you just watched her and fell in love. Who inspires you to continue doing what you do?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I had a softball coach my junior year and his name is Reno and he and I clicked right off the bat and he ended up playing like professional baseball and then came back and coached and stuff and and, uh, I always call him my spirit animal and he still, to this day, like when I'm really nervous before big rodeo, I'll call him, and we call him quote uh, tap on the heads because he would do that. Um, in softball games he would tap me on the back of the helmet and be like, get in the game, hit the dang ball.
Speaker 2:Um and so he calls me now and he is like take it all in, lock it in and ride Like it's the last time you're ever going to be on a horse. And you know he's always been there, Um, even like he stopped being my coach after one year, one season, but he still showed up for me and been there whenever I needed to and he always is that like push for me, um, and I can't thank him enough, yeah yeah, he's, he's awesome yeah, just hearing that you know rodeo gal just say, hey, softball coach, it's like yeah yeah, I, I coach myself and just to hear that it it's uh encouraging and uh uplifting to know.
Speaker 1:You know, some kids do most random things and then they remember, you know it's pretty cool, so he's, he's made a huge impact.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's been a huge impact on my life and and it kind of is all like, even besides rodeo, he's like been there for me. You know, job interview, interviews, my health stuff, like any anything I'm going through. He's always there for me to lean on when I need advice or support. Um, and coaches like we'll make it make or break you as a player. Um, I've had coaches completely ruin the game for me and like I'm burnt out and not wanted to play anymore. And but there's those coaches that that mean the world to you and that make you love the game and love yourself, and they're they're pretty priceless okay how far are you traveling this year?
Speaker 1:have you, have you got the travel dates and the miles up and running or no?
Speaker 2:um lagging. I'm lagging a little bit. My horse isn't going to be ready to start running again until the end of may, um, and so her health comes first, obviously, and I want her to be vet checked in um 110, ready to go fully legged up before we really um hit the road again. So I'm I've got a concept of where I'm going um, but also with a brand new baby it's. It's kind of a little bit harder to travel um Like baby horse, not me baby, but baby horse yeah.
Speaker 2:I guess. So I don't know. We're just going to see. It's all up to Shorty. Honestly, she'll let me know if she doesn't want to go anywhere anymore or if she's, like, ready to rock and roll. But she loves her job. I've never seen a horse love their job as much as she does and, um, she gives me 110 every single time I swing my leg over her. So I feel like we'll have no problem going full swing back into rodeo. But we're going up to walla walla, I think on the 14th for a college rodeo. Yeah, february right.
Speaker 1:March. Is it February or March?
Speaker 2:March, march 14th, we're going up to Walla, walla, yeah.
Speaker 1:Pretty big one, pretty big one. I like that. I like to see when I go to walla walla because I live right down the road. Um, you know, college rodeo, it's all plastered everywhere, big banner in town. It's pretty cool, pretty cool to see. So is shorty your only traveling buddy, or do?
Speaker 2:you have others no, she's, she's my one right now. I'm I'm looking into getting another one um, but the horse market is really insane right now and so I have shorty's. Baby is going to be my next step up and I'm gonna futnity on her per hope prayers that. It's a little Philly Um that, but I want to fraternity on her and um eventually priority on her. But then I'm looking for another backup um to take shorty's place.
Speaker 1:When traveling, what's your go-to? Do you listen to podcasts? Do you listen to music? All the above audiobooks, what is it?
Speaker 2:yeah, I'm a big music person. Big music person, I love, I love music, so, um, but you can only listen to it for so long, to be honest, um, so I go back and forth like I'll listen to music for a couple hours and honest, um, so I go back and forth like I'll listen to music for a couple hours and I'll like listen to a podcast and then I'll go back to listening to music. Um, it all kind of just depends on the vibe that I'm in. Usually I travel by myself, so I get to decide what I play, which is nice, all right are you a playlist, kind of gal, or do you listen to the whole album?
Speaker 2:I hit shuffle on my apple music and if whatever goes, I listen to everything under the sun so like from divorce dad rock to christian music, to uh Roan, to some like it's all over the map. So I just kind of hit shuffle and whatever it plays plays. But like Daughtry is my favorite of all time and you know Nickelback Iley crew, I like casting crowns, I like you know it just kind of really um, big daddy week maybe maybe I'm the psychopath because, like you know, I have group at you know at work and everything else, and they're like I got playlists after playlists.
Speaker 1:I'm like I can't do that, I'm just putting on shuffle and I'm like, oh, I don't know how you guys can do that. I'm just, I'm the kind of person because I travel a lot too uh, to you know, tackle, mountains, rodeo, whatever, and I I'm full album, I drive my kids, nuts, I drive my wife. But maybe it's me, maybe I'm the psychopath, maybe it's not you guys.
Speaker 2:Well, the one person there's, there's two people that I can listen to, like that I can just play them, and it's Daughtry and Luke Combs. Like I can turn on Luke and listen to them the whole way through. I turn on Daughtry and listen to them the whole way through and never get tired of them. But with some people like I listen, I'm a couple songs in of listening to their voice again and I just need to skip really who?
Speaker 1:who, all right, who is it? Who's one of them?
Speaker 2:just one that I have to skip yeah, skip uh, usually, uh, taylor swift.
Speaker 1:Any taylor swift song that comes on, I usually hit skip yeah, okay, all right, hey that that that 80s, uh poppy synth music, uh song that she has that heartbreak, something of a heartbreak. That song is pretty catchy, I'm not a I'm not a big Swiftie.
Speaker 2:But that song is alright. I like her old, when she was a country music artist and she had. I like those songs, but I couldn't tell you a single one of her new songs.
Speaker 1:Okay, the reason why I ask? I'm a huge music goer and music's huge in my life right and so recently I saw Colter Wall.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:It was pretty good. It was good man. He can play, you know, his band is one of a kind, but goodness, the sound and the continue of the sound was kind of a sleeper for me. Yeah, I'm not dogging him, he is great at his craft. But goodness gracious, I need some tempo, I need, you know, I just I just can't do it and we were just in a dark room sitting down and I'm just like almost dozing off. You know, the Kate Hoffman who started for for played as long as he did and it was, you know, just depressing songs, and I don't mind that the lyrics are great, but goodness gracious, give me something more than the cold wall Always, you know.
Speaker 2:I have a hard time with, especially when I'm driving and I'm like hour eight nine into driving and I can't listen to slow songs or like very dark, or like deep, you know, sad, so I can't listen to them anymore. I'll start falling asleep. So, um, yeah, I mean I like him sometimes but I have to be in the mood for, you know, the dark yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I'm just, I'm just glad you're able to hear my story on that.
Speaker 2:Yes, oh my god, I agree, I agree because I've seen red clay strays three times.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean a huge fan, those guys bring it. They got the, they got the lyrics, they got the sound, they got the up tempo on the lyrics and sound. You know it's just perfect. Saw him twice in vegas and one time in spokane and I'll continue to travel to go see them, you know, but yeah yeah, I love them.
Speaker 2:The uh, my favorite concert I've ever been to is luke combs. He can put on a concert two-day concert.
Speaker 2:Always right, he's always doing two days and he I went to, uh, the boise state stadium to see him. Uh like, okay, may of 2023 or something, and that was like the most fun I've had and like everyone there is just there to have a good time and party and stuff, and so the vibes were off the chain, it was so. It was so fun and that was like one of my very first concerts I've ever been to. So I had been to one concert before then, so it was just, I was just a little overwhelmed.
Speaker 1:I was like whoa, everyone's here is nuts don't shy away from the the radio concert or the rodeo concerts oh, yeah, yeah, I've watched a couple of them, uh, this summer traveling um, but I wasn't.
Speaker 2:I hated concerts growing up. I never. I never liked them and like at my fair and stuff because I had to be whatever, but you right. Um, well, at the fair. I was at fair all week and there was always bands playing and like concerts playing and they were never that great. We always didn't have that great of people playing at our county fairs and so I think it was just kind of made me sour to them. And then the first concert I saw was a wild hair festival in Canby. I saw Zach Bryan before.
Speaker 2:He was pretty blown up and I was 10 feet away from the stage and it was a hundred bucks to be right there and um, I was like, wow, I like concerts and so after that I I'm all about going to him yeah, zach brian messed up his his thing with those ndas that he's having the exact sign yeah, he really did himself in yeah I'm not.
Speaker 1:I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of that kind of uh, country or americana, whatever they call it. Now I think they call them country, but yeah, it's not my sound. I like the red, dirt noise. The southern country? Yeah, that, I like the traditional kind of stuff. So when? What podcast is your number one, not mine? Don't say mine what podcasts should I pick up and listen to?
Speaker 2:um, well, um, I really like, uh, sadie robertson. Um, I really like her listening to her. Um, I forgot what the name of her podcast is called. It's been I just click on the new episode button. Um, but anyway, sadie Robson, she's, she's really awesome. Um, and my friends have a podcast that they started. It's only on YouTube, um, it's called truth uncut. Um, and they talk about like they deep dive into like the seven deadly sins and and I was on their podcast a couple of years ago actually. But you know like they're super fun to listen. I mean, you have to be kind of mentally prepared for it. They dive into some deeper things, but yeah, they're fun to listen to too, and you, of course.
Speaker 1:but I thought about YouTube since day one and I I tell you what, the more I get into this. Youtube is helpful, youtube is fun, but a lot of uh, the listeners you got to go with the listeners. A lot of the listeners are blue collar, they don't have time to sit in the in front of a you know computer or a device and watch you doing this Right, I don't know, to each their own.
Speaker 1:I've heard a lot like oh you're not on YouTube. That hurts more, but I'm good with what I do and happy there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I put it on when I'm writing and stuff too, and I can't stare at my like when I'm writing and stuff too, and I can't stare at my phone when I'm writing, right, so I I can put it on you know apple podcast and and put it in my saddle, puck thing, sack thing and ride but yeah, teach their own, but that's cool.
Speaker 1:So truth uncut and sadie robertson, I'll check it out. Check it out. We've been talking for a bit we can still talk for a while. You were nervous, but not kind of nervous, not quite nervous, but how do you feel? How do you feel overall this episode?
Speaker 2:I went. Good, I talk a lot.
Speaker 1:Okay, it's fun. It's fun. I'm glad we went as long as we have and did, and everything else. But one thing that I want you to think about, though okay, and uh, your confidence level. And talking about your confidence when you're in high school, till now, I totally understand when you were saying how, uh, you, you felt out of place or not with up to par with them. I get it because, you know, here I am an outsider loving the rodeo life. I get it from all angles. You know I don't have a name, but when it comes to cowboys and rodeos and you know that people question me, but for some reason people search me out, they want to be on the podcast, they listen to this podcast, they enjoy it, and so one thing you got to remember and now you have, you know is just do your thing, do your thing, forget what they say, forget what they do. Nine out of 10 times, the reason why they're their way is because they're scared of you. Right, right, right. That's that's how I see it. That's how I see it.
Speaker 1:It took me a bit to uh to to realize that the confidence in the, in this kind of, you know, sport, you know I have all the confidence in the world when it comes to running mountains, running miles, you know, multiple day events. At first I questioned like, okay, is this rodeo thing me? Is it? You know? It's always me, it's always been there. I love it, you know. But are the people gonna take it? They did and I guess I'm doing okay, right, right, but you being a queen, rodeo queen, I don't. I I'm still trying to gather, like how the confidence is lagging, because for you to be a queen, you have to have all the confidence in the world. How did you pull that off? That's my last question. How did you pull off being a rodeo queen and not be confident?
Speaker 2:Um well, my confidence, like in myself I say, I've never lacked. I think it was the like, confidence of like my writing ability or like watching yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was like, oh, maybe I'm doing something wrong, maybe my tech, like to everyone else, my tech is like I look stupid because my tax on wrong or um, you know, like it took me a long time to realize that like nobody cares, and if they do, they're not people you want to be around anyways and everyone there is to is there to help you and support you and stuff.
Speaker 2:Um, but I, if you would have told me like three years ago I was going to try out to be a rodeo queen and get a title, I probably would have laughed, because there's there's kind of a stigma around rodeo queens that like they're just a pretty face and that you know, they don't know how to ride or they can't actually rodeo and stuff. But I rodeoed before I rodeo queened and so I knew I could ride and, um, having a pretty face was just a plus. But I, my friend, rodeo queened and was like you need to do this, you'd be so good at it, you're good at talking. Like, you're good with kids, like you, you're a good rider. Apply. And I was like, okay. So I found this little title, um, an MPRA title, uh, sublimities, rodeo samium, canyon stampede and I tried out and I won and I loved my board members. They were so down to earth and they were. They liked the fact that I was an uh, a cowgirl, like I rode like a cowgirl.
Speaker 2:I rodeoed I, you know, um, because a lot of you know they do the wings like in your hair and makeup to the nines, and that wasn't me.
Speaker 2:I curled my hair normal and I wore the makeup that I normally wear and I was there to um, you know, spread the world of rodeo to people. I loved being around kids. I think that was my favorite part of being a rodeo queen was because I saw kids that lacked confidence in themselves and being able to be there and kind of lift them up was my favorite. And getting to talk to them and and then being like I want to be just like you when I grow up and I want to be a rodeo queen and and and getting to talk to them and and them being like I want to be just like you when I grow up and I want to be a rodeo queen and and I want to rodeo. But I just started writing Like it's me being that light to them and that role models to them was really what kept me going and like boosted my confidence, like seeing that they believed in me so much.
Speaker 1:But well, I like what I hear, like what I hear, I hear, I like, I am thankful that you reached out seriously and has basically taken this episode to another level. You know, you say you talk much, a lot, but you know, you're you're the master of the craft. Continue doing what you're doing, all right oh, thank you yeah, the being rodeo queen is not easy and it is very tough and um yeah, just, it's just hard to gather confidence you now, and it's just like, oh my god, you're amazing, you know, amazing athlete, amazing person.
Speaker 1:You continue to do things. You know that you're going to question, especially with your health and whatnot. So I appreciate you searching me out and allowing me to have you on the podcast. I want you back. I want you back, especially after the baby's born, not yours.
Speaker 2:The horse, my horse's baby.
Speaker 1:And I want to. I want to hear about your run and where you're going to go and how are you going to go do things, and hopefully I run into you. I was going to. I was going to get my media card but the C word put a damper on it, but eventually I'll end up doing it. I just need to make sure everything's in order.
Speaker 2:But don't ever so with that God heals. He's a healer, so he works miracles, and so I think you'll be.
Speaker 1:I've been, I've been praying for you, so, uh, Thank you, so I want you to not question yourself and your ability in this, uh, this world, rodeo, world outside of it. Okay, you're, you're quite the, the, the lady, um, and uh, I appreciate your time.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you for having me on. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so please come back. All right, I will Do. You want to close it out?
Speaker 2:Um yeah, I just want to say that your faith will move mountains and and uh, trust yourself.
Speaker 1:Well, you too. All right, Until next time.
Speaker 2:Yep, we'll see you next time.