Horse Tails, Horse Tales and other Tales

Last week, I read an article on the front page of the Northwest Arkansas Times about a program called Horse Tales for Literacy. It is a program designed to encourage students to read and get them excited by allowing them a hands on opportunities. Find out more by going to: http://horsetalesliteracy.org/

After reading it, I knew I wanted to get involved so I got in touch with those in charge and soon found myself at the front door of Harp Elementary in Springdale, Arkansas. At Harp I was placed at a station that talked about the uses of horses around the world, specifically divided between work horses and recreational horses. Can you guess what my section was?? You got it, recreational = rodeo! I spoke to 4th grade students from Harp, Lee, George and Jones elementary school about the 6 events in rodeo that use horses and briefly described each. The time was a bit restraining on how much elaboration I could do but nonetheless, I great way to introduce kids to the sport and promote my rodeo. I was sure to mention Rodeo of the Ozarks, since it's in their hometown. When beginning the presentation, we ask the kids, "Can anyone name some uses of horses?" One student exclaimed "To eat them!" another quickly and seriously retorted, "no, that is illegal." I'm thankful I didn't have to address that one much, I quickly diverted by saying that here in the U.S. we do not because we consider horses to be a companion animal but they do have many important uses...

This morning I was at Bayarri Elementary and stati

oned at the grooming/ shoeing area. The kids have a journal of questions that they are supposed to filling out as the rotate stations. In this group, I was able to speak more and the kids seemed to enjoy it more because of the hands on factor. I had a table of grooming utensils set up and briefly told the kids about the most important ones while letting them touch each one. Some of the comments and questions asked were very interesting because they ask things that a horse person, never thinks twice about. Thankfully, when preparing to run for Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks, I had a great support team (especially my boyfriend) who helped prepare to answer questions on the spot. I can attribute my ability to think quick because of the pop up questions he would ask me and I would rattle of an answer in a heartbeat. After giving the students a run down of grooming, we split them up into two lines and each child got to brush a horse several times then pass it to the next person. While they were brushing, I asked them if they had any other questions about horses or about me. By the second part of the day, I though I'd heard it all when the ultimate question was asked, "How do you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" A quick wave of panic probably swept over my face but all day I had been relating horses to the kids so my response, "just like you boys and girls have different body parts, so do horses. If you look underneath them, you can tell the difference." In another group, we some extra time so I asked if they had questions about me. One question turned into another and one student asked to touch my belt buckle so I let her... bad choice because if you let one, the rest of them have too as well. As if that wasn't a lesson learned, another kid wanted to see my crown so I squatted down to let him see it. And... you guessed it, all of them had to see it. The result? My leg workout for the day was one really long squat!




I had such a great time, not only working with kids, but getting to know the kind people behind hosting such a spectacular opportunity. Jacci Perry and the team presented me with the sweetest box of gifts in order to thank me for helping but in reality, no thanks is needed because it was such a rewarding time. I look forward to the next Horse Tales for Literacy events in Bentonville and Rogers around March or April.

Hope everyone is staying warm!

It's beginning to look alot like...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! I cannot think of a better way to wrap up the month of November and get in the Christmas spirit by gathering with friends at the Rodeo of the Ozarks hometown, Springdale. This year's largest to date, parade had over 50 floats from local organizations and hundreds of spectators. It was about forty five degrees, which felt much cooler on top of the convertible sponsored but it could have been much worse. A tremendous thank you to Everett GMC for the flashy ride! Kenzie rode with us and helped me greet spectators during the parade by using her princess wave and saying Merry Christmas. The floats were an absolute joy to see all of the variations, creativity and lights. Emma Street was completely lined with people and you could feel the familiar magical Christmas attitude with smiles, hot chocolate, warm blankets and even warmer wishes. Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas to you and your family!

All In A Days Work

Miss Kaliegh Jo was such a doll & so energetic!

I got to work at 7am on Tuesday and began my daily office tasks. I couldn't help but to think that I was forgetting something. Hmmm... the 19th, I kept racking my brain but couldn't quite remember so I pulled out my daily planner. Oh yes, in all caps "MCNAIR BOOK FAIR." Lovely, just lovely. I have an 8 hour work day followed by a 2 hour lecture class and a study night planned plus I did not bring any clothes to change into.

Part of being a rodeo queen is being able to think quick and adapt to any situation. I could have easily decided not to go but I had committed and was not about to back out. Thankfully, I have a great work community where they are very understanding and work with my schedule.

Kennedy knew she wanted a horse book & a horse poster.
I love visiting with little girls who love horses!

At 11, I headed home to study for Farm Management test and get ready then head to Horticulture lecture. On my way home, I get a call from Pat, a Rodeo of the Ozarks board member and absolutely fantastic pageant director saying that the board meeting date had been moved to tonight. Which actually worked out quite well since I would already be in the right attire to appear at the board meeting.

After class I headed straight to McNair Middle School to visit with parents and kids as they shopped around and handed out autograph sheets. I then proceeded to Parsons Stadium to the board meeting and give spill on the events I've been involved in the last month and the events that I plan on getting involved in. I am beyond excited about

future involvements and can't wait to start sharing the experiences with you!

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts! Happy Friday Ladies & Gents!

School is Cool

Schools are one of my favorite places to be... provided of course, that I am a visitor and not attending!



Last week I visited Root Elementary where I was made to feel famous! They advertised for several weeks in advance so several kids came to the book fair just to see me. When I got there, the kiddos kept saying, "Miss Rodeo" is here! I welcomed people to the book fair, signed autographs, took pictures and visited with students and parents. They were all so welcoming and eager to talk, the two hours absolutely flew by! In exchange for my time, they allowed me to choose a couple of books. The books are going to come in handy for future children's reading. Additionally, I am going to be featured in the November Newsletter for Root Elementary!

On Friday, the 8th, I had the great privilege of speaking at the 18th annual Central Junior High Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony was absolutely breathtaking and truly encompassed the attitude of honoring our military. It consisted of hymns by the choirs, dance routines, speakers, letter readings, posting of the flags and special honors to those attending that are serving and that had served. It was an honor to be asked to speak in the presence of such true heroes. After the ceremony was a reception where I had the opportunity to visit with some of the great men and women who serve our country and enjoy refreshments before heading to class for the day.

This week, I have a bit of break from rodeo queen public appearances. I am spending more time working on establishing my photography skills; so if you know of anyone in need of photos for any occasion, please get in touch!

Until next time....

Happy Fall Y'all

The smell of pumpkin spice everything, leaves changing into panoramic views, hot chocolate, campfires and sweatshirts. Ah yes, all the sensations of things starting to move in a slower pace... right? Wrong! After wrapping up the fall rodeos in Little Rock, I rolled right over into getting involved in my surrounding community. 

University of Arkansas fall break was on the 21st and 22nd of October, so I was finally able to attend a Rodeo of the Ozarks board meeting. I typically cannot because I have a Monday night class and meetings are held the 3rd Monday of each month. It was such a pleasure to spend some time with the board. They are so supportive and I am honored to be a part of their team! Get ready for some big plans at the 70th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks. 

That same week, I attended Kirbi's Fundraiser. She had a great turnout for her silent auction, chilli cookoff, city slicker rodeo fundraising event as she prepares to compete for the title of Miss Rodeo America this December. We enjoyed a day of crazy critters and some serious baggo winning! Best Wishes to Miss Kirbi as she heads to represent Arkansas, the sport of rodeo and the western way of life. 

The following Monday, I attended a Farm Credit Customer Appreciation Dinner. It is always an honor to attend Farm Credit events! Not only are they a fantastic sponsor and employer but my second family. Farm Credit of Western Arkansas embraces the true meaning of community involvement in more ways than we recognize. One of which, is the annual Customer Appreciation dinner. With about 200 in attendance, I'd say it was a hit!


Last Friday I was invited to Asbell Elementary to talk about Responsibility during their Red Ribbon Week. I forgot what it was like to have energy at 7:45am! With 450 elementary students assembled in the cafeteria, the day after Halloween it was quite the way to begin an early Friday. The students sang several interactive songs then I spoke about the importance of responsibility and some of my responsibilities as a rodeo queen.

Although the fall hasn't quite brought the slower pace, one may expect, I am not the least bit remorseful. I love everything that I do am honored to have the opportunity to play an active part in my community while promoting rodeo. 

Change of Plans

I woke up with a set plan of action to conquer the day. The game plan: load queen clothes and accessories, pick up horse blanket from my best friends, pick up chaps from Robby, hitch trailer, load Max, arrive early with plenty of time to settle and warm up Max and chit chat with contestants. The reality: a quite different story. It started off right on track and with a perk! Nathan took off work early to drive me to Little Rock so I don't have to do so alone. Despite truck key switch ups and daily to dos interfering  we hit the road at 3pm thinking we'll get there just on time. 

All was going smooth until we hit Russellville. Good Ole RussVegas. Let me add, I went to Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, AR for two years and NEVER witnessed traffic on I-40. Never. We sat at a standstill for 45 minutes. Provided, it did give plenty of time to do makeup and get ready. We attempted to relieve the tension by singing crazy songs really loud... but eventually I had to face it. We were going to drive three hours and not get to do a queens run. I called the pageant director to let her know I would probably be late and got exciting news that due to an added performance, the queens runs got pushed back to 7:45! 

Upon arrival, I did a quick and calm tack up. Threw on my sash and hat and trotted Max around for about 10 minutes. Not long enough. We got to the coliseum just in time but Mr. Max was not a fan. He's never been road indoors before and the noise seemed to echo. He started trying to buck before our run but then did not even want to lope! He just got all bunched like a balloon ready to pop! I got him to finish out with a decent run but he was not happy. 

During the PBR I had the privilege of visiting with the five talented young ladies vying for the title of Miss Rodeo Arkansas State Fair as well as the current queen. And of course, did some autograph signing and photo taking. After the performance, I rode Max in the coliseum for a good forty five minutes. When we were finished, he was drenched but still had white in his eye because he was still on edge. I gave him a long cool down and walked him a round a while outside because it was pretty cool. 

We arrived home at 3am. The last 30 minutes of the haul were brutal! Loud music, windows down, our eyes were still slamming but we had one more rodeo under our belts and wrapped up the fall season. Now to practice, practice, practice until the spring rodeo season!

 

Husky Hoedown!

I officially participated in my first school visit as Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks! I absolutely love interacting with kids; they were absolutely fantastic! The event is a fall fundraiser to raise playground money for the students. Parents, students and others gathered to play rodeo related games, face painting, and purchase silent auction items (very similar to a fall festival). The school faculty supplied me with a GIANT queen chair (although I did not do much sitting) and a perfect spot to greet families, sign autographs and take lots of pictures.

I have 2 book fair visits, one veterans day assembly and one class presentation already schedule! If you or anyone you know would like me to a school or public event, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Rain, Rain...

This weekend I had a full schedule including attending the parade and helping with the stick horse races at Highfill Hay Daze, signing autographs at the Apple Festival in Lincoln and attending the Ozark Fall Carnival at Parson's arena. At 6am Saturday I awoke by thunder and had to put buckets underneath the roof leaks... that was a sure sign that Saturday was not going to go as planned. But I am NOT complaining about rain. As Luke Bryan put it, "Rain is a Good Thing"! Instead I spent the rainy day getting ahead on homework for the week and working on projects around the house. As a result, my weekly post is not going to be what I had planned. 

Even though I was unable to attend public events this past weekend, my duties are evident throughout the week. Being a rodeo queen extends a privilege of being a role model and taking every opportunity to promote the positive aspects of rodeo. Paisley is my boyfriend's  4 year old niece who tends to like the idea of riding a horse but is a bit nervous about actually getting close. That being said, if I was 3 foot tall looking up at giant animal, I'd be a bit timid as well. But when I asked her if she wanted to ride with me, she nodded her head without a hesitation. In a matter of minutes Paisley was manning the reins while I led her around as she named the different parts of the saddle and bridle I had just told her about (reins, stirrup, horns, seat, bit).


The next day (Thursday) an 8 year old boy, Collin, who is moving in next to the arena, kept watching us while we rode. When I started cooling Maximus off, Collin asked his parents if he could come up to the fence. I walked up and offered for him to pet Max then offered a ride (with his parents' permission of course). Collin was almost too confident so I had to warn him that you can never be too careful around a horse, especially one you don't know. The boy helped me cool off max, as I led him around, and he told me all about life! I'll be looking forward to seeing him around the arena once they get moved in.

It is truly an honor to be able to teach kids about horses, first hand. Even if it is just one or two, it is a difference made nonetheless.

Hispanic Heritage Festival

Apparently it is possible to have a rather smooth public appearance! I arrived at the Hispanic Heritage Festival at the Washington County Fairgrounds 15 minutes early in order to get the low down on the upcoming event. One of the rounders and former rodeo queen, Sophia Huffman, and I checked out the vendors and met a spectacular furry little friend that stole our hearts. The displays consisted of local businesses, services and events as well as entertainment, pony rides and a lot of great food!

Thankfully the Mutton Bustin was in an indoor livestock arena! After getting things set up the rounders, Miss Rodeo Old Fort Days, and myself signed autographs then started herding everyone our direction because the rain clouds were rolling in! Sadly, the forecast kept a lot of the crowd away but with four clowns, several performers, about 100 spectators and a flock of  sheep we were bound for an entertaining afternoon. About halfway through the mutton busin' the sky seemed to open up and it began to pour! It seems like we all made it inside just in time. We mingled with spectators and helped with Mutton Bustin' then witnessed a beautiful Aztec Native dance performed by five talented young ladies and drummer. I had the opportunity to expand on my Spanish vocabulary from some sweet kids. Before too long, everyone was rolling at the clowns' comedy. After all of the kids had rode and the performers had a chance to act, the rain slowly started to give way and people began to make a run for their vehicles. Despite the early shut down of the event, it was overall a great time with great friends!

The Good... The Bad, The Ugly

"The Good:" Yesterday morning Nathan and I went to Rush Springs Ranch (visit my awesome sponsor's website: http://www.rushspringsranch.com/) to check out the "Down n Dirty" fest sponsored by Pit Bull Power Sports of Springfield. Of course some vendor looking and mudding was in store but I was ready to get back to the horse barn. I put Maximus on some calves for the first time and unsurprisingly he is was a natural! Max and I seem to be getting more in tune with every ride; even though we have a long way to go, it feels nice to know we've also come a long way.


Getting ready for the Harrison PRCA rodeo, I had two of the best helpers a girl could ask for!! They even helped hairspray my curls... I think my hair could have withstood a hurricane. The real trick was finding all of my accessories when it was time to leave! Our plan was to leave at 3pm and we were pulling out of the driveway at 2:55! Took a gorgeous scenic route down HWY 90, stopped in Eureka for lunch (and to do some serious people watching, since BBBQ is going on) then got back on the road. Ahhh yes.... 73 degrees, running right on time and so ready to rodeo. Of course that was too good to be true. 

We managed to pass the entrance to the rodeo grounds and had to pull off to get turned around and somehow chose the one parking lot with a steep entrance, NO turn around and a HUGE drop off on the side. That's "The Bad." In front of the parking lot was a decent sized, flat, piece of grass so we decide to pull up to attempt a U turn.. In a 25ft horse trailer and a common rail, that's not the easiest. Started to do some backing then heard a crrruuuunnnchhhh. I already knew what it was but was hesitant to turn around and look... Yep, the trailer jack knifed and shattered the left side of the rear glass in the truck. Let's just say that the next 10 minutes was "The Ugly" and leave it at that. The short trek to the correct entrance was a silent one.

Thankfully, it was back to "The Good." After the situation cooled off, Nathan's first words were, "Well, I hope that makes your blog." Since it was in a monotone voice, I didn't answer because I wasn't sure if it was supposed to funny, serious or if he was still mad. But in my head I'm thinking, there is no way that's not going in my blog. Maybe one day, we'll go to a rodeo and things will be smooth (knock on wood). Miss Rodeo Old Fort Days, Jessica Stamps, pulled in beside us. We got our horses and ourselves ready then headed to check in. 

We met up with Teen Miss Rodeo Arkansas 2014, Caitlin Jacobs, and Rodeo Old Fort Days Princess, Ashton. Max did his best queens run yet! Followed by pushing cows at a rodeo for his first time! He was a bit anxious and ancy about the noise from the shoots. His eyes and ears were glued to the cowboy and the calf as they roped or wrestled but when it was time to do his job, he did it well. I couldn't be happier with his performance because it's so much to take in and he is such a champ. The rest of the night was smooth sailing. Peanut Butter Kettle Corn and some pretty serious air guitar turned the night into an overall success!

Live. Love. Rodeo. 

It's what you leave behind you...

"It ain't what you take when you leave this world behind you. It's what you leave behind you when you go." Randy Travis

I've had two weeks with no rodeos but that doesn't mean the representing stops. I believe that when you have a title that places you in a role model position, you are constantly being observed. One of the most beautiful things about the horse world is introducing other people, especially children, to it. There are few things more special than seeing a kid get excited about horses and begin to ask questions. I am always more than happy to answer them because when I was younger, I had the questions but no one too ask them too. From day to day I hope that I live as a positive representative of rodeo and  teach others about the characteristics that the western way of life embraces. And I aspire to do so, not only when I am at an event but in casual conversations and by introducing others to horses.

This Friday I will be signing autographs at Down & Dirty, an event that is hosted by one of my main sponsors, Rush Springs Ranch. Then Max and I will be headed to Harrison rodeo on Saturday. As of this week, Max has new shoes, floated teeth and we've been working on our queens runs so we are super excited about Harrison. 

See ya at the rodeo! 

Lessons Learned

Remember Madison County rodeo a few weeks ago? We learned to always allow an extra couple of hours when doing thing that involve horses. Good thing I took that lesson into consideration when heading to Vinita on Friday!

Our goal was to head to pick up Jessica (my friend and 2013 Miss Rodeo Old Fort Days) at 3:00pm. I woke up knowing that my horse trailer had a board loose and my boyfriend was planning to fix it while I was at class. I pull in at 2:45 to Nathan completely frustrated because after 3 drill bits down and a couple hours of trying… the board was NOT getting fixed that day. I got Max ready and loaded him in the second half of the trailer. Needless to say it was a quiet drive to Jessica’s because we were both irritated. Him - from messing with the trailer. I – from running late… again. One of my biggest pet peeves is not being on time.

Thankfully Jessica had a trailer we could borrow. Our plan B was to hitch up to her trailer with Nathan’s truck… of course, the ball on his truck was wrong the size. On top of that, we discovered that I did not unhook the trailer lights from underneath the gooseneck and when we turned it tore every fiber from my trailer light hookup. Great. Now with one lightless trailer and the wrong hitch… we had a pretty a good idea where things were headed.

Jessica’s dad was kind enough to let us borrow his truck! After getting hitched and moving things from one truck to another we hit the road around 4:30. Twenty minutes into the drive the tack room door flew open (even though it was locked!), so we stopped and closed it. Thirty minutes later it was open again! It happened seven times! Thankfully, we had our fix it man, Nathan, and he tied a ratchet strap to a horse tie on the trailer and latched down the door.

So the truck thermostat may have been a bit off...
but it felt like 134 degrees!

We arrived at 6:15. Warmed up the horses, our poor boys were drenched with sweat in no time. We changed in the truck with A/C. We had the privilege of meeting several other queens, including the reining junior and Miss Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo, Junior Miss Rodeo Oklahoma and Miss 101 Rodeo. During the queens runs, the current queens had to do a run and a half then continue to a second gate so that they can push cows later… Jessica and I were under the impression we

were to do the same thing.  As I approached the gate that they exited, people started pointed and yelling “no keep going!” So we got to do double queens runs! All we could do was laugh because we were the only ones out in the arena as we finished our runs and the announcer played “How bout them Cowgirls” over the system. Maximus’ first queens run was a success. He was very controlled, now we just have to work on speed! After cooling off our horses, we signed all of our autograph sheets plus a few hats and boots in about 30 minutes because the kids were so ecstatic that we were there.

My favorite thing is meeting eyes with a child who really wants to talk with you but is too shy. I love when they decide to open up and before too long, it's hard to find a stopping point in the conversation because the kid is so excited about rodeo. I hope to help make kids' first rodeo experience a memory; because often times that memory can turn into tradition. And tradition is what rodeo is all about. 

Granny's Quilts of Love

I called up my grandma to see if they needed help serving food, setting up or handing out items at the upcoming auction. Instead, she invited me as 2013 Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks to help draw door prizes!

I attended the 10th Annual Granny's Quilts of Love Auction on Saturday August 24th. This year over 280 baskets of items from local companies was donated and over $16,000.00 was raised! That's a new record. This organization of sweet ladies makes quilts for children at Arkansas Children's Hospital; all of the proceeds to go to purchase the material. These quilts are more than just gifts, they are a representation of hope, home and love for kids who do not always have those three things. 

I spent Saturday evening in my hometown, visiting with old friends and families and of course, making a few new ones!

This ain't my first rodeo. Actually it is.

Okay so it wasn’t exactly my first but it was my first appearance as Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks, the first to pull my gooseneck trailer by myself that long of a distance and first rodeo for my new horse.\

As you may know, anything that involves horses usually takes longer than expected. I figured in an extra two hours because I had to go pick up my little brother, Chris, and then head to the ranch to get my horse, Maximus. Of course my little brother had not yet had lunch so we stopped at the diner in town and hit the road to Rush Springs Ranch, where I had been working with my horse throughout the week. I get my boyfriends’ big Dodge Cummins backed up to my trailer and crank the hitch over the ball, perfectly lined up but… my gooseneck wouldn’t latch. Yes the hitch had unaligned and it would not set down right. After an hour and a half of struggling and sweating, I along with the great help of my “never wrong” 13 year old brother, a 14 year old girl who stays around the ranch and three dogs. We got it hooked up and ready to go.

The Madison County parade was supposed to start at 3pm. We pulled into Huntsville, AR at fifteen after and made it up the treacherously steep hill to the rodeo grounds; only to find out that the parade was in town. So we made a U-turn and I called a co-worker of mine to get directions to the parade. We pulled in just as it was about to start and I was not dressed in my shirt, crown and sash nor was my horse saddled! First mistake.

As the parade line came into sight I was prepping my little brother. “Okay Chris, when we pull in, it’s going to be a little crazy. I need you to get everything out of the back of the truck and put in the living quarters so I can get ready. While you’re doing that I’m going to get Max ready. When we finish, take Shiloh and go sit with Jerri Faye and her son. She’s parked over there (I point to her blue Silverado, she greets us with a big wave and her small town smile.)”

Max handled his first parade like a champ! After the parade, we visited with Jerri Faye and her son, Dugger rode Max around. When we were almost back to the rodeo grounds I somehow managed to put the truck into fourth instead of first gear.. and killed it. With a line of vehicles behind us, I couldn’t get the truck started because my legs barely reach the floor so I slammed in the clutch in three hard times and still couldn’t get the motor to turn over. Thankfully, rodeo is about helping others out and a man walked up to start my truck and get us parked. For the rest of the evening, Chris and I hung out, had sonic drinks, ate peanuts, I worked Max in the arena and gave Chris a little riding lesson.  Max did so well the entire time and it was so much to help with the Muttin Bustin and stick horse grand entry. I love seeing kids get excited about rodeo! Despite our initial setbacks, it was an overall successful “first rodeo.”

We learned the following:

Make sure your trailer is in full working condition. Know WHERE you are supposed to be. Put a radio and sunscreen in the trailer. Be sure you can start the truck you’re driving. Always keep smiling because it could be worse!

Life Changing

On July 6th 2013, Boyd Polhamus called our names over the echoing sound system as the crowd of several thousand cheered. The six of us flew into the arena knowing that there was no turning back. The week of public appearances, interviews, speeches, horsemanship, friendships and rodeo was behind us and the moment of truth was upon us. 
Our horses could feel our anticipation as they pranced underneath us because our nerves were on end. It was hard to hear to the announcements. Not because of the noise from the fans but the sound in my saying a prayer that my preparation was enough to make the cut. The awards seemed to take a lifetime but for everyone else it was only a few short minutes. "Your new 2013 Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks... is... Kelsey Parmenter!" I could not believe it. I do not know how my horse knew to move forward because I think I was too excited to ask her too.

I have previously received several runner-up titles but God new that the timing at the rodeo was not right. I had a lot to learn and even more to work for before being prepared to have a title.I sold my horses in order to attend college and originally view this as a setback but through riding other people’s horses I have had the opportunity to learn from several very talented riders that I may not have otherwise. As a financially independent college student, I have faced a number of obstacles but none to challenging to overcome with the help of family and friends. The hours spent studying and practicing has been well worth it because it is what I genuinely enjoy. From riding lessons to honest opinions about outfits and from speech rehearsals to quizzing me on current events, I wouldn’t be half as prepared without the help of others. If it weren’t for those who helped me along the way, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I am ecstatic to write the next chapter in my life and hope that you'll come along for the ride!

"Ride with passion & Rope your dreams!"