Let me start by saying we are home... And man do we have a story to tell. I have to admit that I thought when I asked Mom to Blog for me that she would tell everything that happened but she got so excited she just posted that I won ... So now I will post the whole story ...
First, we have to back up to Tuesday night when Micheala and I went to the practice ring together. We were riding and racing and just having fun together as we only see each other every few years. Well, You see, there were some home town kids that were mouthing off and not obeying the rules of the arena. We tried to ignore them but in the end the Arena officials had to step in and straighten them out. We tried to keep the peace and didn't make a scene or anything but it set the tone of the speed event competition between the states and with out knowing it, It became an us against them kind of thing. The us was the ones following the rules and trying our best to keep good sportsmanship in the competition. The them was the kids from Louisiana that thought the hometown advantage would be enough to make them winners.
Everyone agreed that I did great at keeping a good atitude through it all. I supported my team and helped them anyway I could. When it came time for my events I sat to the back of the arena and only spoke encouraging words to everyone. Things like "good try" and "nice run" became big in my vocabulary. I held my head up high and did what I do best ... Be Me.
In my first event, the Break away Calf Roping, I was second to last to go. Mom was in the stands keeping track of times so that I can see how everyone placed when it is over (it is fun to go back and see how close the times were) Anyway, There were only 9 people that caught their calves and of those only 5 had done it in a normal time. Most ran long or missed all together. (I think everyone got nervous because there were alot of people missing and having to use their second loop which takes longer) When I entered the arena I paused and prayed out loud "Lord, please let me draw a time" The gate man looked surprized the first time I did it but he got used to it.
I made a good clean first run with a time of 3.7 seconds. It wasn't a bad run but it wasn't enough to take the lead either. Then I went back to my back spot and encouraged all the other riders. One girl was thrown off her horse face first (I took my Roping on Faith decals and tucked them some place on the stalls of contestants that I felt "needed" them for what ever reason ... I had Mom taking notes with the times) When it came time for my second calf there were only 4 that caught both calves and there was two of us left to go. I again prayed and entered the ring. I went out and made a nice clean run in 4.8 seconds giving me a combined time of 8.5 seconds on two ... That put me in second place ... Known in 4-H as Reserve Champion. The last young man didn't rope well enough to move me so that is how it ended.
While on a short break after the Break away roping some of the Louisiana kids started to mouth off about how I thought I could rope and I just smiled and said things like "I try my best and God does the rest" Next up was the Tie Down Calf Roping and there weren't as many entries but every entry was someone who had taken part in the Break away event.
The one difference was that this time I was last to go ... Again as I had before I sat at the back of the Arena on Ice and encouraged everyone with each run. One young Man got kicked in the mouth (yes I stuck a decal on his stall too) When it came time to run my calf I did nothing different from the first event. I prayed and entered the arena and Ice and I made a good clean run with a time of 12.76 Seconds. Then I was off to my spot to cheer everyone on. When it came to my second calf I was in place to win if I just drew a decent time of less then 26 seconds. (I didn't know what I had to do but I knew I was setting pretty good)
At this point Mom was in the stands. She could see the times and She was praying every run I made too. She said a quiet little prayer asking God to let his will and word shine through. Anyway, while I sat waiting to enter the arena one man told me that since I didn't have a parent helping me in the chutes he wanted to let me know that all I needed was another consistant run and he then tried telling me that he had watched the calves and that the calf I drew was going to do this or that. I told the Man thank you, but that My Mom was in the stands cheering and that God was with me in the arena. I explained that with God by my side I would anticipate nothing and expect everything and God would help me handle it. The Man looked at me and said he would have to remember that and walked off. Once more I said my prayer and entered the Arena....
I made my run and by the time My hands went into the air to signal I was done ... The crowd was Quiet ... Mom was to her feet and my friends and teammates in the stands didn't understand... Mom just squeeked out "he did it .. he won ..." The Crowd looked at Mom as the calf stayed tied for the 6 second count and when the time came over the loud speaker the crowd went crazy .... I have never heard Mom scream so loud before .... And Ice heard her too ... I just smiled and rode back to my spot to await the final standing.
While I was waiting, I took the time to shake everyone's hands and tell them thank you for competing or for helping run things. From Chute help to contestant I made sure to let everyone know I appriecated everything that took place that day ... One kid wouldn't shake my hand until he saw everyone else talking to me and shaking my hand as I thanked them. I told him he made some good runs and he said I did too. I think he started to understand and lightened up a bit. I then took time to Thank the Lord for what he had done as well.
When the official times and placing were announced It was official ... I was the Champion of the Tie Down calf Roping. Mom is very proud of me and keeps saying it ... And that Night when I went to the dance (and when Mom was suppose to blog about everything that happened) my teammates made sure everyone knew I had won. So much so it was kind of embarrassing. Mom says the drama was the stuff Movies are made of and that the story book ending was one only God Could have written in real life.
We spent all day yesterday in the truck driving home and laughing and talking about the day before. Today, we are taking it easy and for the record, Ice will be pastured for the next 30 days, only coming out of the pasture for a photo session Mom has set up for Ice and I in about 2 weeks. It is now time to get Tropical Storm
Everyone agreed that I did great at keeping a good atitude through it all. I supported my team and helped them anyway I could. When it came time for my events I sat to the back of the arena and only spoke encouraging words to everyone. Things like "good try" and "nice run" became big in my vocabulary. I held my head up high and did what I do best ... Be Me.
In my first event, the Break away Calf Roping, I was second to last to go. Mom was in the stands keeping track of times so that I can see how everyone placed when it is over (it is fun to go back and see how close the times were) Anyway, There were only 9 people that caught their calves and of those only 5 had done it in a normal time. Most ran long or missed all together. (I think everyone got nervous because there were alot of people missing and having to use their second loop which takes longer) When I entered the arena I paused and prayed out loud "Lord, please let me draw a time" The gate man looked surprized the first time I did it but he got used to it.
I made a good clean first run with a time of 3.7 seconds. It wasn't a bad run but it wasn't enough to take the lead either. Then I went back to my back spot and encouraged all the other riders. One girl was thrown off her horse face first (I took my Roping on Faith decals and tucked them some place on the stalls of contestants that I felt "needed" them for what ever reason ... I had Mom taking notes with the times) When it came time for my second calf there were only 4 that caught both calves and there was two of us left to go. I again prayed and entered the ring. I went out and made a nice clean run in 4.8 seconds giving me a combined time of 8.5 seconds on two ... That put me in second place ... Known in 4-H as Reserve Champion. The last young man didn't rope well enough to move me so that is how it ended.
While on a short break after the Break away roping some of the Louisiana kids started to mouth off about how I thought I could rope and I just smiled and said things like "I try my best and God does the rest" Next up was the Tie Down Calf Roping and there weren't as many entries but every entry was someone who had taken part in the Break away event.
The one difference was that this time I was last to go ... Again as I had before I sat at the back of the Arena on Ice and encouraged everyone with each run. One young Man got kicked in the mouth (yes I stuck a decal on his stall too) When it came time to run my calf I did nothing different from the first event. I prayed and entered the arena and Ice and I made a good clean run with a time of 12.76 Seconds. Then I was off to my spot to cheer everyone on. When it came to my second calf I was in place to win if I just drew a decent time of less then 26 seconds. (I didn't know what I had to do but I knew I was setting pretty good)
At this point Mom was in the stands. She could see the times and She was praying every run I made too. She said a quiet little prayer asking God to let his will and word shine through. Anyway, while I sat waiting to enter the arena one man told me that since I didn't have a parent helping me in the chutes he wanted to let me know that all I needed was another consistant run and he then tried telling me that he had watched the calves and that the calf I drew was going to do this or that. I told the Man thank you, but that My Mom was in the stands cheering and that God was with me in the arena. I explained that with God by my side I would anticipate nothing and expect everything and God would help me handle it. The Man looked at me and said he would have to remember that and walked off. Once more I said my prayer and entered the Arena....
I made my run and by the time My hands went into the air to signal I was done ... The crowd was Quiet ... Mom was to her feet and my friends and teammates in the stands didn't understand... Mom just squeeked out "he did it .. he won ..." The Crowd looked at Mom as the calf stayed tied for the 6 second count and when the time came over the loud speaker the crowd went crazy .... I have never heard Mom scream so loud before .... And Ice heard her too ... I just smiled and rode back to my spot to await the final standing.
While I was waiting, I took the time to shake everyone's hands and tell them thank you for competing or for helping run things. From Chute help to contestant I made sure to let everyone know I appriecated everything that took place that day ... One kid wouldn't shake my hand until he saw everyone else talking to me and shaking my hand as I thanked them. I told him he made some good runs and he said I did too. I think he started to understand and lightened up a bit. I then took time to Thank the Lord for what he had done as well.
When the official times and placing were announced It was official ... I was the Champion of the Tie Down calf Roping. Mom is very proud of me and keeps saying it ... And that Night when I went to the dance (and when Mom was suppose to blog about everything that happened) my teammates made sure everyone knew I had won. So much so it was kind of embarrassing. Mom says the drama was the stuff Movies are made of and that the story book ending was one only God Could have written in real life.
We spent all day yesterday in the truck driving home and laughing and talking about the day before. Today, we are taking it easy and for the record, Ice will be pastured for the next 30 days, only coming out of the pasture for a photo session Mom has set up for Ice and I in about 2 weeks. It is now time to get Tropical Storm
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