January 25, 2025 • 75 mins
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.
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Shoutout to:
Bella
The Hester Family
TVCC
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
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 somethingwas going on.
I like that middle name, though, because my daughter's names
are like Zoe, jane, grace, lilyand Hope.
My oldest is Faith, so whenSaul prays I was like I don't
(00:51):
feel that's her last name.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Everyone thinks it's my last name, but my mom did
good with that.
I love my middle name.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yeah, it's nice.
It's lovely, and I totallyunderstand why you use your
middle name, because in Facebook, because of the line of work, I
do not just podcasting, I dothis for fun and for free and
everything else who don't agreewith what I do and how I do it
(01:27):
can search me up and find outwhat I do, how I do it and, uh,
you know, take me to the stateor something like that.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, it's a smart way to go.
Yeah, yeah, your whole name outthere.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
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 mylast name on there.
You know, that's smart, I needto do that.
Then they start taking it up.
I'm like they're like nick, howdo you do this?
Like, how did you know?
I was like man we go to schoolfor you know certain things and,
uh, definitely I don't.
(01:57):
You know, put sharp objects inmy office, you know, and make
sure certain names don't floatout in around.
So, bella, welcome, thank youfor having me.
Oh well, you know, not toooften do people just approach
you and say, hey, shall I?
(02:18):
Uh, I was telling wiley.
I was telling wiley it's like,yeah, she approached me.
She's like how the hell areyour?
I was like dude.
Her approach was fantastic.
I can't tell them, but I wouldlove to read how you approached
me and I totally man talk aboutprofessional and way to get
somebody to look at you.
(02:40):
Fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So thank you Well, thank you, I appreciate it.
I try to be professional yeah,very professional.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
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 loveto read it, but I, I keep that
to myself, all right, yeah, butgreat job well thank.
Bella, like a couple otherrodeo college rodeo athletes
(03:09):
that I've had on, you're alsofrom Treasure Valley Community
College.
Now got a question for you.
Is it a thing now?
Do people say, hey, you got tobe on this podcast?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I've just a couple of my teammates have been on the
podcast and I I've listened toyou even before the like they
were on, uh, and so when I sawthat they were on, I was like
hey, you know he's, he'sinterviewing people, that I know
what's the harm in in messagingand I've listened to you a lot
and I was like who knows, thankyou yeah who knows magical
(03:45):
happen now that you're on now,you just want to end this
conversation, be like okay, it'snot what it's all cracked up to
be.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
No, all right, all right, we're having fun.
That's all I just didn't want.
I don't want anybody to likethink there's so much pressure
and think you know there'sguidelines and everything else.
So I'm glad you know you knowthere's guidelines and
everything else.
So I'm glad you know you're,you're relaxed and everything
else.
So when you approached me, wetalked about, or you talked
(04:14):
about yourself a little bit, youknow being self-made cowgirl
and everything else.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
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 upin industry like their parents
did it, their grandparents didit, their grandparents like it's
just as like a generationalthing.
And I didn't have that I'm theonly person that even remotely
(04:39):
deals with horses in my family.
Um, like my mom hates gettingdirt under her nails, like
that's, that's um right.
I mean my dad, you know we havehad, like I did 4-H growing up
with like pigs and and all.
We've had some bottle calvesand stuff.
Um, but horses was kind of likemy thing and I don't know where
(05:00):
I got it from, because I'veloved, I've had the horse bug
since.
I could even remember um horsethemed birthday parties and um,
all like I got American Girldolls as a kid just because I
wanted to play with the horses.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
That came with them.
I got you.
Yeah, I got in the teacupstudio.
There's a couple of horses in.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yes, yes, I got you and so when I say self-made, I
just mean like um, I didn't haveanything passed down to me,
Gotcha.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
That's what I figured , but, like a lot of people
don't, they're not that honestand they say that.
But you're honest and you saidit and you're sticking to it.
So thank you for being honest,you know.
So, with that said, was itdifficult to have you know, to
tell your parents that you knowyou wanted to get dirty?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
Uh, it was just kind of.
It wasn't I wouldn't say out ofleft field, because, um,
everyone known like knew I lovehorses my whole life and I would
wear cowgirl boots andbasketball shorts to school
every day Because I just didn'twant to take my boots off and
stuff.
But talking to my parents aboutit, I don't really remember how
it even went down.
I got a saddle before I got ahorse.
(06:24):
I got a saddle before I got ahorse and I would practice
throwing my saddle up on thefence and I would practice like
cinching up so that when I didget a horse I knew how.
And I remember it being likealmost dark and my mom having to
tell me to come inside becauseI would just be out there the
whole time practicing cinchingup and stuff.
(06:45):
But yeah, it was kind of.
I think everyone kind of knewthat's where I wanted to go was
riding horses.
But I started out wanting tojump horses like ride English.
Oh okay, and my dad's girlfriendat the time that what she did
(07:06):
and she was a big like englishtrainer and stuff, and so, um, I
didn't start riding with heruntil I was like 14 or so but uh
, she kind of like got mejumping and kind of like really,
uh, cemented in my foundation,um like made me have eggs in my
hands when I was holding thereins and, um, trotting without
(07:31):
stirrups and you know, thatwhole deal like kind of really
set my foundation, cause, um, Ilearned how to write from
YouTube videos.
Yeah, I just Googled how am Idoing, how to do this?
and a lot of trial and error,but yeah so a lot of error, or
(07:53):
just a lot of error, yeah, Ihear you.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So tradition like traditional, or jumping, like
you said, everything sounds good.
But you're, you're young, butyou know your parents know, like
Christopheropher reeves, that'sthe first thing that they think
of.
You know, superman, who endedup paralyzed, for you know that
one accident so did they, didthat scare them when they found
out that you wanted to jump andbe on horses or no um, I, my mom
(08:24):
is still terrified to this dayevery time I get on a horse.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
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 andwas absolutely in love with
barrel racing and so I stilljumped with my dad's girlfriend
(08:48):
for a while, but barrel like Ifigured out pretty quick that
barrel racing was what I wantedto do and I got a trailer and a
truck full of tack and twohorses for $2,000.
And there was a bunch ofWestern tack in there and so
(09:11):
that's kind of like what set meoff on that.
Like I was watching all theFallon Taylor YouTube videos and
I was like I'm going to barrelrace in this 18 inch rope saddle
.
That was about falling apart.
Okay, how old were you when Igot that, when I was, oh, 12 or
13, I think okay, you've beenchasing barrels ever since yeah,
(09:35):
yeah, yeah, took a, took av-turn to jump um for a little
bit and then kind of found mylove for barrel racing and
hasn't left me since okay now alot of people on on the podcast
that listen to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
You know they're runners, like myself.
They do stupid things.
You know via legs.
But barrel racing isn't as easyas people think, correct?
Yeah, there's more to it.
It's an art, just likeeverything else we do, but this
(10:14):
entails a lot of stuff with thecore.
It's just not.
You get on a horse and you runaround barrels.
Right, right get on a horse andyou run around barrels, right,
right.
So what turned you on to dojust that and be the barrel
racer you are today?
Because it's not that easy.
(10:34):
It's not, it's, it's not easy.
You can tell the people whoattend rodeos they know, you
know, but the people I'm tryingto 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 elsethey don't know yeah, it's, and
(10:56):
it's terrifying.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Right, you're running mock 10 at a metal object as
fast as you can on a 1200 poundanimal that doesn't speak your
language, you know it's turningon a dime yeah it's.
You have to be really, reallyin 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 isit the adrenaline?
(11:21):
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 sayI'm an adrenaline junkie, for
sure, I will, I love, I love itand so.
But bear racing is just like adifferent type of adrenaline and
, um, my favorite thing in theentire world is right before,
when you're walking down thealleyway and my horse and, uh,
(11:41):
my heartbeat like they sync upand I can feel her heartbeat and
I mean I'm talking to her thewhole time but I'm like that's
how I know we're ready to godown.
The alleyway is like when we,our heartbeats sync up like that
, I'm like I know when, likewe're ready to go.
And I don't know if that's justa me thing, but it, it is my
favorite thing in the entireworld when that happens, cause
(12:02):
just know, like that we're so intune.
What's your?
Speaker 1 (12:06):
horse's name shorty shorty.
How long have you had, shorty?
Speaker 2 (12:10):
I've uh four years in May four years.
Yeah, love at first sight ohyeah, yeah, I found her in a hay
field, yeah, um, she was.
So I was getting hay for ahorse I was leasing at the time
and I was having a really,really, really hard time finding
a horse to buy, like they were.
(12:31):
They were falling out for theweirdest reasons.
Like I had a horse that I wentand tried and it was like six
grand and it was like a 2dpalmino 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?
(12:52):
And so I didn't, uh, end upgetting him and stuff.
So I was kind of like down inthe dumps when, um, I was
getting hay for the horse I wasleasing at the time, and, um, I
saw her out in the field and waslike who, who's that?
Who's that out there?
And the lady Kathleen, she waslike, oh yeah, she.
(13:15):
She came in a package deal witha mule and we wanted the mule
and so she's too fast for a packstring, and so she's just kind
of been sitting in the field andI 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 youknow.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Okay, all right, keep going.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
It was like all I know is that she was a police
horse at some point and I waslike, okay, Um, and a couple of
days later I brought my saddleout and went and tried her and
it was like she had never had aday off in her life.
Um, she acted like she had been,was legged up and ready to go.
(13:59):
Um, no bucks, no, nothing, nospooks, and um, so then a couple
of days later I took her to theour like local fairgrounds and
I loped some patterns on her andshe was like getting up and
going and I said I am buying herand, um, she was going to be
(14:21):
like 3,500 or something likethat, Like that's all they
wanted for.
And, um, I was going to be likethirty five hundred or
something like that, Like that'sall they wanted for.
And I was going to put threegrand down and just have to pay
the rest of the five hundred offwhen 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 likemy husband and I prayed about it
(14:45):
and if you can give her, or ifyou can give us three grand cash
.
She's yours, and that was thefastest three grand I've ever
put down in my life.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Um, and how did you do it?
With the help of your parents?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
No, I.
So I did 4-H growing up, um,and I had two horses.
At the time I had, or I had, alease horse and then before then
I had two Arab quarter horsesthat had two left feet and were.
They were awesome, greatstarter horses.
But, um, you know, I stepped upand I sold them and then I had
(15:22):
a little red mare that I soldand then, uh, I've been doing
4-H, so I've saved up a littlebit to um buy her, and so I put
it.
I bought her for three grandand has been history ever since.
Um, we definitely you know, Iit's.
It took a couple years for usto really find our groove, but
(15:49):
now we're money.
Well, she's 10 months pregnantright now.
She's about due.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
On purpose, yes, on purpose.
I was like, what well, he saidthey had the differences, but
also she's pregnant.
I'm like, hmm, so, yeah, okay,who's boss, you or her?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
we're a team, there's no boss um, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Smart, that's what I thought I had to ask.
They'll tell you what's up.
Therapeutically, they'reamazing animals, oh my goodness.
They're almost like people.
They'll tell you who they likeand don't like.
They'll tell you what's up.
Oh yeah, she's very vocal aboutwho and don't like.
(16:45):
They'll tell you what's up, youknow, oh yeah.
She's very vocal about who shedoesn'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 forsupporting you, you know even
though it was new to them.
They knew the daughter you knowwanted to continue.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
So Both my parents parents they picked it up and
ran with it and I think theycould see how passionate I was
about it and um, you know a lotof 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 mymom still hasn't missed a rodeo
(17:30):
yet.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
So I was going to ask your parents go, and yeah my,
my mom has been to every singlerodeo.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
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-timemilitary, he's active duty, and
so it's kind of hard for him togo, but he goes when he can,
gotcha yeah thank thanks, uh.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
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 (18:11):
She used to tell me when she was a kid that, um, she
would always wear like her rockrevival jeans and, uh, she
would, her and her best friendwould go to rodeos and stuff.
Um, and she wishes she stillkept her rock revivals, because
now they're trending again.
Um, yeah, but yeah, she, she,and I'm pretty bold, I've got
(18:34):
some pretty flashy shirts andstuff, so I think she gets a
kick out of me dressing up, allright I just wonder.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I'm pretty sure, ma yeah, mom, mom doesn't like to
get dirty, but she does likethat fashion I'm just saying
shout out to mom not not gettingon, 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.
(19:05):
You know she doesn't like toget dirty, but she loves that
fashion and it's just like.
The one thing that she can'tget into is turquoise.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Oh yeah, that's one thing she doesn't like.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
So all right.
Barrel racing and then goattying, that's not a thing,
unless you're in college, right?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Yeah, so it's like a high school college thing it
stops after college rodeo.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Why does it stop?
That's why I'm asking.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Why I don't know.
Um, I mean, I don't, I don't, Ijust kind of picked it up
because I wanted to.
I it's kind of like the thingthat I do just for fun.
Um, yeah, I'm not great at it.
I'm not bad, but I'm not greatat it.
I'm not bad, but I'm not likegreat at it, and I don't think
(20:01):
I'm in love with it as much as Iam bell racing.
So it's like kind of just likeanother thing that I do.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Um, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
But I don't know why it doesn't go on after.
But pole bending isn't even incollege rodeo, it stops at high
school.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So I don't, but that's that's more popular than
tying of the goat.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I know so because I've been to a couple high
school rodeos and pole bendingslike that.
You know they have like manypole benders but then you get
the goat tire.
You're like what, what was that?
And it's like maybe two orthree goat tires.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
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 onyour body, it's hard on your
knees.
It's um, you have to havereally really quick hands, um.
And yeah, you have to be strongto be able to flip.
You flip goats.
You wouldn't think you wouldneed to be that strong, but some
, when you're flipping goats atpractice all day, they start
getting really heavy yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah, they they get.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
They're heavy, they're not, they're not that
small.
I'm not.
We're not flipping over babygoats.
That's just inhumane, you know,and not kind.
So do you think they shouldbring it up a little more, or do
you think it's just, it's goodwhere it's at?
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I think it's good where it's at.
Um, I really I mean, I reallycouldn't see it being in any
like pro rodeo events oranything.
It just, I mean, like theydon't even have breakaway at the
NFR, so and I feel like that'sa lot more popular than pole
bending or goat tying.
Yeah, they need to tell meabout it.
(21:41):
Um, yeah, I would love to seebreakaway at the NFR, but, um,
it's just, I think it's justkind of how it's always been,
like goat tying and pole bendingstay at the high school,
college level yeah, but it'sreally fun I think they should
think about it.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
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 theladies get dirty, you know, with
some goats.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I mean it's a fun event to watch for sure.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
So you know what equal opportunist right here.
So yeah, all right.
So treasure valley, communitycollege.
Why treasure valley?
Out of all the other collegeprograms out there rodeo
programs you picked that one.
Why I like to ask this question.
So why?
Speaker 2 (22:34):
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 todo track over there and he was
like looking at at TVCC, like ontheir page, and saw they had a
(22:55):
rodeo team and was like Bella,hey, do you know this?
And I said I didn't even knowTVCC existed.
And so then I looked into itand I had a couple of friends
that were moving to Idaho to goto hair school and college and
whatever over here, and it alljust kind of worked out, fell in
(23:16):
my lap.
I knew some people on the team,or like I met some people on the
team, um, you know, got someconnections, called drew and and
signed the uh last august, um,but I really love it over here
and the, the people that areover here were.
They're just so down to earth,like my professors and my coach,
(23:37):
my teammates, like everyonehere is so down to earth and
just like I, like all of them,you know, and and it's a
agricultural school, I'mmajoring in animal science, okay
, and so it was just kind ofeverything kind of fit for me to
go here.
Yeah, you guys are a tight knitfamily or team, team you know,
(23:59):
family team, same thing.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It's pretty cool to watch, you know, because a lot
of, a lot of the stuff that yousee at the rodeo, it's just all
individual.
You know, yeah, behind closedcurtains, you know they're
probably buddy buddy, but whenthey're on the field or in the
dirt, you, you know, it's alllike, hey, survival of the
(24:22):
fittest.
You know, but seeing you guysbringing new light to this whole
rodeo scene and, um, you know,just the the sport, you know.
So, uh, when, when you're, whenyou're approached, did you know
for a fact this was yourprogram that you wanted to do
and the team that you wanted tobe part of?
Speaker 2 (24:44):
yeah, yeah, it kind of you just kind of got a
feeling you know when, likeyou're meant to be somewhere
yeah and I just got that.
I clicked with everybodyinstantly, you know, and
everyone is so willing to helpyou.
And I've had a couple offriends like, oh, you want to
(25:05):
learn how to breakaway?
Like here, use, like I have apractice rope.
Here, come practice my dummywith me, like I'll help you, and
just everyone here is just sowilling to jump on and help and
be friends with everybody.
And so I just kind of knew thatit was the right fit for me off
the bat.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Not trying to put you on the spot Now I have to ask
you this question.
There's a lot of guys therethat are lookers.
Is that another reason?
Is that another reason?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
No, I have a wonderful boyfriend, boyfriend
um back home, and he's verysupportive and loves me so very
much, so, uh, boys were not afactor for me I know, I just
thought I'd do that you turned.
Red though you turned red.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
The reason why I ask is because I had one gentleman
here Well, two gentlemen herethat from the school that came
to the house.
One of them really got thelooks and one my oldest daughter
was like oh my God, you need tohave him come here more often.
My goodness, you probably knowwho I'm talking about.
But oh my goodness, that's whyI asked.
(26:16):
I wasn't trying to put you onthe spot.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
I was like what question are you gonna ask me?
Um, yeah, no, all the guys aregreat.
Um, they're all really funnyand stuff, and yeah, great guys,
but not looking at any of them.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Well, but you know, my, my wife was like man, that
guy, that guy, I'm like what youknow, and we're a lot older.
But yeah, I'm, I'm, I'mshouting out Wiley, okay, wiley
is quite the looker, yeah, butno, he's, he's, he's quite the
cowboy and he's very nice andvery professional.
(26:55):
And for him to be his age andbe the pickup man, it says a lot
.
That's why, yeah, that'sincredible.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yeah, he was the first person I met, but, like,
so, I had known one of myteammates, emery, way before I
even signed, but he was thefirst person on the team that I
met that I hadn't known and hethought I was a freshman and um,
(27:23):
I was like, nope, I graduate inJune, um, but yeah, so he and
he was really sweet to me.
He was like, yeah, like I'mjust leaving here, have the
arena, I'll shut the gate foryou.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And so, yeah, he's really cool yeah, yeah, sorry,
hopefully I didn't uh embarrassyou, I just wanted to embarrass
myself and my daughters andwiley so because wiley's a good
guy.
He's, he's he wants me out andabout with him and his buddies
this year and, uh, he's likeeverything goes.
(27:55):
I'm like god, how many days?
He's like, don't ask, we'rejust gonna go.
I'm like God, how many days?
He's like, don't ask, we'rejust going to go.
I'm like all right.
So Wiley and I are going tospend some time together this
year.
Very, very friendly guy, god,yeah, it's good, all right.
Now, when you approached me youtalked about well, you wanted
(28:18):
to say you know about my c wordthat I was going through, but
you yourself battle someautoimmune disease or multiple.
Okay, how many?
Speaker 2 (28:33):
two um two, yeah.
So, and one of them is we'restill working on, we're like it
might be something else, itmight be work.
It's.
Diagnosing autoimmune diseasesis probably one of the hardest
things to do, and so it's been ayears, a couple of years worth
(28:54):
of trial and error and stuff andthings.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
But my one you don't one talking about this, correct?
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, that's fine.
It's fine Um you don't mind?
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Okay, okay, no, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Uh, I have fibromyalgia, um, and chronic
fatigue syndrome, so they kindof go hand in hand.
But, um, but it's like achronic pain and you, it sucks
trying to rodeo when you'rechronically fatigued and in pain
(29:29):
all of the time and rodeo ishard on your body, as is, and
then adding all of that stuff ontop 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 andMike my backer, and so much
pain that I can't get out of bedand I'm 20.
Right, so I shouldn't have todeal with that kind of pain.
(29:52):
And so that's kind of how weknew something was wrong.
Um, and I the other one we'retrying to figure out that I have
is lupus, um, and I've had somepositive.
They kind of go hand in hand.
Yeah, yeah, um, and I haveevery single symptom and a
(30:14):
positive ANA and we're just kindof, but we're just like making
sure, because there's a lot ofmedications I have to be on the
rest of my life if I do fullyget diagnosed with that, and
that's not something that I wantto do.
So we're being 110% sure thatthat's what.
It is also really hard, likehaving flare-ups and stuff like,
(30:42):
uh, I had to miss, I had tomiss school, uh, the other, just
the other day, because myflare-ups were so bad and I was
getting big.
It almost looks like a, anallergic reaction, the the welts
.
I get all over my body andstuff and it's just, it's
painful and it, you know, yourwhole body hurts and your whole
body's wiped out afterwardsbecause your body attacks itself
, um, when you have this and so,um, like you're just wiped out
afterwards because your bodyattacks itself when you have
this and so, like you're justwiped out afterwards and but the
(31:09):
world doesn't stop for you alsoat the same time, especially
when you're a college student.
So you kind of just have topower through and and get
everything that you need to getdone.
But that's why I try and stayreally on top of all my
schoolwork and stuff, because Idon't know when my next flare-up
is going to be and you know ifI'm down for the count and miss
something, like I don't want tofall too far behind.
(31:31):
But it's hard, it's hard to doand I'm such an active, busy.
I love keeping myself busy and Ilove being active and doing all
the things and it's it's really, really hard when you hurt all
of the time.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Well, all this, what you have to go through and what
you're going through, deter youor rodeo future.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
No, actually it makes me want to push harder because
I want to be someone that other,like little girls, just like me
.
You know, I want them and boysand boys and everyone.
I want you know littles on thefence.
That cause I used to be thatyou know little on the fence,
(32:17):
just wishing I had a chance toeven be on a horse.
But you know, and and battlingthings with their health and
your body and your mental healthand everything.
I want to be a role model forthem and show them that they can
still do it, regardless.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Well, you, you are, just let you know.
You know now that you'reputting your story out there.
You know, so you are.
My kids will know about yousoon.
So when did you know you had anissue Like what came about,
like what was going on with yourbody.
(32:57):
If you don't mind me asking,yeah, what was going on with
your body, if you don't mind measking, yeah, you said welts,
but I know it doesn't reallystart with.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Well, it starts with the pain and everything else, so
, so, um, fibromyalgia is kindof it's uh lays dormant until it
gets triggered.
Um is like usually by likesomething traumatic or whatever.
And I had a really, reallyawful relationship my senior
year really abusive, physically,emotionally, all that stuff.
(33:29):
And after that happened and westopped talking you know the
whole deal I started gettingreally, really awful pain and
like after a game, I would besore for two days and I I played
softball and basketball growingup since I was five and, um,
usually I can bounce back andwas, you know, ready for the
(33:51):
next game or practice the nextday?
Um, but starting like my senioryear, I would.
It would take me like two orthree days to feel better after
a game and, um, I always gotthis it's called the butterfly
rash and it's only on your face,like certain parts of your face
, um, and I would get thatreally bad.
(34:11):
And, um, my grandma and my momalso have autoimmune diseases
and my grandma came up to me andshe said, hey, do you have
lupus?
And I said no, I didn't knowwhat that was.
I was like no, and she was likeyou have the butterfly rash.
And she was like, like are yousure?
(34:33):
And I was like, yeah, like Idon't know, even know what that
is.
And then she told my mom and mymom kind of was like, oh yeah,
that does look like a butterflyrash and stuff.
And then, but then I just kindof let it go.
I was like, whatever, I'm notgoing to the doctor, no.
And um then, oh, it was Octoberof 2023.
Um, I was at the circuit finalswith a past boyfriend and um,
(35:02):
he, anyway, we were sittingthere or whatever, and I had a
lot of caffeine that day, likelike way too much caffeine.
And I was up for like I was upat like for 24 hours at that
point, or something like that.
And um, something started likehappening to me and I was like
my heart started beating out ofmy chest, my left arm went numb,
(35:22):
like my legs started going numb, like my nose started bleeding,
like I was like I need to go tothe hospital, something's wrong
.
And I called my mom and waslike something's wrong, help.
And I, the ER doctor, said Ibasically overdosed on caffeine,
which I didn't know you coulddo, but you can, and anyways, I
(35:45):
after that I had to wear a heartmonitor for a couple of weeks
and had to get a bunch of blooddrawn and yada, yada, yada, and
they found a positive ANA, whichusually indicates like an
autoimmune disease, and so afterthat it was doctor's
appointments, after doctor'sappointments, after doctor's
appointments and they found outabout my fibro and then now
(36:07):
we're figuring out the wholelupus thing.
Uh, but yeah, long story short,it's a lot of doctor's
appointments.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Well, I'm glad you figured it.
I'm glad you're on top of it.
Do you find yourself on top ofit now?
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Um, I try to be, but I also hate.
I feel very lazy when I causerest 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 doneand so I feel really lazy when I
(36:48):
need to rest and then I'mforced to rest because I have a
flare up that leaves mebedridden.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
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 thediagnosis, were you like aha, or
were you like okay, that'shelpful, Thank you.
It explains a lot.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
It was like a relief, because 90% of the time with
autoimmune diseases, your labscome 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 ofjust a relief, like I'm not
crazy, like something is wrongwith me right and and it's not
like it's not like I wantedsomething to is wrong with me,
(37:39):
Right and, and it's not like.
It's not like I wanted somethingto be wrong with me, but it was
like I know what I'm feeling isnot normal and there has to be
a reason for it, and so it wasjust like you wanted answers.
Yeah, it was just an answer.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
And it's.
It's not taking names.
You're kicking butt and takingnames, Correct?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
taking names you're kicking butt and taking names
correct.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
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, howwere you mentally, emotionally,
obviously, I know physical, butlike, how were you, how, how
were your thoughts?
Did you think it was like, ohmy God, the world's ending?
(38:21):
How was it?
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Um, you know, like being very real.
Um, the end of 2023, like fromOctober to like all of 2024 was
probably one of the worst yearsof my life.
With all of my health thingsthat I had.
I had two, uh melanoma spotsremoved.
I had we just now recentlyfound some lymphatic or lymph
(38:46):
something tumor in my side thatI have to get removed.
There's just like there wasjust a lot of health things
going on in 2024.
So it took everything I had tobe positive, but, um, my faith
and my trust in the Lord has hasreally helped me stay like with
my head above water.
Um, but that's that's trulylike what has gotten me through.
(39:10):
Uh, this last you know year orso was was my faith, so I just
keep trucking along.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're.
You're a fighter, oh mygoodness.
Yeah, yeah, I'm glad.
I mean, I'm glad you're, you'reable to move forward.
You know positive light on thatand 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 awarrior.
(39:40):
You know.
I don't care what people say,but you know thank you.
So what is next besides thispodcast?
What is next um?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
yeah, I after, so I graduate in june, um, and so I
only really get one collegerodeo season, which sucks.
But I really want to end PRAfirst.
I'm going to do that for a yearor so, and then it's jumping in
(40:14):
the Columbia River Circuit.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Oh, prca, mpra.
I know a lot of people there.
I yeah, you probably know too.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
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 hitevery, I want to go everywhere
that I can.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Okay.
You're going to make a run forit.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Yeah, make a run.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
All right, wow, okay, all right, I can't wait to see
that.
Yeah, a lot of people don'tmake runs for it until you know
down the road when they're like,okay, all ready, but you're
ready.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Yeah, well, I don't.
I mean, the best time to jumpis when you're scared to jump.
Okay, so I think you know youjust have to go for it.
Like I feel so unprepared butat the same time like you're
never going to be fully preparedif you stress too much about it
, like the only way I'm going toget seasoned in doing it is
(41:16):
doing it.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Doing it, yeah, okay.
So MP you got, you got to runinto elaine, elaine kimball.
You know elaine, right, oh,yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Um, I rodeo queen this last year.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Yeah, you're yeah, I also wanted to say that, sorry,
I also wanted to say you're arodeo queen too.
I mean goodness gracious, yeah,totally forgot yeah forgot.
Speaker 2 (41:39):
Yeah, well, I, we were in Telemuc, I think, and I
came up to her and the gal thatruns lassos and lenses
photography and they weretalking and I came up to them
and I said, hey, where are youguys 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.
(41:59):
And she said, okay, like cool,like I'm so down, and we got
some really cool pictures out ofit, um of me pointing at him,
um, but yeah, and then afterthat I've always kind of waved
at her at the rodeos I've seenand stuff, or I've been at and
stuff.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Elaine's a good woman .
She's a good lady.
She's.
She's taking care of somebusiness too and she's taking
names.
She's, she's.
She says that I inspired her torun, 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 youknow the rodeos doing the
running, the running.
(42:34):
You know the runners attendingthe rodeo.
It's pretty cool.
I like to see it.
And for her to say you inspiredme to run daily, I'm like do.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
I, you are, you're an inspiration.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Elaine's a good lady, she's, she's good people.
I'd give her a shout out everytime.
All right, so you know who elseis 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 (43:04):
No, I haven't talked to him much this term.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
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 tomake a run, you need to make a
run.
Yeah, he's got a good head ofhorses too.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
so right, yeah, he has a good head on his shoulders
too, and family that'ssupportive yeah, he rolls hard
with his family yeah, I'mexcited to see where he goes
right with with the rodeo scenein the college rodeo.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
You said you only have one season left now.
I was gonna ask you.
I talked to wiley about thissometimes, but they don't have
the nil in the rodeo.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
You know the whole college.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
Like you got x amount of time left.
You know if you, if you competehere at uh n-a-i-a, can you go
NCAA?
You know, roadie, I was justyeah.
Do you think they'll ever havethat in the rodeo, or?
Not enough money?
Speaker 2 (44:07):
I don't know, I didn't even really know about,
so I only did like two highschool rodeos.
I youth rodeo a lot and um, Ijackpotted here and there and I
went to shows like in Washington, oregon and California, um, but
(44:27):
I I got shorty in 2021 and Iwas a sophomore um in high
school and so I just didn't feel, cause high school rodeo is
pretty competitive.
Yeah, it is, and um, I didn'tfeel like.
I felt like I was just going todonate my entry fees if I
entered at the time, and so Ikind of stuck to my youth rodeo
(44:49):
until, like, I built myconfidence up and when I started
winning money there then I kindof hit a couple towards my
senior year.
But um, I just I really stuckto 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 ifthey ever will or not.
(45:10):
I think it'd be cool, but, um,I didn't really know about
college rodeo until like mysenior year of high school.
So I thought it stopped at highschool and then it went
straight.
And then here I am.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
Just hearing more of your story it's fascinating to
know that you know you didn't dotoo many high school.
But here you are in collegedoing your thing.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
It's crazy how that works.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
Huh, You're an all-in kind of gal.
You're an all-in kind of galJeez and it's paying off,
correct, you find?
Speaker 2 (45:47):
it paying off?
Yeah, it is.
I love college rodeo.
It's so fun, jeez, and it'spaying off, correct?
You find it paying off?
Speaker 1 (45:54):
Yeah, it is.
I love college rodeo.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
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 goingto say.
Oh, I don't remember what I wasgoing to say.
It's just kind of like I thinkI'm a lot more confident now
(46:17):
than I was, like back in highschool, cause, like I, when I
ran in high school, it wasAirPods in until I had to run,
would go run and then AirPodsback in and I go sit in my
trailer Like I wouldn't reallyI'm pretty extroverted person
but I just rodeo.
People intimidated me,especially the, the girls that
showed up in the you know bigfeather light trailers with four
head of horses and you knowlike they, but you could tell
(46:38):
they've been doing it for aminute.
Um, and I had my little twohorse rusty bumper pull that I
still have to this day.
Um, you know, I'd pull up withmy one horse and we were just
there to to have fun for thelove of the game.
I wasn't really.
I didn't really care aboutwinning money.
Uh, I mean, it's nice when youdo, but I was there because I
(47:00):
loved it and I loved running onmy horse and stuff, and so I
didn't want to talk to thembecause I was intimidated and,
um, I thought that they weregoing to be mean or you know
like because I didn't to me, Ididn't feel like I was on their
level.
Um, and now I'm a lot moreconfident, I think.
(47:22):
But, like, I hang out with youknow, the people on my rodeo
team and, and regardless of thetrailers and the people that are
the horses and the tack andwhatever that they have, like
90% of the people are prettydown to earth and like want to
help you out and support you andand stuff, and it took me being
(47:42):
in the rodeo industry a lotlonger and kind of like being
around people and getting moreconfident.
That I like realized that, andI 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 andLassen you know people and and
we're all kind of friends now,so I really like that aspect of
(48:06):
it.
Speaker 1 (48:09):
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 continueyour education or are you just
going to go?
Guns a blazing.
I'm going to go full tilt inthe rodeo world.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
Yeah, I've been sitting on that for a long time.
I wanted to be a vet, since Iwas four, five.
I've always loved, you know,wanting, wanting to be a vet,
wanting to help animals andstuff, um, but the older I got,
the more narrow and narrow andnarrow it got, like I've always
wanted to help animals and stuff, but now I'm leaning towards
(48:49):
more, um, equine reproductionand.
I want to run a breeding andtraining facility and that's
like my goal and passion and Iwant to.
I want to rodeo, yeah, so yeah,a lot of money.
Yeah, you're, you're telling me, telling me, um.
(49:10):
But it's the one thing that Ifeel like I'm really good at and
that I'm really passionate, umabout, and I don't want to go
the whole nine yards of being avet with all the student loans
and stuff, when what I want todo I can do now with an
associates yeah um, and I wantto rodeo.
(49:31):
I want to go full hammer downinto the rodeo scene.
Um, and I am pretty.
I've only been going to collegefor a couple years but I'm
pretty burnt out.
You know, I don't think collegeis my scene.
Uh, academic wise, I mean likeI'm good at school, but I don't
think college is my scene.
Academic wise, I mean like I'mgood at school but I don't like
being there.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
And so I'm kind of ready to end this chapter of my
life and and have a real fulltime job.
Speaker 1 (50:04):
When you go full tilt and opportunities arise, will
you stay in the home state?
Speaker 2 (50:13):
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 dowell, I think I will spread my
wings and go, you know, like thewhole cowboy christmas run and
try and go to as many big rodeosas I can.
I mean, my end goal is the nfr,but who who's isn't when you
(50:37):
want to be in the prca, um, butit's just little mountains at a
time that I have to conquer likeI want.
I want to, you know, do well atmpra finals, then do well at
circuit finals, then kind ofwork my way up the ladder that
way.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
What?
What I meant was would you goto Texas, would you go?
To uh yeah, you would move toTexas.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
I don't know if I'd move, but I definitely, you know
, do a run there like, try andhit all the bigger rodeos and
then go.
You know, go South, hit all thebig rodeos there.
Um, california has got somebigger rodeos.
I mean, we in Oregon have somebigger rodeos.
Um, that I want to.
I, I want to go to all of thebig stable rodeos.
(51:21):
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 moveaway from my family, um, but my
family is like my whole world.
So I don't, I don't think Icould be.
(51:42):
I'm, I'm homesick now and I'monly eight hours away from them.
Speaker 1 (51:46):
Gotcha.
Okay, all right, I just had toask, had to ask you.
You said someone, a barrelracer, who inspired you.
You know, you just watched herand fell in love.
Who inspires you to continuedoing what you do?
Speaker 2 (52:04):
Yeah, so I had a softball coach my junior year
and his name is Reno and he andI clicked right off the bat and
he ended up playing likeprofessional baseball and then
came back and coached and stuffand and, uh, I always call him
(52:37):
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 headsbecause he would do that.
Um, in softball games he wouldtap me on the back of the helmet
and be like, get in the game,hit the dang ball.
Um and so he calls me now and heis like take it all in, lock it
(53:01):
in and ride Like it's the lasttime you're ever going to be on
a horse.
And you know he's always beenthere, Um, even like he stopped
being my coach after one year,one season, but he still showed
up for me and been therewhenever I needed to and he
(53:23):
always is that like push for me,um, and I can't thank him
enough, yeah yeah, he's, he'sawesome yeah, just hearing that
you know rodeo gal just say, hey, softball coach, it's like yeah
yeah, I, I coach myself andjust to hear that it it's uh
(53:44):
encouraging and uh uplifting toknow.
Speaker 1 (53:47):
You know, some kids do most random things and then
they remember, you know it'spretty cool, so he's, he's made
a huge impact.
Speaker 2 (53:56):
Yeah, he's been a huge impact on my life and and
it kind of is all like, evenbesides rodeo, he's like been
there for me.
You know, job interview,interviews, my health stuff,
like any anything I'm goingthrough.
He's always there for me tolean on when I need advice or
support.
Um, and coaches like we'll makeit make or break you as a
(54:19):
player.
Um, I've had coaches completelyruin the game for me and like
I'm burnt out and not wanted toplay anymore.
And but there's those coachesthat that mean the world to you
and that make you love the gameand love yourself, and they're
they're pretty priceless okayhow far are you traveling this
(54:39):
year?
Speaker 1 (54:40):
have you, have you got the travel dates and the
miles up and running or no?
Speaker 2 (54:48):
um lagging.
I'm lagging a little bit.
My horse isn't going to beready to start running again
until the end of may, um, and soher health comes first,
obviously, and I want her to bevet checked in um 110, ready to
go fully legged up before wereally um hit the road again.
(55:10):
So I'm I've got a concept ofwhere I'm going um, but also
with a brand new baby it's.
It's kind of a little bitharder to travel um Like baby
horse, not me baby, but babyhorse yeah.
I guess.
(55:31):
So I don't know.
We're just going to see.
It's all up to Shorty.
Honestly, she'll let me know ifshe 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 lovetheir job as much as she does
and, um, she gives me 110 everysingle time I swing my leg over
(55:56):
her.
So I feel like we'll have noproblem going full swing back
into rodeo.
But we're going up to wallawalla, I think on the 14th for a
college rodeo.
Yeah, february right.
Speaker 1 (56:13):
March.
Is it February or March?
Speaker 2 (56:16):
March, march 14th, we're going up to Walla, walla,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (56:24):
Pretty big one, pretty big one.
I like that.
I like to see when I go towalla 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 coolto see.
So is shorty your onlytraveling buddy, or do?
Speaker 2 (56:46):
you have others no, she's, she's my one right now.
I'm I'm looking into gettinganother one um, but the horse
market is really insane rightnow and so I have shorty's.
Baby is going to be my nextstep up and I'm gonna futnity on
(57:07):
her per hope prayers that.
It's a little Philly Um that,but I want to fraternity on her
and um eventually priority onher.
But then I'm looking foranother backup um to take
shorty's place.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
When traveling, what's your go-to?
Do you listen to podcasts?
Do you listen to music?
All the above audiobooks, whatis it?
Speaker 2 (57:36):
yeah, I'm a big music person.
Big music person, I love, Ilove 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 tomusic for a couple hours and
honest, um, so I go back andforth like I'll listen to music
for a couple hours and I'll likelisten to a podcast and then
I'll go back to listening tomusic.
Um, it all kind of just dependson the vibe that I'm in.
(57:58):
Usually I travel by myself, soI get to decide what I play,
which is nice, all right are youa playlist, kind of gal, or do
you listen to the whole album?
I hit shuffle on my apple musicand if whatever goes, I listen
(58:19):
to everything under the sun solike from divorce dad rock to
christian music, to uh Roan, tosome like it's all over the map.
So I just kind of hit shuffleand whatever it plays plays.
But like Daughtry is myfavorite of all time and you
(58:46):
know Nickelback Iley crew, Ilike casting crowns, I like you
know it just kind of really um,big daddy week maybe maybe I'm
the psychopath because, like youknow, I have group at you know
at work and everything else, andthey're like I got playlists
after playlists.
Speaker 1 (59:05):
I'm like I can't do that, I'm just putting on
shuffle and I'm like, oh, Idon't know how you guys can do
that.
I'm just, I'm the kind ofperson because I travel a lot
too uh, to you know, tackle,mountains, rodeo, whatever, and
I I'm full album, I drive mykids, nuts, I drive my wife.
But maybe it's me, maybe I'mthe psychopath, maybe it's not
(59:28):
you guys.
Speaker 2 (59:30):
Well, the one person there's, there's two people that
I can listen to, like that Ican just play them, and it's
Daughtry and Luke Combs.
Like I can turn on Luke andlisten to them the whole way
through.
I turn on Daughtry and listento them the whole way through
and never get tired of them.
But with some people like Ilisten, I'm a couple songs in of
listening to their voice againand I just need to skip really
(59:54):
who?
Speaker 1 (59:54):
who, all right, who is it?
Who's one of them?
Speaker 2 (59:58):
just one that I have to skip yeah, skip uh, usually,
uh, taylor swift.
Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
Any taylor swift song that comes on, I usually hit
skip yeah, okay, all right, heythat that that 80s, uh poppy
synth music, uh song that shehas that heartbreak, something
of a heartbreak.
That song is pretty catchy, I'mnot a I'm not a big Swiftie.
Speaker 2 (01:00:28):
But that song is alright.
I like her old, when she was acountry music artist and she had
.
I like those songs, but Icouldn't tell you a single one
of her new songs.
Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
Okay, the reason why I ask?
I'm a huge music goer andmusic's huge in my life right
and so recently I saw ColterWall.
Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
It was pretty good.
It was good man.
He can play, you know, his bandis one of a kind, but goodness,
the sound and the continue ofthe sound was kind of a sleeper
for me.
Yeah, I'm not dogging him, heis great at his craft.
But goodness gracious, I needsome tempo, I need, you know, I
(01:01:21):
just I just can't do it and wewere just in a dark room sitting
down and I'm just like almostdozing off.
You know, the Kate Hoffman whostarted for for played as long
as he did and it was, you know,just depressing songs, and I
don't mind that the lyrics aregreat, but goodness gracious,
(01:01:44):
give me something more than thecold wall Always, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:01:50):
I have a hard time with, especially when I'm
driving and I'm like hour eightnine into driving and I can't
listen to slow songs or likevery dark, or like deep, you
know, sad, so I can't listen tothem anymore.
I'll start falling asleep.
So, um, yeah, I mean I like himsometimes but I have to be in
the mood for, you know, the darkyeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
So yeah, I'm just, I'm just glad you're able to
hear my story on that.
Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
Yes, oh my god, I agree, I agree because I've seen
red clay strays three times.
Speaker 1 (01:02:22):
You know what I mean a huge fan, those guys bring it.
They got the, they got thelyrics, they got the sound, they
got the up tempo on the lyricsand sound.
You know it's just perfect.
Saw him twice in vegas and onetime in spokane and I'll
continue to travel to go seethem, you know, but yeah yeah, I
love them.
Speaker 2 (01:02:41):
The uh, my favorite concert I've ever been to is
luke combs.
He can put on a concert two-dayconcert.
Always right, he's always doingtwo days and he I went to, uh,
the boise state stadium to seehim.
Uh like, okay, may of 2023 orsomething, and that was like the
(01:03:03):
most fun I've had and likeeveryone there is just there to
have a good time and party andstuff, and so the vibes were off
the chain, it was so.
It was so fun and that was likeone of my very first concerts
I've ever been to.
So I had been to one concertbefore then, so it was just, I
was just a little overwhelmed.
Speaker 1 (01:03:21):
I was like whoa, everyone's here is nuts don't
shy away from the the radioconcert or the rodeo concerts oh
, yeah, yeah, I've watched acouple of them, uh, this summer
traveling um, but I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
I hated concerts growing up.
I never.
I never liked them and like atmy fair and stuff because I had
to be whatever, but you right.
Um, well, at the fair.
I was at fair all week andthere was always bands playing
and like concerts playing andthey were never that great.
We always didn't have thatgreat of people playing at our
(01:03:59):
county fairs and so I think itwas just kind of made me sour to
them.
And then the first concert Isaw was a wild hair festival in
Canby.
I saw Zach Bryan before.
He was pretty blown up and I was10 feet away from the stage and
it was a hundred bucks to beright there and um, I was like,
wow, I like concerts and soafter that I I'm all about going
(01:04:25):
to him yeah, zach brian messedup his his thing with those ndas
that he's having the exact signyeah, he really did himself in
yeah I'm not.
Speaker 1 (01:04:40):
I'm not a fan of him.
I'm not a fan of that kind ofuh, country or americana,
whatever they call it.
Now I think they call themcountry, but yeah, it's not my
sound.
I like the red, dirt noise.
The southern country?
Yeah, that, I like thetraditional kind of stuff.
So when?
(01:05:00):
What podcast is your number one, not mine?
Don't say mine what podcastsshould I pick up and listen to?
Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
um, well, um, I really like, uh, sadie robertson
.
Um, I really like her listeningto her.
Um, I forgot what the name ofher podcast is called.
It's been I just click on thenew episode button.
(01:05:29):
Um, but anyway, sadie Robson,she's, she's really awesome.
Um, and my friends have apodcast that they started.
It's only on YouTube, um, it'scalled truth uncut.
Um, and they talk about likethey deep dive into like the
seven deadly sins and and I wason their podcast a couple of
(01:05:50):
years ago actually.
But you know like they're superfun to listen.
I mean, you have to be kind ofmentally prepared for it.
They dive into some deeperthings, but yeah, they're fun to
listen to too, and you, ofcourse.
Speaker 1 (01:06:05):
but I thought about YouTube since day one and I I
tell you what, the more I getinto this.
Youtube is helpful, youtube isfun, but a lot of uh, the
listeners you got to go with thelisteners.
A lot of the listeners are bluecollar, they don't have time to
sit in the in front of a youknow computer or a device and
(01:06:28):
watch you doing this Right, Idon't know, to each their own.
I've heard a lot like oh you'renot on YouTube.
That hurts more, but I'm goodwith what I do and happy there.
Speaker 2 (01:06:44):
Yeah, and I put it on when I'm writing and stuff too,
and I can't stare at my likewhen I'm writing and stuff too,
and I can't stare at my phonewhen I'm writing, right, so I I
can put it on you know applepodcast and and put it in my
saddle, puck thing, sack thingand ride but yeah, teach their
own, but that's cool.
Speaker 1 (01:07:02):
So truth uncut and sadie robertson, I'll check it
out.
Check it out.
We've been talking for a bit wecan still talk for a while.
You were nervous, but not kindof nervous, not quite nervous,
but how do you feel?
How do you feel overall thisepisode?
Speaker 2 (01:07:21):
I went.
Good, I talk a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:07:25):
Okay, it's fun.
It's fun.
I'm glad we went as long as wehave and did, and everything
else.
But one thing that I want youto think about, though okay, and
uh, your confidence level.
And talking about yourconfidence when you're in high
school, till now, I totallyunderstand when you were saying
how, uh, you, you felt out ofplace or not with up to par with
(01:07:52):
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 peoplequestion me, but for some
(01:08:12):
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 youhave, you know is just do your
thing, do your thing, forgetwhat they say, forget what they
do.
Nine out of 10 times, thereason why they're their way is
(01:08:33):
because they're scared of you.
Right, right, right.
That's that's how I see it.
That's how I see it.
It took me a bit to uh to torealize that the confidence in
the, in this kind of, you know,sport, you know I have all the
confidence in the world when itcomes to running mountains,
(01:08:55):
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 alwaysbeen there.
I love it, you know.
But are the people gonna takeit?
They did and I guess I'm doingokay, right, right, but you
(01:09:17):
being a queen, rodeo queen, Idon't.
I I'm still trying to gather,like how the confidence is
lagging, because for you to be aqueen, 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 arodeo queen and not be confident
(01:09:40):
?
Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
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 watchingyourself.
Yeah, I was like, oh, maybe I'mdoing something wrong, maybe my
tech, like to everyone else, mytech is like I look stupid
(01:10:03):
because my tax on wrong or um,you know, like it took me a long
time to realize that likenobody cares, and if they do,
they're not people you want tobe around anyways and everyone
there is to is there to help youand support you and stuff.
Um, but I, if you would havetold me like three years ago I
(01:10:26):
was going to try out to be arodeo queen and get a title, I
probably would have laughed,because there's there's kind of
a stigma around rodeo queensthat like they're just a pretty
face and that you know, theydon't know how to ride or they
can't actually rodeo and stuff.
But I rodeoed before I rodeoqueened and so I knew I could
(01:10:47):
ride and, um, having a prettyface was just a plus.
But I, my friend, rodeo queenedand 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,
(01:11:10):
sublimities, rodeo samium,canyon stampede and I tried out
and I won and I loved my boardmembers.
They were so down to earth andthey were.
They liked the fact that I wasan uh, a cowgirl, like I rode
like a cowgirl.
I rodeoed I, you know, um,because a lot of you know they
(01:11:31):
do the wings like in your hairand makeup to the nines, and
that wasn't me.
I curled my hair normal and Iwore the makeup that I normally
wear and I was there to um, youknow, spread the world of rodeo
to people.
I loved being around kids.
(01:11:53):
I think that was my favoritepart of being a rodeo queen was
because I saw kids that lackedconfidence in themselves and
being able to be there and kindof lift them up was my favorite.
And getting to talk to them andand then being like I want to
be just like you when I grow upand I want to be a rodeo queen
and and and getting to talk tothem and and them being like I
want to be just like you when Igrow up and I want to be a rodeo
queen and and I want to rodeo.
But I just started writing Likeit's me being that light to
(01:12:16):
them and that role models tothem was really what kept me
going and like boosted myconfidence, like seeing that
they believed in me so much.
Speaker 1 (01:12:25):
But well, I like what I hear, like what I hear, I
hear, I like, I am thankful thatyou reached out seriously and
has basically taken this episodeto 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'redoing, all right oh, thank you
(01:12:47):
yeah, the being rodeo queen isnot easy and it is very tough
and um yeah, just, it's justhard to gather confidence you
now, and it's just like, oh mygod, you're amazing, you know,
amazing athlete, amazing person.
You continue to do things.
You know that you're going toquestion, especially with your
(01:13:13):
health and whatnot.
So I appreciate you searchingme out and allowing me to have
you on the podcast.
I want you back.
I want you back, especiallyafter the baby's born, not yours
.
Speaker 2 (01:13:29):
The horse, my horse's baby.
Speaker 1 (01:13:31):
And I want to.
I want to hear about your runand where you're going to go and
how are you going to go dothings, and hopefully I run into
you.
I was going to.
I was going to get my mediacard but the C word put a damper
on it, but eventually I'll endup doing it.
I just need to make sureeverything's in order.
Speaker 2 (01:13:56):
But don't ever so with that God heals.
He's a healer, so he worksmiracles, and so I think you'll
be.
Speaker 1 (01:14:06):
I've been, I've been praying for you, so, uh, Thank
you, so I want you to notquestion 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
(01:14:26):
appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (01:14:27):
I appreciate you for having me on.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:14:30):
Yeah, so please come back.
All right, I will Do.
You want to close it out?
Speaker 2 (01:14:38):
Um yeah, I just want to say that your faith will move
mountains and and uh, trustyourself.
Speaker 1 (01:14:49):
Well, you too.
All right, Until next time.
Speaker 2 (01:14:55):
Yep, we'll see you next time.
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 somethingwas going on.
I like that middle name, though, because my daughter's names
are like Zoe, jane, grace, lilyand Hope.
My oldest is Faith, so whenSaul prays I was like I don't
(00:51):
feel that's her last name.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Everyone thinks it's my last name, but my mom did
good with that.
I love my middle name.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yeah, it's nice.
It's lovely, and I totallyunderstand why you use your
middle name, because in Facebook, because of the line of work, I
do not just podcasting, I dothis for fun and for free and
everything else who don't agreewith what I do and how I do it
(01:27):
can search me up and find outwhat I do, how I do it and, uh,
you know, take me to the stateor something like that.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, it's a smart way to go.
Yeah, yeah, your whole name outthere.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
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 mylast name on there.
You know, that's smart, I needto do that.
Then they start taking it up.
I'm like they're like nick, howdo you do this?
Like, how did you know?
I was like man we go to schoolfor you know certain things and,
uh, definitely I don't.
(01:57):
You know, put sharp objects inmy office, you know, and make
sure certain names don't floatout in around.
So, bella, welcome, thank youfor having me.
Oh well, you know, not toooften do people just approach
you and say, hey, shall I?
(02:18):
Uh, I was telling wiley.
I was telling wiley it's like,yeah, she approached me.
She's like how the hell areyour?
I was like dude.
Her approach was fantastic.
I can't tell them, but I wouldlove to read how you approached
me and I totally man talk aboutprofessional and way to get
somebody to look at you.
(02:40):
Fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So thank you Well, thank you, I appreciate it.
I try to be professional yeah,very professional.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
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 loveto read it, but I, I keep that
to myself, all right, yeah, butgreat job well thank.
Bella, like a couple otherrodeo college rodeo athletes
(03:09):
that I've had on, you're alsofrom Treasure Valley Community
College.
Now got a question for you.
Is it a thing now?
Do people say, hey, you got tobe on this podcast?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I've just a couple of my teammates have been on the
podcast and I I've listened toyou even before the like they
were on, uh, and so when I sawthat they were on, I was like
hey, you know he's, he'sinterviewing people, that I know
what's the harm in in messagingand I've listened to you a lot
and I was like who knows, thankyou yeah who knows magical
(03:45):
happen now that you're on now,you just want to end this
conversation, be like okay, it'snot what it's all cracked up to
be.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
No, all right, all right, we're having fun.
That's all I just didn't want.
I don't want anybody to likethink there's so much pressure
and think you know there'sguidelines and everything else.
So I'm glad you know you knowthere's guidelines and
everything else.
So I'm glad you know you're,you're relaxed and everything
else.
So when you approached me, wetalked about, or you talked
(04:14):
about yourself a little bit, youknow being self-made cowgirl
and everything else.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
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 upin industry like their parents
did it, their grandparents didit, their grandparents like it's
just as like a generationalthing.
And I didn't have that I'm theonly person that even remotely
(04:39):
deals with horses in my family.
Um, like my mom hates gettingdirt under her nails, like
that's, that's um right.
I mean my dad, you know we havehad, like I did 4-H growing up
with like pigs and and all.
We've had some bottle calvesand stuff.
Um, but horses was kind of likemy thing and I don't know where
(05:00):
I got it from, because I'veloved, I've had the horse bug
since.
I could even remember um horsethemed birthday parties and um,
all like I got American Girldolls as a kid just because I
wanted to play with the horses.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
That came with them.
I got you.
Yeah, I got in the teacupstudio.
There's a couple of horses in.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yes, yes, I got you and so when I say self-made, I
just mean like um, I didn't haveanything passed down to me,
Gotcha.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
That's what I figured , but, like a lot of people
don't, they're not that honestand they say that.
But you're honest and you saidit and you're sticking to it.
So thank you for being honest,you know.
So, with that said, was itdifficult to have you know, to
tell your parents that you knowyou wanted to get dirty?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
Uh, it was just kind of.
It wasn't I wouldn't say out ofleft field, because, um,
everyone known like knew I lovehorses my whole life and I would
wear cowgirl boots andbasketball shorts to school
every day Because I just didn'twant to take my boots off and
stuff.
But talking to my parents aboutit, I don't really remember how
it even went down.
I got a saddle before I got ahorse.
(06:24):
I got a saddle before I got ahorse and I would practice
throwing my saddle up on thefence and I would practice like
cinching up so that when I didget a horse I knew how.
And I remember it being likealmost dark and my mom having to
tell me to come inside becauseI would just be out there the
whole time practicing cinchingup and stuff.
(06:45):
But yeah, it was kind of.
I think everyone kind of knewthat's where I wanted to go was
riding horses.
But I started out wanting tojump horses like ride English.
Oh okay, and my dad's girlfriendat the time that what she did
(07:06):
and she was a big like englishtrainer and stuff, and so, um, I
didn't start riding with heruntil I was like 14 or so but uh
, she kind of like got mejumping and kind of like really,
uh, cemented in my foundation,um like made me have eggs in my
hands when I was holding thereins and, um, trotting without
(07:31):
stirrups and you know, thatwhole deal like kind of really
set my foundation, cause, um, Ilearned how to write from
YouTube videos.
Yeah, I just Googled how am Idoing, how to do this?
and a lot of trial and error,but yeah so a lot of error, or
(07:53):
just a lot of error, yeah, Ihear you.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So tradition like traditional, or jumping, like
you said, everything sounds good.
But you're, you're young, butyou know your parents know, like
Christopheropher reeves, that'sthe first thing that they think
of.
You know, superman, who endedup paralyzed, for you know that
one accident so did they, didthat scare them when they found
out that you wanted to jump andbe on horses or no um, I, my mom
(08:24):
is still terrified to this dayevery time I get on a horse.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
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 andwas absolutely in love with
barrel racing and so I stilljumped with my dad's girlfriend
(08:48):
for a while, but barrel like Ifigured out pretty quick that
barrel racing was what I wantedto do and I got a trailer and a
truck full of tack and twohorses for $2,000.
And there was a bunch ofWestern tack in there and so
(09:11):
that's kind of like what set meoff on that.
Like I was watching all theFallon Taylor YouTube videos and
I was like I'm going to barrelrace in this 18 inch rope saddle
.
That was about falling apart.
Okay, how old were you when Igot that, when I was, oh, 12 or
13, I think okay, you've beenchasing barrels ever since yeah,
(09:35):
yeah, yeah, took a, took av-turn to jump um for a little
bit and then kind of found mylove for barrel racing and
hasn't left me since okay now alot of people on on the podcast
that listen to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
You know they're runners, like myself.
They do stupid things.
You know via legs.
But barrel racing isn't as easyas people think, correct?
Yeah, there's more to it.
It's an art, just likeeverything else we do, but this
(10:14):
entails a lot of stuff with thecore.
It's just not.
You get on a horse and you runaround barrels.
Right, right get on a horse andyou run around barrels, right,
right.
So what turned you on to dojust that and be the barrel
racer you are today?
Because it's not that easy.
(10:34):
It's not, it's, it's not easy.
You can tell the people whoattend rodeos they know, you
know, but the people I'm tryingto 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 elsethey don't know yeah, it's, and
(10:56):
it's terrifying.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Right, you're running mock 10 at a metal object as
fast as you can on a 1200 poundanimal that doesn't speak your
language, you know it's turningon a dime yeah it's.
You have to be really, reallyin 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 isit the adrenaline?
(11:21):
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 sayI'm an adrenaline junkie, for
sure, I will, I love, I love itand so.
But bear racing is just like adifferent type of adrenaline and
, um, my favorite thing in theentire world is right before,
when you're walking down thealleyway and my horse and, uh,
(11:41):
my heartbeat like they sync upand I can feel her heartbeat and
I mean I'm talking to her thewhole time but I'm like that's
how I know we're ready to godown.
The alleyway is like when we,our heartbeats sync up like that
, I'm like I know when, likewe're ready to go.
And I don't know if that's justa me thing, but it, it is my
favorite thing in the entireworld when that happens, cause
(12:02):
just know, like that we're so intune.
What's your?
Speaker 1 (12:06):
horse's name shorty shorty.
How long have you had, shorty?
Speaker 2 (12:10):
I've uh four years in May four years.
Yeah, love at first sight ohyeah, yeah, I found her in a hay
field, yeah, um, she was.
So I was getting hay for ahorse I was leasing at the time
and I was having a really,really, really hard time finding
a horse to buy, like they were.
(12:31):
They were falling out for theweirdest reasons.
Like I had a horse that I wentand tried and it was like six
grand and it was like a 2dpalmino 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?
(12:52):
And so I didn't, uh, end upgetting him and stuff.
So I was kind of like down inthe dumps when, um, I was
getting hay for the horse I wasleasing at the time, and, um, I
saw her out in the field and waslike who, who's that?
Who's that out there?
And the lady Kathleen, she waslike, oh yeah, she.
(13:15):
She came in a package deal witha mule and we wanted the mule
and so she's too fast for a packstring, and so she's just kind
of been sitting in the field andI 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 youknow.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Okay, all right, keep going.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
It was like all I know is that she was a police
horse at some point and I waslike, okay, Um, and a couple of
days later I brought my saddleout and went and tried her and
it was like she had never had aday off in her life.
Um, she acted like she had been,was legged up and ready to go.
(13:59):
Um, no bucks, no, nothing, nospooks, and um, so then a couple
of days later I took her to theour like local fairgrounds and
I loped some patterns on her andshe was like getting up and
going and I said I am buying herand, um, she was going to be
(14:21):
like 3,500 or something likethat, Like that's all they
wanted for.
And, um, I was going to be likethirty five hundred or
something like that, Like that'sall they wanted for.
And I was going to put threegrand down and just have to pay
the rest of the five hundred offwhen 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 likemy husband and I prayed about it
(14:45):
and if you can give her, or ifyou can give us three grand cash
.
She's yours, and that was thefastest three grand I've ever
put down in my life.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Um, and how did you do it?
With the help of your parents?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
No, I.
So I did 4-H growing up, um,and I had two horses.
At the time I had, or I had, alease horse and then before then
I had two Arab quarter horsesthat had two left feet and were.
They were awesome, greatstarter horses.
But, um, you know, I stepped upand I sold them and then I had
(15:22):
a little red mare that I soldand then, uh, I've been doing
4-H, so I've saved up a littlebit to um buy her, and so I put
it.
I bought her for three grandand has been history ever since.
Um, we definitely you know, Iit's.
It took a couple years for usto really find our groove, but
(15:49):
now we're money.
Well, she's 10 months pregnantright now.
She's about due.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
On purpose, yes, on purpose.
I was like, what well, he saidthey had the differences, but
also she's pregnant.
I'm like, hmm, so, yeah, okay,who's boss, you or her?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
we're a team, there's no boss um, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Smart, that's what I thought I had to ask.
They'll tell you what's up.
Therapeutically, they'reamazing animals, oh my goodness.
They're almost like people.
They'll tell you who they likeand don't like.
They'll tell you what's up.
Oh yeah, she's very vocal aboutwho and don't like.
(16:45):
They'll tell you what's up, youknow, oh yeah.
She's very vocal about who shedoesn'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 forsupporting you, you know even
though it was new to them.
They knew the daughter you knowwanted to continue.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
So Both my parents parents they picked it up and
ran with it and I think theycould see how passionate I was
about it and um, you know a lotof 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 mymom still hasn't missed a rodeo
(17:30):
yet.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
So I was going to ask your parents go, and yeah my,
my mom has been to every singlerodeo.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
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-timemilitary, he's active duty, and
so it's kind of hard for him togo, but he goes when he can,
gotcha yeah thank thanks, uh.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
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 (18:11):
She used to tell me when she was a kid that, um, she
would always wear like her rockrevival jeans and, uh, she
would, her and her best friendwould go to rodeos and stuff.
Um, and she wishes she stillkept her rock revivals, because
now they're trending again.
Um, yeah, but yeah, she, she,and I'm pretty bold, I've got
(18:34):
some pretty flashy shirts andstuff, so I think she gets a
kick out of me dressing up, allright I just wonder.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I'm pretty sure, ma yeah, mom, mom doesn't like to
get dirty, but she does likethat fashion I'm just saying
shout out to mom not not gettingon, 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.
(19:05):
You know she doesn't like toget dirty, but she loves that
fashion and it's just like.
The one thing that she can'tget into is turquoise.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Oh yeah, that's one thing she doesn't like.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
So all right.
Barrel racing and then goattying, that's not a thing,
unless you're in college, right?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Yeah, so it's like a high school college thing it
stops after college rodeo.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Why does it stop?
That's why I'm asking.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Why I don't know.
Um, I mean, I don't, I don't, Ijust kind of picked it up
because I wanted to.
I it's kind of like the thingthat I do just for fun.
Um, yeah, I'm not great at it.
I'm not bad, but I'm not greatat it.
I'm not bad, but I'm not likegreat at it, and I don't think
(20:01):
I'm in love with it as much as Iam bell racing.
So it's like kind of just likeanother thing that I do.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Um, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
But I don't know why it doesn't go on after.
But pole bending isn't even incollege rodeo, it stops at high
school.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So I don't, but that's that's more popular than
tying of the goat.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I know so because I've been to a couple high
school rodeos and pole bendingslike that.
You know they have like manypole benders but then you get
the goat tire.
You're like what, what was that?
And it's like maybe two orthree goat tires.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
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 onyour body, it's hard on your
knees.
It's um, you have to havereally really quick hands, um.
And yeah, you have to be strongto be able to flip.
You flip goats.
You wouldn't think you wouldneed to be that strong, but some
, when you're flipping goats atpractice all day, they start
getting really heavy yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah, they they get.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
They're heavy, they're not, they're not that
small.
I'm not.
We're not flipping over babygoats.
That's just inhumane, you know,and not kind.
So do you think they shouldbring it up a little more, or do
you think it's just, it's goodwhere it's at?
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I think it's good where it's at.
Um, I really I mean, I reallycouldn't see it being in any
like pro rodeo events oranything.
It just, I mean, like theydon't even have breakaway at the
NFR, so and I feel like that'sa lot more popular than pole
bending or goat tying.
Yeah, they need to tell meabout it.
(21:41):
Um, yeah, I would love to seebreakaway at the NFR, but, um,
it's just, I think it's justkind of how it's always been,
like goat tying and pole bendingstay at the high school,
college level yeah, but it'sreally fun I think they should
think about it.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
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 theladies get dirty, you know, with
some goats.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I mean it's a fun event to watch for sure.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
So you know what equal opportunist right here.
So yeah, all right.
So treasure valley, communitycollege.
Why treasure valley?
Out of all the other collegeprograms out there rodeo
programs you picked that one.
Why I like to ask this question.
So why?
Speaker 2 (22:34):
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 todo track over there and he was
like looking at at TVCC, like ontheir page, and saw they had a
(22:55):
rodeo team and was like Bella,hey, do you know this?
And I said I didn't even knowTVCC existed.
And so then I looked into itand I had a couple of friends
that were moving to Idaho to goto hair school and college and
whatever over here, and it alljust kind of worked out, fell in
(23:16):
my lap.
I knew some people on the team,or like I met some people on the
team, um, you know, got someconnections, called drew and and
signed the uh last august, um,but I really love it over here
and the, the people that areover here were.
They're just so down to earth,like my professors and my coach,
(23:37):
my teammates, like everyonehere is so down to earth and
just like I, like all of them,you know, and and it's a
agricultural school, I'mmajoring in animal science, okay
, and so it was just kind ofeverything kind of fit for me to
go here.
Yeah, you guys are a tight knitfamily or team, team you know,
(23:59):
family team, same thing.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It's pretty cool to watch, you know, because a lot
of, a lot of the stuff that yousee at the rodeo, it's just all
individual.
You know, yeah, behind closedcurtains, you know they're
probably buddy buddy, but whenthey're on the field or in the
dirt, you, you know, it's alllike, hey, survival of the
(24:22):
fittest.
You know, but seeing you guysbringing new light to this whole
rodeo scene and, um, you know,just the the sport, you know.
So, uh, when, when you're, whenyou're approached, did you know
for a fact this was yourprogram that you wanted to do
and the team that you wanted tobe part of?
Speaker 2 (24:44):
yeah, yeah, it kind of you just kind of got a
feeling you know when, likeyou're meant to be somewhere
yeah and I just got that.
I clicked with everybodyinstantly, you know, and
everyone is so willing to helpyou.
And I've had a couple offriends like, oh, you want to
(25:05):
learn how to breakaway?
Like here, use, like I have apractice rope.
Here, come practice my dummywith me, like I'll help you, and
just everyone here is just sowilling to jump on and help and
be friends with everybody.
And so I just kind of knew thatit was the right fit for me off
the bat.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Not trying to put you on the spot Now I have to ask
you this question.
There's a lot of guys therethat are lookers.
Is that another reason?
Is that another reason?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
No, I have a wonderful boyfriend, boyfriend
um back home, and he's verysupportive and loves me so very
much, so, uh, boys were not afactor for me I know, I just
thought I'd do that you turned.
Red though you turned red.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
The reason why I ask is because I had one gentleman
here Well, two gentlemen herethat from the school that came
to the house.
One of them really got thelooks and one my oldest daughter
was like oh my God, you need tohave him come here more often.
My goodness, you probably knowwho I'm talking about.
But oh my goodness, that's whyI asked.
(26:16):
I wasn't trying to put you onthe spot.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
I was like what question are you gonna ask me?
Um, yeah, no, all the guys aregreat.
Um, they're all really funnyand stuff, and yeah, great guys,
but not looking at any of them.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Well, but you know, my, my wife was like man, that
guy, that guy, I'm like what youknow, and we're a lot older.
But yeah, I'm, I'm, I'mshouting out Wiley, okay, wiley
is quite the looker, yeah, butno, he's, he's, he's quite the
cowboy and he's very nice andvery professional.
(26:55):
And for him to be his age andbe the pickup man, it says a lot
.
That's why, yeah, that'sincredible.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yeah, he was the first person I met, but, like,
so, I had known one of myteammates, emery, way before I
even signed, but he was thefirst person on the team that I
met that I hadn't known and hethought I was a freshman and um,
(27:23):
I was like, nope, I graduate inJune, um, but yeah, so he and
he was really sweet to me.
He was like, yeah, like I'mjust leaving here, have the
arena, I'll shut the gate foryou.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And so, yeah, he's really cool yeah, yeah, sorry,
hopefully I didn't uh embarrassyou, I just wanted to embarrass
myself and my daughters andwiley so because wiley's a good
guy.
He's, he's he wants me out andabout with him and his buddies
this year and, uh, he's likeeverything goes.
(27:55):
I'm like god, how many days?
He's like, don't ask, we'rejust gonna go.
I'm like God, how many days?
He's like, don't ask, we'rejust going to go.
I'm like all right.
So Wiley and I are going tospend some time together this
year.
Very, very friendly guy, god,yeah, it's good, all right.
Now, when you approached me youtalked about well, you wanted
(28:18):
to say you know about my c wordthat I was going through, but
you yourself battle someautoimmune disease or multiple.
Okay, how many?
Speaker 2 (28:33):
two um two, yeah.
So, and one of them is we'restill working on, we're like it
might be something else, itmight be work.
It's.
Diagnosing autoimmune diseasesis probably one of the hardest
things to do, and so it's been ayears, a couple of years worth
(28:54):
of trial and error and stuff andthings.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
But my one you don't one talking about this, correct?
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, that's fine.
It's fine Um you don't mind?
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Okay, okay, no, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Uh, I have fibromyalgia, um, and chronic
fatigue syndrome, so they kindof go hand in hand.
But, um, but it's like achronic pain and you, it sucks
trying to rodeo when you'rechronically fatigued and in pain
(29:29):
all of the time and rodeo ishard on your body, as is, and
then adding all of that stuff ontop 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 andMike my backer, and so much
pain that I can't get out of bedand I'm 20.
Right, so I shouldn't have todeal with that kind of pain.
(29:52):
And so that's kind of how weknew something was wrong.
Um, and I the other one we'retrying to figure out that I have
is lupus, um, and I've had somepositive.
They kind of go hand in hand.
Yeah, yeah, um, and I haveevery single symptom and a
(30:14):
positive ANA and we're just kindof, but we're just like making
sure, because there's a lot ofmedications I have to be on the
rest of my life if I do fullyget diagnosed with that, and
that's not something that I wantto do.
So we're being 110% sure thatthat's what.
It is also really hard, likehaving flare-ups and stuff like,
(30:42):
uh, I had to miss, I had tomiss school, uh, the other, just
the other day, because myflare-ups were so bad and I was
getting big.
It almost looks like a, anallergic reaction, the the welts
.
I get all over my body andstuff and it's just, it's
painful and it, you know, yourwhole body hurts and your whole
body's wiped out afterwardsbecause your body attacks itself
, um, when you have this and so,um, like you're just wiped out
afterwards because your bodyattacks itself when you have
this and so, like you're justwiped out afterwards and but the
(31:09):
world doesn't stop for you alsoat the same time, especially
when you're a college student.
So you kind of just have topower through and and get
everything that you need to getdone.
But that's why I try and stayreally on top of all my
schoolwork and stuff, because Idon't know when my next flare-up
is going to be and you know ifI'm down for the count and miss
something, like I don't want tofall too far behind.
(31:31):
But it's hard, it's hard to doand I'm such an active, busy.
I love keeping myself busy and Ilove being active and doing all
the things and it's it's really, really hard when you hurt all
of the time.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Well, all this, what you have to go through and what
you're going through, deter youor rodeo future.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
No, actually it makes me want to push harder because
I want to be someone that other,like little girls, just like me
.
You know, I want them and boysand boys and everyone.
I want you know littles on thefence.
That cause I used to be thatyou know little on the fence,
(32:17):
just wishing I had a chance toeven be on a horse.
But you know, and and battlingthings with their health and
your body and your mental healthand everything.
I want to be a role model forthem and show them that they can
still do it, regardless.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Well, you, you are, just let you know.
You know now that you'reputting your story out there.
You know, so you are.
My kids will know about yousoon.
So when did you know you had anissue Like what came about,
like what was going on with yourbody.
(32:57):
If you don't mind me asking,yeah, what was going on with
your body, if you don't mind measking, yeah, you said welts,
but I know it doesn't reallystart with.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Well, it starts with the pain and everything else, so
, so, um, fibromyalgia is kindof it's uh lays dormant until it
gets triggered.
Um is like usually by likesomething traumatic or whatever.
And I had a really, reallyawful relationship my senior
year really abusive, physically,emotionally, all that stuff.
(33:29):
And after that happened and westopped talking you know the
whole deal I started gettingreally, really awful pain and
like after a game, I would besore for two days and I I played
softball and basketball growingup since I was five and, um,
usually I can bounce back andwas, you know, ready for the
(33:51):
next game or practice the nextday?
Um, but starting like my senioryear, I would.
It would take me like two orthree days to feel better after
a game and, um, I always gotthis it's called the butterfly
rash and it's only on your face,like certain parts of your face
, um, and I would get thatreally bad.
(34:11):
And, um, my grandma and my momalso have autoimmune diseases
and my grandma came up to me andshe said, hey, do you have
lupus?
And I said no, I didn't knowwhat that was.
I was like no, and she was likeyou have the butterfly rash.
And she was like, like are yousure?
(34:33):
And I was like, yeah, like Idon't know, even know what that
is.
And then she told my mom and mymom kind of was like, oh yeah,
that does look like a butterflyrash and stuff.
And then, but then I just kindof let it go.
I was like, whatever, I'm notgoing to the doctor, no.
And um then, oh, it was Octoberof 2023.
Um, I was at the circuit finalswith a past boyfriend and um,
(35:02):
he, anyway, we were sittingthere or whatever, and I had a
lot of caffeine that day, likelike way too much caffeine.
And I was up for like I was upat like for 24 hours at that
point, or something like that.
And um, something started likehappening to me and I was like
my heart started beating out ofmy chest, my left arm went numb,
(35:22):
like my legs started going numb, like my nose started bleeding,
like I was like I need to go tothe hospital, something's wrong
.
And I called my mom and waslike something's wrong, help.
And I, the ER doctor, said Ibasically overdosed on caffeine,
which I didn't know you coulddo, but you can, and anyways, I
(35:45):
after that I had to wear a heartmonitor for a couple of weeks
and had to get a bunch of blooddrawn and yada, yada, yada, and
they found a positive ANA, whichusually indicates like an
autoimmune disease, and so afterthat it was doctor's
appointments, after doctor'sappointments, after doctor's
appointments and they found outabout my fibro and then now
(36:07):
we're figuring out the wholelupus thing.
Uh, but yeah, long story short,it's a lot of doctor's
appointments.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Well, I'm glad you figured it.
I'm glad you're on top of it.
Do you find yourself on top ofit now?
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Um, I try to be, but I also hate.
I feel very lazy when I causerest 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 doneand so I feel really lazy when I
(36:48):
need to rest and then I'mforced to rest because I have a
flare up that leaves mebedridden.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
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 thediagnosis, were you like aha, or
were you like okay, that'shelpful, Thank you.
It explains a lot.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
It was like a relief, because 90% of the time with
autoimmune diseases, your labscome 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 ofjust a relief, like I'm not
crazy, like something is wrongwith me right and and it's not
like it's not like I wantedsomething to is wrong with me,
(37:39):
Right and, and it's not like.
It's not like I wanted somethingto be wrong with me, but it was
like I know what I'm feeling isnot normal and there has to be
a reason for it, and so it wasjust like you wanted answers.
Yeah, it was just an answer.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
And it's.
It's not taking names.
You're kicking butt and takingnames, Correct?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
taking names you're kicking butt and taking names
correct.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
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, howwere you mentally, emotionally,
obviously, I know physical, butlike, how were you, how, how
were your thoughts?
Did you think it was like, ohmy God, the world's ending?
(38:21):
How was it?
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Um, you know, like being very real.
Um, the end of 2023, like fromOctober to like all of 2024 was
probably one of the worst yearsof my life.
With all of my health thingsthat I had.
I had two, uh melanoma spotsremoved.
I had we just now recentlyfound some lymphatic or lymph
(38:46):
something tumor in my side thatI have to get removed.
There's just like there wasjust a lot of health things
going on in 2024.
So it took everything I had tobe positive, but, um, my faith
and my trust in the Lord has hasreally helped me stay like with
my head above water.
Um, but that's that's trulylike what has gotten me through.
(39:10):
Uh, this last you know year orso was was my faith, so I just
keep trucking along.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're.
You're a fighter, oh mygoodness.
Yeah, yeah, I'm glad.
I mean, I'm glad you're, you'reable to move forward.
You know positive light on thatand 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 awarrior.
(39:40):
You know.
I don't care what people say,but you know thank you.
So what is next besides thispodcast?
What is next um?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
yeah, I after, so I graduate in june, um, and so I
only really get one collegerodeo season, which sucks.
But I really want to end PRAfirst.
I'm going to do that for a yearor so, and then it's jumping in
(40:14):
the Columbia River Circuit.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Oh, prca, mpra.
I know a lot of people there.
I yeah, you probably know too.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
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 hitevery, I want to go everywhere
that I can.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Okay.
You're going to make a run forit.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Yeah, make a run.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
All right, wow, okay, all right, I can't wait to see
that.
Yeah, a lot of people don'tmake runs for it until you know
down the road when they're like,okay, all ready, but you're
ready.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Yeah, well, I don't.
I mean, the best time to jumpis when you're scared to jump.
Okay, so I think you know youjust have to go for it.
Like I feel so unprepared butat the same time like you're
never going to be fully preparedif you stress too much about it
, like the only way I'm going toget seasoned in doing it is
(41:16):
doing it.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Doing it, yeah, okay.
So MP you got, you got to runinto elaine, elaine kimball.
You know elaine, right, oh,yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Um, I rodeo queen this last year.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Yeah, you're yeah, I also wanted to say that, sorry,
I also wanted to say you're arodeo queen too.
I mean goodness gracious, yeah,totally forgot yeah forgot.
Speaker 2 (41:39):
Yeah, well, I, we were in Telemuc, I think, and I
came up to her and the gal thatruns lassos and lenses
photography and they weretalking and I came up to them
and I said, hey, where are youguys 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.
(41:59):
And she said, okay, like cool,like I'm so down, and we got
some really cool pictures out ofit, um of me pointing at him,
um, but yeah, and then afterthat I've always kind of waved
at her at the rodeos I've seenand stuff, or I've been at and
stuff.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Elaine's a good woman .
She's a good lady.
She's.
She's taking care of somebusiness too and she's taking
names.
She's, she's.
She says that I inspired her torun, 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 youknow the rodeos doing the
running, the running.
(42:34):
You know the runners attendingthe rodeo.
It's pretty cool.
I like to see it.
And for her to say you inspiredme to run daily, I'm like do.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
I, you are, you're an inspiration.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Elaine's a good lady, she's, she's good people.
I'd give her a shout out everytime.
All right, so you know who elseis 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 (43:04):
No, I haven't talked to him much this term.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
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 tomake a run, you need to make a
run.
Yeah, he's got a good head ofhorses too.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
so right, yeah, he has a good head on his shoulders
too, and family that'ssupportive yeah, he rolls hard
with his family yeah, I'mexcited to see where he goes
right with with the rodeo scenein the college rodeo.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
You said you only have one season left now.
I was gonna ask you.
I talked to wiley about thissometimes, but they don't have
the nil in the rodeo.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
You know the whole college.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
Like you got x amount of time left.
You know if you, if you competehere at uh n-a-i-a, can you go
NCAA?
You know, roadie, I was justyeah.
Do you think they'll ever havethat in the rodeo, or?
Not enough money?
Speaker 2 (44:07):
I don't know, I didn't even really know about,
so I only did like two highschool rodeos.
I youth rodeo a lot and um, Ijackpotted here and there and I
went to shows like in Washington, oregon and California, um, but
(44:27):
I I got shorty in 2021 and Iwas a sophomore um in high
school and so I just didn't feel, cause high school rodeo is
pretty competitive.
Yeah, it is, and um, I didn'tfeel like.
I felt like I was just going todonate my entry fees if I
entered at the time, and so Ikind of stuck to my youth rodeo
(44:49):
until, like, I built myconfidence up and when I started
winning money there then I kindof hit a couple towards my
senior year.
But um, I just I really stuckto 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 ifthey ever will or not.
(45:10):
I think it'd be cool, but, um,I didn't really know about
college rodeo until like mysenior year of high school.
So I thought it stopped at highschool and then it went
straight.
And then here I am.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
Just hearing more of your story it's fascinating to
know that you know you didn't dotoo many high school.
But here you are in collegedoing your thing.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
It's crazy how that works.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
Huh, You're an all-in kind of gal.
You're an all-in kind of galJeez and it's paying off,
correct, you find?
Speaker 2 (45:47):
it paying off?
Yeah, it is.
I love college rodeo.
It's so fun, jeez, and it'spaying off, correct?
You find it paying off?
Speaker 1 (45:54):
Yeah, it is.
I love college rodeo.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
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 goingto say.
Oh, I don't remember what I wasgoing to say.
It's just kind of like I thinkI'm a lot more confident now
(46:17):
than I was, like back in highschool, cause, like I, when I
ran in high school, it wasAirPods in until I had to run,
would go run and then AirPodsback in and I go sit in my
trailer Like I wouldn't reallyI'm pretty extroverted person
but I just rodeo.
People intimidated me,especially the, the girls that
showed up in the you know bigfeather light trailers with four
head of horses and you knowlike they, but you could tell
(46:38):
they've been doing it for aminute.
Um, and I had my little twohorse rusty bumper pull that I
still have to this day.
Um, you know, I'd pull up withmy one horse and we were just
there to to have fun for thelove of the game.
I wasn't really.
I didn't really care aboutwinning money.
Uh, I mean, it's nice when youdo, but I was there because I
(47:00):
loved it and I loved running onmy horse and stuff, and so I
didn't want to talk to thembecause I was intimidated and,
um, I thought that they weregoing to be mean or you know
like because I didn't to me, Ididn't feel like I was on their
level.
Um, and now I'm a lot moreconfident, I think.
(47:22):
But, like, I hang out with youknow, the people on my rodeo
team and, and regardless of thetrailers and the people that are
the horses and the tack andwhatever that they have, like
90% of the people are prettydown to earth and like want to
help you out and support you andand stuff, and it took me being
(47:42):
in the rodeo industry a lotlonger and kind of like being
around people and getting moreconfident.
That I like realized that, andI 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 andLassen you know people and and
we're all kind of friends now,so I really like that aspect of
(48:06):
it.
Speaker 1 (48:09):
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 continueyour education or are you just
going to go?
Guns a blazing.
I'm going to go full tilt inthe rodeo world.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
Yeah, I've been sitting on that for a long time.
I wanted to be a vet, since Iwas four, five.
I've always loved, you know,wanting, wanting to be a vet,
wanting to help animals andstuff, um, but the older I got,
the more narrow and narrow andnarrow it got, like I've always
wanted to help animals and stuff, but now I'm leaning towards
(48:49):
more, um, equine reproductionand.
I want to run a breeding andtraining facility and that's
like my goal and passion and Iwant to.
I want to rodeo, yeah, so yeah,a lot of money.
Yeah, you're, you're telling me, telling me, um.
(49:10):
But it's the one thing that Ifeel like I'm really good at and
that I'm really passionate, umabout, and I don't want to go
the whole nine yards of being avet with all the student loans
and stuff, when what I want todo I can do now with an
associates yeah um, and I wantto rodeo.
(49:31):
I want to go full hammer downinto the rodeo scene.
Um, and I am pretty.
I've only been going to collegefor a couple years but I'm
pretty burnt out.
You know, I don't think collegeis my scene.
Uh, academic wise, I mean likeI'm good at school, but I don't
think college is my scene.
Academic wise, I mean like I'mgood at school but I don't like
being there.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
And so I'm kind of ready to end this chapter of my
life and and have a real fulltime job.
Speaker 1 (50:04):
When you go full tilt and opportunities arise, will
you stay in the home state?
Speaker 2 (50:13):
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 dowell, I think I will spread my
wings and go, you know, like thewhole cowboy christmas run and
try and go to as many big rodeosas I can.
I mean, my end goal is the nfr,but who who's isn't when you
(50:37):
want to be in the prca, um, butit's just little mountains at a
time that I have to conquer likeI want.
I want to, you know, do well atmpra finals, then do well at
circuit finals, then kind ofwork my way up the ladder that
way.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
What?
What I meant was would you goto Texas, would you go?
To uh yeah, you would move toTexas.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
I don't know if I'd move, but I definitely, you know
, do a run there like, try andhit all the bigger rodeos and
then go.
You know, go South, hit all thebig rodeos there.
Um, california has got somebigger rodeos.
I mean, we in Oregon have somebigger rodeos.
Um, that I want to.
I, I want to go to all of thebig stable rodeos.
(51:21):
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 moveaway from my family, um, but my
family is like my whole world.
So I don't, I don't think Icould be.
(51:42):
I'm, I'm homesick now and I'monly eight hours away from them.
Speaker 1 (51:46):
Gotcha.
Okay, all right, I just had toask, had to ask you.
You said someone, a barrelracer, who inspired you.
You know, you just watched herand fell in love.
Who inspires you to continuedoing what you do?
Speaker 2 (52:04):
Yeah, so I had a softball coach my junior year
and his name is Reno and he andI clicked right off the bat and
he ended up playing likeprofessional baseball and then
came back and coached and stuffand and, uh, I always call him
(52:37):
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 headsbecause he would do that.
Um, in softball games he wouldtap me on the back of the helmet
and be like, get in the game,hit the dang ball.
Um and so he calls me now and heis like take it all in, lock it
(53:01):
in and ride Like it's the lasttime you're ever going to be on
a horse.
And you know he's always beenthere, Um, even like he stopped
being my coach after one year,one season, but he still showed
up for me and been therewhenever I needed to and he
(53:23):
always is that like push for me,um, and I can't thank him
enough, yeah yeah, he's, he'sawesome yeah, just hearing that
you know rodeo gal just say, hey, softball coach, it's like yeah
yeah, I, I coach myself andjust to hear that it it's uh
(53:44):
encouraging and uh uplifting toknow.
Speaker 1 (53:47):
You know, some kids do most random things and then
they remember, you know it'spretty cool, so he's, he's made
a huge impact.
Speaker 2 (53:56):
Yeah, he's been a huge impact on my life and and
it kind of is all like, evenbesides rodeo, he's like been
there for me.
You know, job interview,interviews, my health stuff,
like any anything I'm goingthrough.
He's always there for me tolean on when I need advice or
support.
Um, and coaches like we'll makeit make or break you as a
(54:19):
player.
Um, I've had coaches completelyruin the game for me and like
I'm burnt out and not wanted toplay anymore.
And but there's those coachesthat that mean the world to you
and that make you love the gameand love yourself, and they're
they're pretty priceless okayhow far are you traveling this
(54:39):
year?
Speaker 1 (54:40):
have you, have you got the travel dates and the
miles up and running or no?
Speaker 2 (54:48):
um lagging.
I'm lagging a little bit.
My horse isn't going to beready to start running again
until the end of may, um, and soher health comes first,
obviously, and I want her to bevet checked in um 110, ready to
go fully legged up before wereally um hit the road again.
(55:10):
So I'm I've got a concept ofwhere I'm going um, but also
with a brand new baby it's.
It's kind of a little bitharder to travel um Like baby
horse, not me baby, but babyhorse yeah.
I guess.
(55:31):
So I don't know.
We're just going to see.
It's all up to Shorty.
Honestly, she'll let me know ifshe 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 lovetheir job as much as she does
and, um, she gives me 110 everysingle time I swing my leg over
(55:56):
her.
So I feel like we'll have noproblem going full swing back
into rodeo.
But we're going up to wallawalla, I think on the 14th for a
college rodeo.
Yeah, february right.
Speaker 1 (56:13):
March.
Is it February or March?
Speaker 2 (56:16):
March, march 14th, we're going up to Walla, walla,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (56:24):
Pretty big one, pretty big one.
I like that.
I like to see when I go towalla 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 coolto see.
So is shorty your onlytraveling buddy, or do?
Speaker 2 (56:46):
you have others no, she's, she's my one right now.
I'm I'm looking into gettinganother one um, but the horse
market is really insane rightnow and so I have shorty's.
Baby is going to be my nextstep up and I'm gonna futnity on
(57:07):
her per hope prayers that.
It's a little Philly Um that,but I want to fraternity on her
and um eventually priority onher.
But then I'm looking foranother backup um to take
shorty's place.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
When traveling, what's your go-to?
Do you listen to podcasts?
Do you listen to music?
All the above audiobooks, whatis it?
Speaker 2 (57:36):
yeah, I'm a big music person.
Big music person, I love, Ilove 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 tomusic for a couple hours and
honest, um, so I go back andforth like I'll listen to music
for a couple hours and I'll likelisten to a podcast and then
I'll go back to listening tomusic.
Um, it all kind of just dependson the vibe that I'm in.
(57:58):
Usually I travel by myself, soI get to decide what I play,
which is nice, all right are youa playlist, kind of gal, or do
you listen to the whole album?
I hit shuffle on my apple musicand if whatever goes, I listen
(58:19):
to everything under the sun solike from divorce dad rock to
christian music, to uh Roan, tosome like it's all over the map.
So I just kind of hit shuffleand whatever it plays plays.
But like Daughtry is myfavorite of all time and you
(58:46):
know Nickelback Iley crew, Ilike casting crowns, I like you
know it just kind of really um,big daddy week maybe maybe I'm
the psychopath because, like youknow, I have group at you know
at work and everything else, andthey're like I got playlists
after playlists.
Speaker 1 (59:05):
I'm like I can't do that, I'm just putting on
shuffle and I'm like, oh, Idon't know how you guys can do
that.
I'm just, I'm the kind ofperson because I travel a lot
too uh, to you know, tackle,mountains, rodeo, whatever, and
I I'm full album, I drive mykids, nuts, I drive my wife.
But maybe it's me, maybe I'mthe psychopath, maybe it's not
(59:28):
you guys.
Speaker 2 (59:30):
Well, the one person there's, there's two people that
I can listen to, like that Ican just play them, and it's
Daughtry and Luke Combs.
Like I can turn on Luke andlisten to them the whole way
through.
I turn on Daughtry and listento them the whole way through
and never get tired of them.
But with some people like Ilisten, I'm a couple songs in of
listening to their voice againand I just need to skip really
(59:54):
who?
Speaker 1 (59:54):
who, all right, who is it?
Who's one of them?
Speaker 2 (59:58):
just one that I have to skip yeah, skip uh, usually,
uh, taylor swift.
Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
Any taylor swift song that comes on, I usually hit
skip yeah, okay, all right, heythat that that 80s, uh poppy
synth music, uh song that shehas that heartbreak, something
of a heartbreak.
That song is pretty catchy, I'mnot a I'm not a big Swiftie.
Speaker 2 (01:00:28):
But that song is alright.
I like her old, when she was acountry music artist and she had
.
I like those songs, but Icouldn't tell you a single one
of her new songs.
Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
Okay, the reason why I ask?
I'm a huge music goer andmusic's huge in my life right
and so recently I saw ColterWall.
Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
It was pretty good.
It was good man.
He can play, you know, his bandis one of a kind, but goodness,
the sound and the continue ofthe sound was kind of a sleeper
for me.
Yeah, I'm not dogging him, heis great at his craft.
But goodness gracious, I needsome tempo, I need, you know, I
(01:01:21):
just I just can't do it and wewere just in a dark room sitting
down and I'm just like almostdozing off.
You know, the Kate Hoffman whostarted for for played as long
as he did and it was, you know,just depressing songs, and I
don't mind that the lyrics aregreat, but goodness gracious,
(01:01:44):
give me something more than thecold wall Always, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:01:50):
I have a hard time with, especially when I'm
driving and I'm like hour eightnine into driving and I can't
listen to slow songs or likevery dark, or like deep, you
know, sad, so I can't listen tothem anymore.
I'll start falling asleep.
So, um, yeah, I mean I like himsometimes but I have to be in
the mood for, you know, the darkyeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
So yeah, I'm just, I'm just glad you're able to
hear my story on that.
Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
Yes, oh my god, I agree, I agree because I've seen
red clay strays three times.
Speaker 1 (01:02:22):
You know what I mean a huge fan, those guys bring it.
They got the, they got thelyrics, they got the sound, they
got the up tempo on the lyricsand sound.
You know it's just perfect.
Saw him twice in vegas and onetime in spokane and I'll
continue to travel to go seethem, you know, but yeah yeah, I
love them.
Speaker 2 (01:02:41):
The uh, my favorite concert I've ever been to is
luke combs.
He can put on a concert two-dayconcert.
Always right, he's always doingtwo days and he I went to, uh,
the boise state stadium to seehim.
Uh like, okay, may of 2023 orsomething, and that was like the
(01:03:03):
most fun I've had and likeeveryone there is just there to
have a good time and party andstuff, and so the vibes were off
the chain, it was so.
It was so fun and that was likeone of my very first concerts
I've ever been to.
So I had been to one concertbefore then, so it was just, I
was just a little overwhelmed.
Speaker 1 (01:03:21):
I was like whoa, everyone's here is nuts don't
shy away from the the radioconcert or the rodeo concerts oh
, yeah, yeah, I've watched acouple of them, uh, this summer
traveling um, but I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
I hated concerts growing up.
I never.
I never liked them and like atmy fair and stuff because I had
to be whatever, but you right.
Um, well, at the fair.
I was at fair all week andthere was always bands playing
and like concerts playing andthey were never that great.
We always didn't have thatgreat of people playing at our
(01:03:59):
county fairs and so I think itwas just kind of made me sour to
them.
And then the first concert Isaw was a wild hair festival in
Canby.
I saw Zach Bryan before.
He was pretty blown up and I was10 feet away from the stage and
it was a hundred bucks to beright there and um, I was like,
wow, I like concerts and soafter that I I'm all about going
(01:04:25):
to him yeah, zach brian messedup his his thing with those ndas
that he's having the exact signyeah, he really did himself in
yeah I'm not.
Speaker 1 (01:04:40):
I'm not a fan of him.
I'm not a fan of that kind ofuh, country or americana,
whatever they call it.
Now I think they call themcountry, but yeah, it's not my
sound.
I like the red, dirt noise.
The southern country?
Yeah, that, I like thetraditional kind of stuff.
So when?
(01:05:00):
What podcast is your number one, not mine?
Don't say mine what podcastsshould I pick up and listen to?
Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
um, well, um, I really like, uh, sadie robertson
.
Um, I really like her listeningto her.
Um, I forgot what the name ofher podcast is called.
It's been I just click on thenew episode button.
(01:05:29):
Um, but anyway, sadie Robson,she's, she's really awesome.
Um, and my friends have apodcast that they started.
It's only on YouTube, um, it'scalled truth uncut.
Um, and they talk about likethey deep dive into like the
seven deadly sins and and I wason their podcast a couple of
(01:05:50):
years ago actually.
But you know like they're superfun to listen.
I mean, you have to be kind ofmentally prepared for it.
They dive into some deeperthings, but yeah, they're fun to
listen to too, and you, ofcourse.
Speaker 1 (01:06:05):
but I thought about YouTube since day one and I I
tell you what, the more I getinto this.
Youtube is helpful, youtube isfun, but a lot of uh, the
listeners you got to go with thelisteners.
A lot of the listeners are bluecollar, they don't have time to
sit in the in front of a youknow computer or a device and
(01:06:28):
watch you doing this Right, Idon't know, to each their own.
I've heard a lot like oh you'renot on YouTube.
That hurts more, but I'm goodwith what I do and happy there.
Speaker 2 (01:06:44):
Yeah, and I put it on when I'm writing and stuff too,
and I can't stare at my likewhen I'm writing and stuff too,
and I can't stare at my phonewhen I'm writing, right, so I I
can put it on you know applepodcast and and put it in my
saddle, puck thing, sack thingand ride but yeah, teach their
own, but that's cool.
Speaker 1 (01:07:02):
So truth uncut and sadie robertson, I'll check it
out.
Check it out.
We've been talking for a bit wecan still talk for a while.
You were nervous, but not kindof nervous, not quite nervous,
but how do you feel?
How do you feel overall thisepisode?
Speaker 2 (01:07:21):
I went.
Good, I talk a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:07:25):
Okay, it's fun.
It's fun.
I'm glad we went as long as wehave and did, and everything
else.
But one thing that I want youto think about, though okay, and
uh, your confidence level.
And talking about yourconfidence when you're in high
school, till now, I totallyunderstand when you were saying
how, uh, you, you felt out ofplace or not with up to par with
(01:07:52):
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 peoplequestion me, but for some
(01:08:12):
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 youhave, you know is just do your
thing, do your thing, forgetwhat they say, forget what they
do.
Nine out of 10 times, thereason why they're their way is
(01:08:33):
because they're scared of you.
Right, right, right.
That's that's how I see it.
That's how I see it.
It took me a bit to uh to torealize that the confidence in
the, in this kind of, you know,sport, you know I have all the
confidence in the world when itcomes to running mountains,
(01:08:55):
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 alwaysbeen there.
I love it, you know.
But are the people gonna takeit?
They did and I guess I'm doingokay, right, right, but you
(01:09:17):
being a queen, rodeo queen, Idon't.
I I'm still trying to gather,like how the confidence is
lagging, because for you to be aqueen, 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 arodeo queen and not be confident
(01:09:40):
?
Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
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 watchingyourself.
Yeah, I was like, oh, maybe I'mdoing something wrong, maybe my
tech, like to everyone else, mytech is like I look stupid
(01:10:03):
because my tax on wrong or um,you know, like it took me a long
time to realize that likenobody cares, and if they do,
they're not people you want tobe around anyways and everyone
there is to is there to help youand support you and stuff.
Um, but I, if you would havetold me like three years ago I
(01:10:26):
was going to try out to be arodeo queen and get a title, I
probably would have laughed,because there's there's kind of
a stigma around rodeo queensthat like they're just a pretty
face and that you know, theydon't know how to ride or they
can't actually rodeo and stuff.
But I rodeoed before I rodeoqueened and so I knew I could
(01:10:47):
ride and, um, having a prettyface was just a plus.
But I, my friend, rodeo queenedand 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,
(01:11:10):
sublimities, rodeo samium,canyon stampede and I tried out
and I won and I loved my boardmembers.
They were so down to earth andthey were.
They liked the fact that I wasan uh, a cowgirl, like I rode
like a cowgirl.
I rodeoed I, you know, um,because a lot of you know they
(01:11:31):
do the wings like in your hairand makeup to the nines, and
that wasn't me.
I curled my hair normal and Iwore the makeup that I normally
wear and I was there to um, youknow, spread the world of rodeo
to people.
I loved being around kids.
(01:11:53):
I think that was my favoritepart of being a rodeo queen was
because I saw kids that lackedconfidence in themselves and
being able to be there and kindof lift them up was my favorite.
And getting to talk to them andand then being like I want to
be just like you when I grow upand I want to be a rodeo queen
and and and getting to talk tothem and and them being like I
want to be just like you when Igrow up and I want to be a rodeo
queen and and I want to rodeo.
But I just started writing Likeit's me being that light to
(01:12:16):
them and that role models tothem was really what kept me
going and like boosted myconfidence, like seeing that
they believed in me so much.
Speaker 1 (01:12:25):
But well, I like what I hear, like what I hear, I
hear, I like, I am thankful thatyou reached out seriously and
has basically taken this episodeto 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'redoing, all right oh, thank you
(01:12:47):
yeah, the being rodeo queen isnot easy and it is very tough
and um yeah, just, it's justhard to gather confidence you
now, and it's just like, oh mygod, you're amazing, you know,
amazing athlete, amazing person.
You continue to do things.
You know that you're going toquestion, especially with your
(01:13:13):
health and whatnot.
So I appreciate you searchingme out and allowing me to have
you on the podcast.
I want you back.
I want you back, especiallyafter the baby's born, not yours
.
Speaker 2 (01:13:29):
The horse, my horse's baby.
Speaker 1 (01:13:31):
And I want to.
I want to hear about your runand where you're going to go and
how are you going to go dothings, and hopefully I run into
you.
I was going to.
I was going to get my mediacard but the C word put a damper
on it, but eventually I'll endup doing it.
I just need to make sureeverything's in order.
Speaker 2 (01:13:56):
But don't ever so with that God heals.
He's a healer, so he worksmiracles, and so I think you'll
be.
Speaker 1 (01:14:06):
I've been, I've been praying for you, so, uh, Thank
you, so I want you to notquestion 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
(01:14:26):
appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (01:14:27):
I appreciate you for having me on.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:14:30):
Yeah, so please come back.
All right, I will Do.
You want to close it out?
Speaker 2 (01:14:38):
Um yeah, I just want to say that your faith will move
mountains and and uh, trustyourself.
Speaker 1 (01:14:49):
Well, you too.
All right, Until next time.
Speaker 2 (01:14:55):
Yep, we'll see you next time.
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