05/31/2026
The news that hit yesterday of the attacks on those poor horses hits very close to home.
Let me tell you my story:
When I was 18 I had an amazing horse that I inherited from my older brother. We qualified and ran down at Jackson Mississippi youth NBHA world show. On our second day down there we were sitting in the top 20 in 1D. By the third day I noticed my horse wasn't acting right now we paid very close attention to this horse he was our heart and soul. Down at these world shows you are not able to keep your horse at your trailer You have to keep your horses in a stall and this was before ring cameras or any kind of surveillance camera was available. We padlocked his stall We did everything we thought was right. By the fourth day he became lethargic and bloated, he could hardly move. We ended up giving him an e***a and out popped a ball of string, like packing string very coarse hard string almost the size of your fist. Now anybody that knows horses knows they're not going to eat string. My vet later would tell me he assumed it was laced with antifreeze put in a pill pusher and shove down the horses throat. We were able to load him up and make it as far as Iowa before he passed away. It was devastating, heartbreaking to know that you put this animal in a position that ended up getting him killed all for the love of the sport broke me. I took several years to reconsider my love for this sport. I stopped barrel racing all together for 10 years I couldn't bring myself anywhere near it because of the heartbreak.
Our hearts go out to all of those affected by the recent events in Las Vegas. The hatred somebody has to hurt defenseless animals because of a mental disorder is unimaginable. I don't tell you this story to get sympathy but rather to let you know that this is something that has been going on for years. Social media just brings to light the dark side of the sport. Hug your horses tight give them all the love and attention you can and at the end of the day do everything in your power to keep them safe.