Well, the Harris family has just returned from a week in Clovis, New Mexico at the High Plains Junior Rodeo Assoc. finals. It was a great trip, considering several inches of mud and slop! The kids had fun and made some awesome runs inspite of the weather. Luckily the arena began to dry and the kids were able to step up the competition.
Matt and I have discussed the pros and cons of our kids competing in rodeo. We do spend almost every weekend during the summer on the road and it's difficult to be away from home and the store. We are so blessed with the wonderful people that work at Coolhorse. We couldn't do this without them. Even still, being gone so much isn't easy and we don't travel near as much as some of the families that we know. Many of these 'rodeo families' will be gone as much as five weeks this summer! That is unbelievable!
However, the flip side to this is that, we believe, something is being instilled in our children that they might not gain anywhere else. Yes, any rodeo parent knows that there are many frustrating times. The practice pen can get pretty intense and some rodeos don't turn out the way we had hoped. There are the times that Addi leaves the arena with tears in her eyes because her horse hit the end pole; the times that Jake is frustrated because he didn't draw a steer that bucks; the times that Pryce loses patience with his calf horse because he's not working the rope. But at the end of the day, the trials have taught them to find something to be happy about during a sad time, to turn a frustrating situation into something positive, to dig down deep and find patience even when they don't think there is any patience left.
Oh yeah, we're tired! But we're all together every weekend and I'd rather be tired together than rested apart!
Missy
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