sassy&tessa - 2013-12-09 9:00 AM

While I somewhat agree wtih what hotbear said, I am not 100% on board.  Professional sports is a tad different than the rodeo girls IMO.  Do I have direct access to Colin Kapernick (QB of the 49ers)>  He!! no I don't!  Rodeo still isn't to the level of the NFL, MLB or any other sport you would like to mention.  Do we want it to be-absolutely but it isn't there today. I can still walk up to Mary Walker at a barrel race.  Or Brittany Pozzi, or Sherry Cervi.  They are still well within reach of being able to talk to them any day of the week.  Thus, IMO, they can still be more sensitive to people coming on to a public forum like this and saying something negative.

Christy frequents this page.  Most of the pros know of this page and know what is being said about them.  While I am one to pick apart a run for my own sake, I wouldn't come on here and say anything negative.  At least not during the 10 rounds.  I am first and foremost cheerleading and then after the 10 rounds maybe play the what if game. I think because they are so close to us, the best thing we can do is be a HUGE cheerleader for them and let them know we are pulling for them to do better.  They don't need anything negative from their fans right now. 

Christy, if you are reading this, you have had an EPIC year...EPIC.  I would have voted Movin as horse of the year and I think you get Girl with the most Grit of the year.  You have made improvements and you will keep making improvements.  For movin's first year at the T&M, I think you are rocking it.  I know you will only get better this week and next year when you get back, Movin will know the pen and you will be even greater than the greatness you are right now.  Keep on keepin on girl!!!!

WrapSnap - 2013-12-09 7:12 AM


I agree Scott that critiquing the top competitors, in any sport is a normal and useful thing. What I don't agree with is bashing them. To come on a forum such as this and say "What's up with so and so not running in there as hard as they can?" or "I don't know how so and so made the NFR with all the barrels they are hitting" is just preposterous to me. These girls didn't make it to the NFR by running in the T&M all year. They ran in many different arenas, different setups and their horses excelled in some and might not have faired so well in others. I've got a jam up mare who I have always said would get somebody to the NFR, but I'd be hard pressed to advise someone to make a run on her in the T&M. In order to go clean on her in that pen, you'd have to do so many things that you wouldn't be able to clock with horses that you may well have outrun all year.

Guiness - 2013-12-09 8:05 AM

I didn't read all the previous posts because I'm at work and I'm sneaking this one in. lol
Is Fallon still using the hackamore? I wonder if she will change to a bit just to get a little better shape going into those turns. She may have to.

loflin06 - 2013-12-09 8:07 AM There is no doubt that this week has been a struggle for a few of us. This pen is the toughest pen you will run in all year and and for me personally I'm have a little tough time getting my timing right. On top of that we all have 500 people texting and commenting on how to ride, what we are doing wrong and how they hate what we are wearing. What you don't see is the top 15 are busy from 5am until 11 pm working, meeting with fans and special needs children, meetings and a million other things that pull us in a million different directions. We are blessed to be here but please keep in mind and respect that we all deserve to be here, worked our butts off, made sacrafices that others wouldn't have the courage to and earned our spots because we are the top 15 in the world. This is a great group of girls that represent our sport very well. So if we hit ten barrels and fall off and disappoint you a with how we ride please at least respect us enough to stay positive. We are doing the best we can. :)

lookout hill - 2013-12-09 9:54 AM I do believe that professional athletes have to develop a thick skin because they get paid millions of dollars & their team owners get very hefty tax revenues to build/remodel their stadiums from us tax payers.  Last I checked those that rodeo only get paid when they win money in a round.  I have been known to yell at the tv about a bone headed play or the football player not missing a tackle or not finding the obvious hole in the defensive line but these guys get paid millions of dollars & shuttled from City to City on private planes.  These rodeo folks are out there day & night working their butts off trying to work, spend time with family, travel from place to place & make enough money to keep going.  I would never post on a forum of any nature bashing someone who is doing something that I (and a majority of you) will never have the opportunity to do.   

Guiness - 2013-12-09 8:05 AM

I didn't read all the previous posts because I'm at work and I'm sneaking this one in. lol
Is Fallon still using the hackamore? I wonder if she will change to a bit just to get a little better shape going into those turns. She may have to.

loflin06 - 2013-12-09 8:07 AM There is no doubt that this week has been a struggle for a few of us. This pen is the toughest pen you will run in all year and and for me personally I'm have a little tough time getting my timing right. On top of that we all have 500 people texting and commenting on how to ride, what we are doing wrong and how they hate what we are wearing. What you don't see is the top 15 are busy from 5am until 11 pm working, meeting with fans and special needs children, meetings and a million other things that pull us in a million different directions. We are blessed to be here but please keep in mind and respect that we all deserve to be here, worked our butts off, made sacrafices that others wouldn't have the courage to and earned our spots because we are the top 15 in the world. This is a great group of girls that represent our sport very well. So if we hit ten barrels and fall off and disappoint you a with how we ride please at least respect us enough to stay positive. We are doing the best we can. :)

HotbearLVR - 2013-12-09 9:08 AM I think whatever the amount that is earned, if they are truly "professional" then they need to realize that their will be critics and critiques.  It's the fans that ultimately pay them whatever they earn, so that's part of the price that pro athletes have to learn to pay.  Otherwise,  where do you draw the line, salary/earnings wise?  $50,000?  $150,000?  $1,000,000?  Why should pro barrel racers be treated with kid gloves any more than any other pro athlete?  Many critiques end up being legitimate, while many others are just mean.  Unfortunately, there's no way of silencing the asses.  For instance, I saw that Fallon Taylor was really reining her horse off the 3rd and it seemed to be making Baby Flo worse.  I also noticed she was hanging on to the horn all the way to the 3rd, and I thought a two handed approach might work better.  There's nothing wrong with a fan voicing a comment like that, is there?  Pro athletes take a lot of crap, but they also get plenty of sunshine blown up their butts as well. 

Swannranch - 2013-12-09 7:15 AM I wish we could have open and honest discussions here with out people getting "oh, you can't say that, they are at the NFR".  I'm not, everyone knows that.  But I'm not at the superbowl either and I can still talk about players performances.  



Especially in a sport that is totaly dominated by men, we get up set if someone makes an observation.  I know not every observation is correct, but this is a board about barrel racing!!! 



I heard Joe B and Donny G both make remarks that were not mean, not meant to hurt anyones feelings but were totally accurate...like..he just over rode that bull, or what was he thinking???  Why take a risk like that in the early rounds... How can we ever be taken seriously...we might get our feelings hurt.  AND that's how we learn. 



I don't know all these horses but I can see.  I would totally enjoy hearing TRUE HONEST opinions of the horses, the riders (I don't care about fasion so...)

 

fatchance - 2013-12-09 9:15 AM I agree, but here is the catalyst for this thread heading south.  The poster was rude on how she worded her questions.



  Also when one can't lope a correct pattern it's hard to understand why they would feel they had a right to say anything about those that have worked their assets off to get there to the NFR.



We can discuss the runners in my opinion but in doing so we subject ourselves into the question, can we walk that walk, meaning could we ride those crotch rockets and not only stay on but run below a 14 second time to try and place.  Many of us have run in small pens and there is little time to correct things going south.  A blind first barrel and if you hit that wrong your playing catch up the rest of the run.  The horses that are struggling are tight runners, they always give their riders fits at the Thomas & Mack.  I can't imagine having to run 10 days there and keeping my equine partner honest.  That is why I am in Awe for those that do, and they remain in that average. 



The mindset the riders must have out there is something most will never have to worry about....SO before we open our mouths, let's just be fair about it.



Again a big ole tip of my Resistol hat to all at the NFR, and thank you.



 

tebar - 2013-12-09 10:13 AM

There is a big difference in constructive criticism and being down right hateful. Hell, Brandie would of won every round if she would of rode Slim like I did watching from the stands but put me on him in the arena and the nightmare would begin. I could see things she might change and we woud talk about it but never in my wildest dream would I tell her she did a bad job. If your watching the NFR to see all the negative you need to stop watching or keep it to yourself.

3 To Go - 2013-12-09 9:07 AM


It looked like she did change it last night and had some sort of rope nose combo on her. Not the normal Jim Warner hackamore.

tebar - 2013-12-09 8:13 AM There is a big difference in constructive criticism and being down right hateful. Hell, Brandie would of won every round if she would of rode Slim like I did watching from the stands but put me on him in the arena and the nightmare would begin. I could see things she might change and we woud talk about it but never in my wildest dream would I tell her she did a bad job. If your watching the NFR to see all the negative you need to stop watching or keep it to yourself.

dianeguinn - 2013-12-09 10:21 AM Amen. I have ridden a crotch rocket like Fallon is on and let me tell you there was many times I COULDN'T let go of the horn going to the 3rd because I'd get blown out the back....I rode idiots and outlaws for years before I got a horse that was the caliber of the horses you're watching and let me tell you, it's a whole different ball game. It's like going from driving a Volkswagen to driving a NASCAR. How many of you could jump into a NASCAR car right now and drive with Kyle Gordon? You'd probably be scared out of your wits, and these horses are the same way. I used to tell my husband that it's like standing up in the back of a pickup going 50 mph and then trying to stay there when the pickup turns a donut....not easy. I was SOOO impressed that Christy was able to recover when Movin popped her out on the 3rd....the centrifugal force of those horses on the turns is unbelievable and if you've never ridden one of that caliber, trust me, you don't know what it's like. You have to be very strong and your reflexes have to be very quick to stay with them because by the time you THINK about doing something, it's already too late. I can no longer ride a horse like that and I know it, and I am so in awe of what these women are doing and what they are clocking!! Heck a high 13 isn't even placing!!! I've been very impressed with the caliber of horses and riders that are there this year. I think it's the toughest pen of horses and riders we've seen yet, and I feel certain there will be a new arena record before it's over.