Tana Poppino: Rodeo Road Report

Goose and I took the New Mexico tour - El Paso, Albuquerque and Amarillo. It is very clear that the two of us need more runs as our timing wasn't very good. It is easy to think that once you are at a certain level of competition, that you can just pick up there and go on after a break; but that isn't true, especially after injuries. The new season begins Oct. 1 and we have a lot of work to do. Amigo and I have an "extra step" issue that we are diligently working on. He started it last fall after he was off for his surgery, and I kept thinking that he'd finally work out of it with more runs, but not so. Now that my leg is doing better, I am working with him to lose that step. It has cost us a lot of money this year.

In my line of work, pro barrel racing, a tenth of a second costs you several places in the payoff. Many times, a couple of hundreths have cost me three or four placings. The payoff, of course, decreases the farther down you place. In reality, only the top three fastest times win enough to let you make money, and that's at the bigger rodeos. At the smaller rodeos, it's usually only two. Our sport is costly, fuel prices are better than last year, but still trucks pulling big trailers don't get good fuel mileage, and when you drive 50 - 60,000 miles a year, it adds up. Then you have the vet bills, feed bills, shoeing, supplements, and don't forget the entry fees. --

This past season has been a patience builder. The injuries we've had have forced us to coast a little on the homework side, but no more. 2010 is here and I am ready to get back to the standings!

People all the time say that they'd love to do what I do, but they only see the glamour end, the 17 seconds in the arena and in the magazines. They don't realize that this is a 24/7 job that you have to compete with the best riders and horses just to get your paycheck. It's a challenge to say the least, but as I've often said, if it was easy anyone could do it, and I'd probably quit long ago. I love the challenge. The competition forces me to step my game up! Or the alternative is to go home and get a real job.

I believe that I'll go back to the practice pen, and step it up!!!

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Tana Poppino
Professional Barrel Racer
Big Cabin, OK
918-244-9401

Discover your God-given talents, give your dream to God, work hard, trust Him, and never, never give up.

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