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August 2, 2008
Samanatha Eckert from Indiana.
We are finally competing. I was here early enough to go over to the trade show hall and visit all the booths. I have been sitting here in the stands and watching the barrels. I have already made my run, and unfortunately took out the third barrel and walked my horse home to save him for the poles.
Just sitting in the stands is interesting. I have met so many neat people. I am now sitting with Samantha Eckert from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is here for hunt seat equitation and trail. Samantha is a past American Quarter Horse Journal Junior Journalist. She is enjoying her last trip to the Ford Youth World and is cheering the Indiana team on. She is going to attend McMurray in Kentucky on an equine scholarship.
I was glad to be watching when my friend from Mississippi, Shelton Headley, broke 17 seconds with a 16.9 in the barrels. I met him last year in Fort Worth and enjoyed riding around with him and couldn’t wait to see him run again. He has set the bar high for a repeat as the 2007 youth barrel racing world champion. It is fun talking to everyone around here and finding out how long it took to get here, like Samantha. She said it took her 11 hours.
I still have my pole and stakes run to come, and I am looking forward to my time back in the stands. Time to go resaddle and get ready. Enjoy the show on the Web.
