Excitement from the Beginning - Abbea Faris

Last weekend in Gillete at the first college rodeo of the spring.

There are a few things I do each time before I compete to get myself mentally ready for my run. God helps us handle what we are given. I rope the dummy and picture the run in my head. My horse firing, breaking and tracking the calf/steer, the animal (hopefully) running straight, scoring, having proper horsemanship, taking my shot, and having a smooth catch. 

Being mentally prepared going into my run helps me be confident, excited, blessed, and FOCUSED . I focus on only on scoring well and roping the steer/calf. The people and excitement on the side lines are all kind of a blur. It gets the adrenaline going, but I block it all out. I walk into the box as close to the pin as possible. My little mare was trained to enter the box right where she leaves it, which is obviously, breaking to the pin. I will stop and check to see if the correct calf/steer is loaded that I have drawn, and I will also look at the calf’s head and picture my loop going over his head. I tell myself to breath and stay quiet and calm for my horses’ sake. Being nervous will not help a horse stand quiet in the box, and can greatly effect scoring. We turn around, concentrating on the steer/calf and back a couple steps and hopefully stand in the corner. If not, I will walk her forward, or usually move her front end over. When everything feels and looks right ill nod my head and try to see the start I planned on seeing. Sometimes, the start is just reaction and best judgment. From there on out, it is just muscle memory and reaction for me. Living in Laramie, Wyoming, we have to practice in all sorts of different weather conditions, which I feel is a major advantage for me. If it is hot, windy, cold, raining, or perfect weather, I have practiced in all the above and just stay focused on my run.

During each run I am focused, but it is just such a blur during it. Some of my greatest runs happen so quick that I don’t remember. Good thing there are video recorders. Sometimes I will watch some of my greatest runs to see how I have improved, or not, and just give myself that excitement and joy and confidence again.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18