7/1/10
After watching countless reruns of Sex and the
City, I decided that I need to write my blog the way that
show is written. What is it about that show that enables
us to watch it over and over again? I think horses and
rodeo have the same effect on us cowgirls as men do to
city women. We just need to call it Rodeo and the City.
 |
| From
left to right: Elisa Maspero, Francesca Riccardi
and Shannon Kerr take in the sights and sounds of
the Fort Worth Stockyards on horseback. |
As with any relationship, rodeo
also has its ups and downs. I went to Weatherford, Texas,
and made a good run and was really happy, a few days later
I get to Mesquite and my horse spooks at the second barrel
and turns before the barrel. I am sure it was my fault,
but as in any relationship I had to put the blame on the
man. Not only that, all I could think was "What a
way to represent Italy, now the crowd thinks all Italian
barrel racers are idiots!" As for my Italian friend,
Elisa, she had her own rodeo experience. I took her to
an amateur rodeo to let her get a feel for competing in
rodeo. Her mare stumbled at the first barrel and after
her go she said to me "This rodeo ground is a lot
more difficult than it looks!" She also had to run
in slack, and I finally think she is starting to understand
how it all works.
June and July are busy months for me. Not only will I
have Elisa with me, but also a young lady named Francesca
Riccardi and a young man named Giovanni Fasci, both are
from Italy and then in July an avid barrel racer from
Brazil will be joining me. Also, the big group of us will
be in Cheyenne. It is exciting for me to get to run there.
Even if it doesn't go well, I know it will be an experience
I will never forget. It is really nice to get to show
these guys how the world of professional rodeo works.
It is very different from the world of 4D barrel racing,
but it is a rush. And like every relationship it takes
work, dedication, sweat and tears but in the end the rewards
are amazing.
Ciao!
Shannon
6/3/10 Well, here it is June and it is hot! Things
have been going well and as I said before in my last blog,
the competition here is so tough. I just love competing
against all of the great riders and horses.
I now have Elisa Maspero traveling with me. She is a young
woman from Italy and she is very confused about rodeo.
It is very difficult to translate "slack" and
even more difficult to explain it. And she is having a
hard time understanding why we only run one horse. And
she too, is amazed at the conditions of the arenas and
how they differ so much. She is also very tired, not from
the horses, but from all the driving and truck time!
Ft. Smith (Ark.) was a very good experience for me and
Fast (my horse). He worked pretty good but had a little
ground trouble on the third barrel, but I think when it
is all said and done we weren't too far out of placing,
which is pretty good considering the level of competition.
I am happy to say that I was excited to finally see Jolene
Stewart and JL Dash Ta Heaven run and run they did! She
made a smoking run that day in slack as did Angie Meadors!
Complimenti is what we would say in Italian! These
two women are not only great hands, but they are also
very beautiful and represent the WPRA very well!
I also am very impressed with the graciousness of the
women in the WPRA. My horse fell at Mineral Wells, Texas
and Mattie Jackson was nice enough to lend me her backup
horse for the other rodeos that I was entered in. While
I didn't place in any of those rodeos, it was a great
experience to ride a different horse and to run at those
shows. Thank you very much Mattie!
Well, summer is now in full swing and mine and everyone's
calendar is full with rodeos and barrel races. I wish
the best of luck to everyone!
See you down the road,
Shannon
5/6/10
Let me just start by saying "Wow!" Being back
in the States is definitely more difficult than I had
planned but has also been very rewarding. I have met
in the past two months some really great people that
have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome.
Their generosity has helped to make this adventure a
little easier.
Well, I must admit I didn't realize
that being a professional barrel racer in the USA meant
also being a professional truck driver. I am now getting
into the groove of things, but those first few weeks
were grueling. I can ride 15 horses a day and not be
as tired as I am from all of the driving. But as I said,
I am now in the swing of things and am finally back
to Oklahoma and settled in.
 I
was also lucky enough to have Celni Gouveia from Brazil
and Francesco Celeberti of Italy travel with me in April
as part of my worldwide exchange program. Celni was
with me at Logandale and she really loved the rodeo
and I think her camera is full of pictures. Francesco
was with me at Guymon and he couldn't believe that we
would still run barrels after so much rain. He also
got a taste of Oklahoma weather and how it can change
so fast! But both of them really were impressed with
professional rodeo. In fact, Francesco participated
in a jackpot barrel race in Guthrie and won $575 and
a trophy saddle pad.
My first few rodeos were not as
stellar as I would have liked them to be and I made
a lot of rider mistakes that have cost me from placing.
On the good side, my horse is feeling good and working
well, now I just need to pull my weight. I must say
that I have not been that lucky, I injured my ankle
and knee at the BBR Finals and that hurt my competition
at Guymon, but I am now well and ready for the next
rodeo!
I have already learned a lot and
am excited to take this new knowledge with me back to
Italy to apply to my training program there. And to
anyone that is thinking about rodeoing or buying their
permit or card - just do it! The knowledge and experience
you gain in and out of the arena is something you can't
find anywhere else. Even if you don't place at one rodeo,
you come away a winner.
I hope to see you down the road!
Ciao!
Shannon
*Note: Shannon finished sixth at
the Chisholm Trail Stampede in Duncan, Okla., (April
30-May 1) with a 15.05-second run worth $377. Jessi
Eagleberger won the rodeo in a time of 14.69 seconds.
To learn more about Shannon Kerr's
breeding program in Italy visit www.equitechinternational.com.
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On
The Road with Shannon Kerr
