The last few weeks have been decent. I’ve rode like five different horses the last couple weeks, but I’ve been winning a bit on all of them. I didn’t have any luck at Ellensburg but I won good at Plains and Dillon, Mont. I won a couple thousand out of those, then after that, I had a day off, then we went down to Lewiston then hauled butt to the airport and had a flight out of Spokane and flew back to Kansas City, and I was able to go by my old house and see my dad for breakfast for about an hour. Then we went over to Fort Madison’s Cinch Shootout and I was able to win first for $10,000, but I didn’t draw very good at the PRCA rodeo. Trell Etbauer and I went over there together, and we were in a car riding to the shootout, and I said, “Boy I’d like to take about $20,000 out of here back to our hotel room.” Then he won the bull dogging and I won the calf roping. He split first and second at the rodeo, too. So that was a great time for both of us.
Credit: Tyson DurfeySince then, I didn’t have really any other luck at the other rodeos, but I did well at Puyallup and I was able to make it back in the last hole in the short go off a tie-breaker. They went off of world standings and I was lucky enough to get in. Coming from 12th wasn’t ideal, and I was able to tie one pretty fast so I won the short go and third in the average.
It had been pretty dry up until last week, but a guy’s got to stay confident and positive. I should be in the top 15 now, and I’ve got to stay focused and stay relaxed. I’ve got to let the God lord draw me some good cattle. Honestly, I’ve been praying all day every day to stay relaxed and I’ve been breathing real deep and trying to visualize good things happening. People think about the worst thing that can happen instead of the best thing that’s going to happen. When I’m in a clutch situation, I try to focus on the good things that can happen and on my wife and my family and friends.
We’re tying calves at Pendleton this morning, so hopefully by the end of the week I’ll have more great news.
