(click to enlarge photos)

My Inspiration

On mother’s day this year, while judging a horse show in Paso Robles California with my good friend Karen McCuistion, I asked if she had made her obligatory phone call to her mother to wish her a happy Mother’s Day.   She replied that she was very excited and waiting on a phone call from her, instead.   It seems that her mother, Patty Muhr, was competing at a regional AQHA show in Amarillo, Texas.  Karen went on to explain it would be Patty’s first experience competing in team roping at an AQHA show.   She admitted that she was more concerned that her mother would actually be able to catch than how she finally placed in the class.  Late that afternoon, she got the call she had been waiting for.   Patty not only caught but did it so well that she won 3^rd in the Open Class (competing with professional riders) and  went on to win a belt buckle by placing first in her age division.

Being a retired horse trainer and feeling like I’m getting too old for this game, Patty is my new inspiration.  If she can accomplish this at 68 years of age, shouldn’t we all be inspired to keep setting goals and riding hard!  You go, girl!

~Cindy Rucker