It’s September, and I’m in a different spot in both my mental game and the world standings than I was this time last year, thankfully.
But what I learned in 2022 from struggling for the last month of the season was that there is a lot of money to be won in September. It’s easy to put so much pressure on it, especially when you’re on the bubble. Last year, I overthought every run. I was trying so hard. I was trying to do too much, think too much, rope too fast, instead of letting myself win the way I know how to win.
We don’t talk enough about how mentally exhausting that state of mind is, and how much that exhaustion affects us physically. That stress and pressure affects the way we ride, the way we rope and the way we win. I don’t want to freak out trying to get to every single rodeo and be dead tired and unprepared to compete.
We have a chance for huge money at Puyallup, and then even more money at Sioux Falls. I want to be concentrated, rested and focused on those rodeos. I want my horses ready to go there—not barely working because I hauled their legs off all month (and all year) trying to make every rodeo I could. If they’re working right, and I’m feeling at the top of my game, I like our chances when the big money is up to round out the season.
