Barrel Race, Barrel Race, Barrel Race

June 7, 2012 by ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ 1 Comment

It’s been ages since I shared any barrel racing videos. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because my horse is still running in the same place and the improvement is coming slowly, but surely. Maybe it’s because I’ve been too busy. No matter. I have a couple runs from the past few weeks to share. I really don’t care if my horse ever wins me a check- I love him, we have fun and as a reformed runaway, he’s quiet and he likes me. Those are the things I find most important these days.

This is from last night- where we ran in the 3D:

Last week’s Thursday run where we won the 4D:

And the second barrel race we ran in since September of last year (again he ran in the 3D):

And there you have it. My reformed runaway, Gump, can and does walk into and out of the arena. I just love how polite he is. There’s certainly a lot more work to be done- getting him softer and more responsive at a higher rate of speed but we’ll get there!

In the meantime, maybe I’ll get some film of his little brother Dino, in some exhibitions. A horse with no baggage is always a quicker study than one that has a past. And honestly, he fits me better than Gump, at this time. I’ve never ridden such a “free runner” as Gump; the horses I’ve trained and ridden in the past were always “push” style, ride as hard as you can between each turn, and don’t breath slow-down before you get there. Dino will be that way. Gumpy, may never be that, but he’s teaching me a lot, and I’m having fun, and to me those are the two things that matter!

Happy Trails!

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

Comments

Raquel says

June 12, 2012 at 8:19 pm

A horse that goes in the arena nicely is always a joy, thanks for sharing! You guys sure have some nice big arenas, I love running outdoors but most of the arenas I go to are inside. I feel the same way about my runs on Rumor, she still has lots of room for improvement but I love her to death. I’m hoping to have her in the 2nd division by the time this season is over.

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