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For some, money is an taboo topic you just don’t talk about.

But barrel racers know it can make or break you.

What’s not shared, can’t help others. Silence keeps us stuck.

So for the greater good, let’s just dive in and put it all on the table, shall we?

My husband once had a roping partner who would hock one of his saddles at a pawn shop on the way to the rodeo so he could afford to enter, then buy it back on the way home with his winnings. As funny as this is looking back, I don’t recommend it!

Much like the first steps for creating sanity-saving and goal-reaching SYSTEMS to make the most of our time, we also need to start in this area with a reality check.

After all, it’s hard to manage time OR money well, when you don’t have any.

I’m not going to delay before coming right out and sharing that the most important piece of advice I could offer someone for funding their barrel racing dreams (or just adequately preparing for the next season), is this: No matter how enthusiastic, obsessed or legitimately talented or skilled you OR your horses are – DO NOT SPEND MONEY YOU DO NOT HAVE.

Now I totally support the notion of “dreaming the impossible dream,” and making it come true, but let’s NOT be tempted to put the cart before the horse.

Barrel racing is a gamble, the competition is tough and the odds aren’t usually in our favor. Even at the very top of our game, we’ll lose more than we win.

If you LOVE running barrels, and if you’re serious about running barrels and competing at a high level, then there’s some leg work to do. Read more