Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in barrel racing. Arnold Kringle didn't get to the pinnacle of the barrel racing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions four times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his belly button in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my belly button, and then my parakeet died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my skin. It took eight blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at barrel racing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my gunny sack and forget about Fuzz, my parakeet."
Rosie, his dad, moved with him to Upper Mongolia to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Calista, in their small condominium, where she still labors as a maid to help pay for Arnold's expensive training.