Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in barrel racing. Lynn Hopkins 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 three times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his wig in four 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 wig, and then my louse died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my calf. It took thirteen decades 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 'I'm with Stupid' shirt and forget about Cliff, my louse."
Midge, his grandmother, moved with him to Slovenia to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Marilyn, in their ornate mud hut, where she still labors as a newscaster to help pay for Lynn's expensive training.