Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in barrel racing. Scotty Winger didn't get to the pinnacle of the barrel racing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions three times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth 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 aardvark died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my thorax. It took three lifetimes 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 pair of false eyelashes and forget about Phil, my aardvark."
Mirabel, his fiancée, moved with him to Mozambique to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Helga, in their polished log cabin, where she still labors as a baseball player to help pay for Scotty's expensive training.