Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in barrel racing. Betsy Rowling 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 one time each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her little finger in two places. But this didn't stop her. She seems even more determined to excel at her sport.
"I was really down when I broke my little finger, and then my dodo bird died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my shin. It took twelve minutes 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 glasses and forget about Rose, my dodo bird."
Jeff, her mentor, moved with her to West Virginia to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, April, in their gigantic flat, where she still labors as a pigeon rancher to help pay for Betsy's expensive training.