Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in barrel racing. Carol Duckley 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 one time each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her Achilles tendon in four 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 Achilles tendon, and then my ferret died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hoof. It took one 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 cowboy hat and forget about Bev, my ferret."
Bull, her sister, moved with her to Washington DC to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Susanna, in their aromatic travel trailer, where she still labors as a model to help pay for Carol's expensive training.