“I called Clay and I said, ‘I’m going to give Blaze tomorrow off and I’ll just run him Sunday,’” she says. “He said, ‘excuse me, what did you just tell me?’ I said, ‘I’m going to give him the day off.’
“He said, ‘So if you make the NFR, are you going to tell me on the fifth run that you’re not going to run him?’ I said, ‘Well, that’s a little different.’ He said, ‘No, it’s not. We’re trying to figure out what he can take and what he can’t take this year.’”
Carter made some big waves through the summer of 2014, none bigger than her win at Burley, Idaho in August.
“He ran phenomenal there. It was unbelievable,” Carter remembers.
“He took off from the back of the alley. He had to be doing 500 mph going to the first barrel and honestly, it’s the only time I’ve run him that I thought I was going to fall off,” she says. “He turned so hard on the back side of the first barrel; it was like he was going that way and I was going the other way. And we almost hit it on the back side because he was trying to wait for me. I knew it was fast, but I never dreamed it would be that fast. I’ve never run a 16 in my life!”
In fact, their run of 16.87 seconds on a full WPRA pattern established a new arena record.
After a good rest through the winter, Carter hit the rodeo trail feeling ready to take on the world. Blaze was a “fire breathing dragon” after the break, and the pair made Odessa, Texas, in January their first stop. Unfortunately, the trip was not successful and the pressure got the better of the veteran cowgirl.
“I called Clay and said you need to take the horse home, I can’t ride him,” says Carter, adding that Hendrix quickly refused. “He said, ‘You have another rodeo, just quit worrying about it. You’re trying too hard.’
“It’s a tough deal, in a way; there’s a lot riding on my shoulders,” says Carter. “When people want to buy him, I’m like, ‘Are you sure?’” Carter says she and the Hendrixes were met at the trailer after their record-breaking run in Burley. “An individual offered them a lot of money, and Annette says, ‘Nobody else will throw their leg over that horse, that’s not our plan right now.’”
While she was not qualified to compete in many of the big money rodeos in the winter that have limited entries, she has made the most of her runs since Odessa, winning rodeos in Yuma and Fort Mohave, Ariz., and sharing the win in Bakersfield, Calif.
“I call Annette every time after I run, regardless of whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent,” Carter says. “They’re part of it.”
Ridin’ for Rach
Carter hopes to honor the memory of Rachel Hendrix riding the young cowgirl’s outstanding Blaze Ta Fame in pursuit of an NFR qualification.
The emotional aspect of this journey is high for both the Hendrix family and for Carter, who always competes in a shirt with the words, “Ridin for Rach.”
“I’ve always believed in God. When my mom died, I was still in Texas, and I honestly saw a vision. I was there in my room and I couldn’t quit sobbing. I couldn’t. Until you experience it yourself, you don’t believe it, but the whole room lit up. I knew she was there,” says Carter. “There are times when I know Rachel is there.”
At Fort Mohave, Carter told her friend there was an angel sitting in the clouds.
“She couldn’t see it, but it was a perfect angel right there for me to see. I know there are times she is there.”
“It’s the hardest thing for Annette. She asks, ‘Why did it have to be my girl?’” Carter states. “At first, she would be so honest, she would say, ‘I’m so happy for you but on the same token I really wish it was Rachel.’ I said you have to remember, it is Rachel, she’s with us. This is all of us doing it.”
“She [Carter] broke another arena record the other day,” says Hendrix. “And it’s hard because it’s not Rachel. I’m happy for her success, but sometimes it’s sad.”
“Rachel knew that horse could do it. She dreamed, like lots of little girls, of running at the Thomas and Mack and she used to tell me, ‘Mom, I know he’ll come out of that alley and just nail the first barrel.’”
Hendrix says that Carter and Rachel say a lot of the same things about the scrappy sorrel gelding that has bonded them all together.
“It’s eerie sometimes,” Hendrix says, choking up a little at the thought. “But I think that’s Rachel, making sure we know exactly what she wants.”
Hendrix remembers the last time Rachel was home in Fallon, for Christmas in 2013. The family’s farrier, who was like a second father to Rachel, was teasing her, saying he wanted to be the one in the alleyway at the WNFR when Rachel made it, helping with that “crazy barrel horse.”
“Rachel just smiled and said, ‘I’ll get you two nights.’ So, that’s our plan. I’ve got to get him his two nights,” Hendrix says. “We’re going to try to get half her dreams accomplished. If she can’t get there, at least maybe her horse can.”
The journey has touched many hearts across the rodeo world, too, and Blaze Man and Carter have a growing fan base. Carter notes that rodeo announcer Dan Fowlie was moved to tears after hearing the story before the rodeo in Yuma.
“He interviewed me before the rodeo,” Carter says. “So I told him the story and he broke down and said he had just lost his daughter. So I think that’s a lot of it, people will send me a text and say, ‘you haven’t posted anything.’”
After every run, Carter posts to Rachel’s Facebook page.
“After Yuma, when Annette called me, she said Rachel was riding with you and your mom was in the stands. I believe it! I don’t know how to explain it, I can feel her presence. There’s nothing I want more than to go down that alley and have them announce, Ridin for Rach. Honestly, if it weren’t for Rachel, I wouldn’t be here.”
Las Vegas or Bust
“I still think I can make it, if I do it right. I can’t run the wheels off of him,” Carter says. “I think it’s possible and if it’s meant to be…I mean, I’ve got a lot of angels on my back.”
“When I left from paying my fees in Yuma, I was in tears from that announcer. And that day at St. George, Annie Johnson did a tribute as I was going through the gate. I swear I could barely even see the first barrel. But I’ve gotten through it; I feed off of it now.”
Carter was 32nd in the WPRA world standings on May 11. She’s earned $14,474 in just 17 rodeos and is leading the WPRA’s tour standings. She’s also fourth in the super competitive Rookie race, having been to about half the rodeos her competitors have. Carter is planning a big summer push, much to be spent inside her home circuit, the Wilderness circuit. But, she’s quick to point out that this story is about Rachel.
“It’s not so much me, it’s her,” she says. “I want her story told.
The Rachel Hendrix Memorial Scholarship is another way of keeping Rachel’s memory alive. The scholarship is funded through private donations as well as memorial team ropings and barrel races and Riding for Rach wristbands. The inaugural scholarships were awarded to Amberley Snyder and Colton Carter, Vickie’s son.
Carbon Monoxide Precautions
Carbon monoxide (CO) is emitted in exhaust from many sources including gas/diesel engines, including generators, and propane fueled heaters. CO is incredibly dangerous if inhaled because it replaces oxygen in the bloodstream, which can lead to cellular death and organ failure.
Because it is odorless, tasteless and invisible, CO poisoning can occur without your knowledge, so be aware of the following safety tips and early warning symptoms.
Safety Tips
- Always use a CO warning detector that is in good working condition. Your warning device should be tested periodically by a professional to ensure that there are no defects.
- Ensure proper ventilation in your trailer. This may include leaving your roof vent open when running propane or gas fueled appliances no matter the time of year and being mindful of where you park. Even thick weeds, close buildings and snow banks can trap exhaust near your trailer, increasing the chance of it affecting your air quality.
- Make sure your generator is not running close to your trailer, or if it’s a built-in, ensure that exhaust can escape away from the trailer. You may need to watch out for wind direction as well. Never run your generator inside the horse portion of your trailer while you sleep in the living quarters.
- Don’t use any appliances or generators that have had damage to exhaust systems or are not working properly. Have a professional provide maintenance periodically.
- If you don’t feel well, immediately shut off any fuel burning devices (or other possible CO sources) and move to get fresh air. You should also seek medical attention immediately.
- Early Warning Symptoms
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
(Sources: carbonmonoxidekills.com; EquineRV.com)
Jolee Lautaret-Jordan is a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and six-time Ram National Circuit Finals qualifier who provides color commentary for ProRodeo Live/SiriusXM80 for events like the NFR and the PBR World Finals. Lautaret is a highly decorated all-around cowgirl known for her commitment to the rodeo industry as a talented journalist and dedicated WPRA member. Email comments to [email protected].
