When I think back on the last 18 years of being a business owner, and a boss… so many people’s boss. Gah. Is that what I am? I didn’t set out to be that, but there it is.
When I think back on the people that have passed thru the doors of our business over the years I am suddenly hit with a dose of retrospection I did not anticipate.
There are those that have come and gone. The ones, I will admit, that I struggle to even remember their names. Then there are those that left such a damaging scar of negativity that I wonder what it was I saw about them that incited a job offer to begin with. I once had an employee who I was so intimidated by that I wouldn’t be alone in the shop with him. As embarrassing as that is, it’s true.
I’ve hired people who didn’t even bother to show up on the first day. One I fired on the first day, several on their second. One that was arrested by cops while at work, within their first week. And the list goes on.
I recently told one of my favorite current employees (moments after firing a new hire) that the worst part of owning a business is dealing with employees. About 2am that next morning I awoke with such a sharp pain of regret that I didn’t sleep the rest of the night. I had to apologize the next day.
You see, the worst part of owning a business is in fact dealing with employees. But it’s also the best.
Those of you who are small business owners will feel me in this I know. You know the struggle of going thru dry months…dry years…when making payroll means taking out a second mortgage on your own home. A forty hour work week is a joke, you eat/sleep/breathe your baby every second of your life. You may feel like you are the captain of a sinking ship, but alas, you show up every day with a smile on your face. You cannot, and will not, let them know what is at stake. You won’t let them know what’s going on behind the scenes to make sure their check goes thru. But the check will, and you’ll die making it. There is no Plan B.
The lowest point in my business was the day we had to layoff an employee who was much more than just an employee. He was a friend who felt more like family. It was the wake up call we needed to figure out how to run our business in such a way that this never happened again.
Last week we hired back a girl that we’ve regretted losing for the past three years. Someone whose DNA is as much a part of our business as ours is.
Aleesha is family. I did her hair for her wedding. She taught my daughter how to be a cheerleader. She knows things about my family and business no one else does. She’s the piece of the puzzle that makes everything work. My ride or die. She can literally read my mind and now that she’s back I have no idea how we survived without her.
The rest of our current shop is full of the same…
(See the whole HB Team here: https://heritagebrand.com/pages/our-team)
Ben.
He’s been with us 7 years. He’s like an onion. Every time we turn around we learn something even more interesting and fascinating about him. But he’ll never be the one to tell you, he makes you earn it. I’m also pretty sure he’s a ninja.
Kelsey.
There’s never been a more loyal person on the planet, and her taste is impeccable.
She’s my right hand. I trust her with my horses, and that says it all. This girl will be the first to stand up for what she believes, and her heart is bigger than the state of Texas.
Rylan.
We can’t quite keep up with how fast his brain fires, but we’re trying. His parents gave him a double dose of work ethic and common sense. We’re still trying to get him to audition for Jeopardy, and hoping we get a percentage of his winnings. And he’s super likable to boot.
Emily.
Get in line boys. This one is not for the faint of heart. Her moral compass is set in concrete, her sense of adventure has no bounds, and she can probably fix your truck better than you can. We hit the jackpot with this one and tell her constantly we’ll come find her if she tries to leave.
Amanda.
Have you ever been around someone so in love with life that you start to get it too? That’s Amanda. I’ve actually had to tell her not to laugh so much. True story. She’s a crazy hard worker and a ray of sunshine wherever she lands.
All of this to say that I have never had a more amazing group of employees as we do right now. Each and every one is such a huge blessing to me, and if/when the day comes that they have to leave they will have left a stamp on me and my business that won’t be forgotten.
~Jess
]]>I don’t have the words to describe how much of a jerk I am.
Yesterday was day 20-something straight at work due to NFR, etc… We were scrambling to get all the remaining inventory online for the annual After NFR Sale, I had a vet appt. at 1:00 to ultrasound and see how badly my good barrel horse’s leg was jacked up due to getting it caught in a fence the day after I left for Vegas, I haven’t had time to Christmas shop or get a tree, and I was just cranky and sour. Life seemed overwhelming, and I was actually kind of having a pity party, truth be told.
The day before, my husband Jim had emailed to let me know we’d received a FB message about a gal who we might be able to help, and would I look into it as I always do. But I hadn’t. I was too busy and just didn’t feel like it.
A little before lunch, between emails I was hurriedly replying to, I decided to click on the link Jim had forwarded. I was instantly compelled. So I shot the lady’s husband a message, and asked him if he’d mind giving me a call as I’d like to chat with him.
What followed was a conversation that I will never forget.
Rick told me about his wife Janalyn. About the charismatic, infectiously positive woman that he married. Talented horse trainer, with a stellar reputation and huge work ethic. Her accomplishments as a vocalist, including American Idol, and her love of singing the National Anthem at rodeos. His admiration for his wife was palpable and he laughed telling me about the chicken “Stewart” Janalyn insists allowing to live in the house (complete with diaper) since his fellow chickens died and he was lonely.
He told me about the day this June that Janalyn was at the barn instructing a new employee on stall chores a suddenly lost her speech and ability to use her cell phone. The MRI’s that followed found a large brain tumor. A tumor the initial doctor felt was slow growing enough to push surgery out a few months, only to discover that this particular type of cancer was, in fact, extremely aggressive, and emergency surgery should have been performed immediately.
Tho the tumor was detected in June, surgery didn’t occur until November, at which point it had already grown 8%. Janalyn’s cancer is called Glioblastoma. It’s a wicked, sinister form of cancer that less than 5% of people survive. She is Stage 4, and there isn’t a Stage 5. Janalyn has been given 6-12 months to live. She will be undergoing chemo and radiation, not to attempt to cure her, but to simply slow the progression, if possible, as it’s not a question of IF the cancer will return, but WHEN.
And this isn’t the first time Janalyn has had brain surgery.
When she was 12 years old she had a brain tumor removed, and did not undergo chemo or radiation afterwards. A team of experts studying Janalyn’s case say no other person has been known to survive more than 8 years. She is a miracle.
She’s also a mother. Her son Elijah is 11 years old and Janalyn is also step mom to Rick’s 15 year old daughter. You see, 8 years ago Rick’s wife died of a blood clot. So this isn’t the first time Rick, or his daughter, have gone down this road. And the thought of what they are again facing makes me a little mad at God to be honest.
At the end of our conversation I asked Rick what their plans are going forward, and his response made my heart skip a beat.
You see, they aren’t planning for her funeral, or making plans for after she is gone. No. They are getting horses tuned and ready to hit the rodeo trail starting in February. He told me they aren’t sure how long they’ll be able to do it, but it’s the one dream she’s always had that she’d never pursued as it was “never her time”. Until now. Janalyn is going to live her life… every, single minute of it.
As soon as I got off the phone with Rick I told the crew here at HB that we were switching gears. We were going to be spending the rest of the week building product for the biggest Benefit Auction we’ve ever done.
So, tomorrow, December 20th, 2019 at 5pm PST we’re going to join together with you and the rest of the amazing HB fans, and we’re going to do a Live FB auction for Janalyn. There will be tons of items, from Marilyn bags, to tack sets, with every penny going to Janalyn. My hope is that we can help lessen the financial burden from medical bills, and more importantly, pay a few entry fees and fill the gas tank for her as she hits the road and lives her dreams.
Yesterday was just the gut check I needed. It brought me to my knees in many ways, and I’m so incredibly thankful for beautiful people like Janalyn and her husband Rick that can turn a tragedy into inspiration.
Thanks for reading, and see you tomorrow. ~Jess
I didn’t want to go to work anymore.
The business that had once fueled my passions and could keep me up 24 hours straight, effortlessly churning out new designs, didn’t exist anymore. It now felt like work.
After 17 years, I had unwittingly steered us down a path where we were spending a large percentage of time mass producing wholesale products. Tho successful, the opportunity for creativity was so limited that I had almost forgotten what it felt like. My fire was out.
I was desperate to find my passion again, and little did I know just how transformational Marilyn would be for me.
As each failed prototype was tossed to the side, I promised myself that if this wasn’t going to be an amazing bag I would want the World to know came from me, I wasn’t going to do it. I felt like I had been settling for the last several years. My business had become a diluted version of what it used to be. I had to get back into my lane or I needed to get off the road.
We launched the first Marilyn bag 7 months ago.
I’ve never been so nervous for a product launch before. This was entirely outside my comfort zone. Not a product for your horse or dog, markets I was confident and familiar with, this was something entirely new and terrifying and much more personal. Each Marilyn is a direct reflection of my own taste and style, there are no custom orders. If she flopped, it was really going to sting and I wasn’t sure there was a next step after that. I had a lot riding on this. Maybe everything.
The response was mind blowing. Completely mind blowing. So much more than we could have ever anticipated. Most importantly, I found my stride again.
~ Jess
]]>I wasn’t supposed to own him. I actually went to look at another horse, a 2 yo, that was bred better, but turned out not to strike my fancy in person. And as we were getting ready to leave, the owner confessed she was going thru a divorce and just needed to move some horses. Was there anything else I was interested in? So we took one more lap around her place, and this leggy weanling darted our from behind his mama and caught my eye. I wanted something I could get under saddle now, he wasn’t bred that great, and at the $2,500 asking price I decided to pass. Long story short, she wouldn’t let me pass, and her soon to be ex husband and mine locked arms under this baby and lifted him into our trailer and we were off.
I wrote the check for $600, and it wasn’t even my check. You see, I’ve got a mom who believes in me more than she should. She’s not rich, but she insists on funding my colts whenever she can. So she’s the real hero here.
We drove the 6 hours home, and unloaded the waspy colt into our safest pasture. Within an hour the irrigation came on, hit his butt, scared him to death and he tried jumping over a 5ft wood rail fence. He didn’t make it. Instead he completely filleted the point of his shoulder down to the bone. It was gruesome. I told my vet what I had just paid for this colt, and insisted that if he didn’t think he’d be sound after this wreck, or if my bill was going to be more than what I’d just paid for him I’d be ok to just put him down.
We stitched him up and hoped for the best. The stitches didn’t hold, and to this day there’s a big scar, and nerve damage that sweats every time he gets warm.
Fast forward a couple years, and I’ve got a 15.3 hand, narrow as a piece of paper, two year old that is covered from head to tail in the worst case of sarcoids you can imagine. So many, and in such inconvenient places (like next to his eye, groin, cinch, etc..) that I again considered just putting him down. I gutted out about 5 rides on him, then turned him out and again hoped for the best. Between herbal supplements and every topical under the sun, by his 4 y.o. year I maybe had 30 rides on him, and if it weren’t for those disgusting sarcoids I would have put him up for sale and cut my losses. It was so bad tho, I was embarrassed to have anyone know about this nasty horse we hid in the back. He was tall, uncoordinated, insanely ugly, but sweet as pie and there was something about the way he moved that just felt right to me.
He never made it to a single futurity or derby. I should also mention that he was scared of his own shadow, and stuffed me in the dirt on two occasions when he spooked, broke in two, and sent my unexpecting self to the moon. And both times I couldn’t get mad, because he didn’t mean to do it. If you know Vinny, you’d understand.
His second trip in a trailer came at the very end of his 4 y.o. year, and there were still a few stubborn sarcoids we couldn’t kick. He was ok on the barrels. Nothing you would have come to the fence to watch, just ok. I had other horses I liked better, so Vinny just sort of came along at his own pace and I honestly never expected much, but he did start to grow on me. He had try. He had a spark that I just can’t put words to. So he stayed. I never tried to sell him.
Fast forward a couple more years, and he started coming into his own. He was still ugly. Mousy brown, big ugly head, and pig eyed. Doesn’t muscle up like the rest. He’s the last horse in my barn you’d think was a winner, but he was always the last one I rode. For me, you always save your favorite for last because they make the other ones feel like less. There was just something about him I loved. I finally gave in to it and decided to believe in him.
He’s 9 now. A few months back I entered an open rodeo. He won it by 3 tenths. It was the same weekend my dog got kicked in the head and died. I think he knew my heart needed that win. I don’t care if you think I’m crazy, I think he knew.
This weekend I entered my hometown rodeo. It’s a PRCA rodeo and there was $7,500 added. It’s the first pro rodeo I’ve entered in a decade, and Vinny’s first pro rodeo ever. I had zero expectation. Guess what he did. He won it. Well tied for the win, but I’m going to say he won it and a check for nearly $3,000.
I’ve owned beautiful, well bred, expensive horses that should have been winners. I’ve thrown more money than I care to admit at horses that didn’t deserve it. Horses that didn’t have heart.
Last night when I got the news about our win, I went out and told my big, ugly Vinny thank you. Because my once-in- a- lifetime, million dollars to me horse , doesn’t know we only paid $600 for him, and I’ll never tell him.
~Jess
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I’ve been struggling with saddle fit on one of my colts, and decided to rummage thru my tack room for an old pad I knew I had. I found the pad amidst a stack of others, and when I pulled it out, I noticed the patch on the back corner and was hit with a truck load of memories I wasn’t expecting. |
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You see, this pad is 10 years old. I won it on my old horse Bumper, who is now 17 years old, retired due to injury, and collecting dust with another lifer out in our field. It occurred to me that this grungy old pad was possibly the most important prize I ever won with this horse, and I was instantly transported back in time to when it happened. My family raised Bumper, I put the first ride on him, and tho he was originally destined to be a head horse, within the first week of riding him I knew I had to have him. He went to winning from his first run, and was by far the nicest horse I had ever owned. HIs registered name is I Can Command, and a friend once said his barn name should have been Eye Candy, he was such a looker. Bump was the most explosive horse I’d ever ridden, with talent to spare and more try than you could want. I could send him thru the gate at 100 miles an hour and he would inhale the first barrel. Every. Single. Time. It was my first experience with this kind of power and I was hooked. |
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Unfortunately, what he didn’t have to spare was brains. He put a whole new spin on the word fractious, and as soon as he learned he could run my days with him were spent constantly talking him off the cliff and doing everything BUT working the barrels. I spent more hours just walking this horse than you can imagine. Because of this fragility, he was always very inconsistent. You might win. Or you might run up the middle of the second barrel. Or maybe the third today. Who knows. Looking back, there’s things I would have done different with him. I’d like to think I’m a better trainer than I was back then too. Who knows. I ran the big guy for 10 years, and it’s safe to say he taught me more than all the rest of the horses I’ve ever had combined. Back to the pad. |
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We ran four consecutive, low 17 second runs at this finals Bumper’s derby year to win this pad. I bought my WPRA permit the next week, and was certain we were going to do big things. That never really happened, but I still remember that huge sense of accomplishment I felt on that day, after laying down FOUR consecutive, super-fast, clean runs on this horse. All the checks he won me have been spent. He’s an arthritic shell of the young, fire-breathing dragon he was a decade ago and eventually he’ll be gone. So today I went out into the field where he was munching on his breakfast, and I gave my old friend a belly scratch on his favorite spot that only I know about and I told him thank you. Thank you for all the lessons. Thank you for teaching me patience, perseverance and what a great horse feels like. Then I went back to the barn and threw that old pad on my 2020 hopeful, and told him he has some big shoes to fill. Turns out my favorite horse isn't the one who won the most, but the one who challenged me at every turn and left me better than he found me. And I'm thankful for this old pad for bringing all these memories back. |
I don’t get too excited about Halloween anymore. Playing dress-up in Vegas for 10-14 days a year makes Halloween look like child’s play. I’ve got an entire section of my closet dedicated to sequins, fringe and fur and it’s AWESOME!
Everyone has their favorite must see, must do things when they come to NFR, and I want to share with you how I do NFR. I guarantee there are a few things here you haven’t done, and if not, then we should probably be friends.
Shopping: You can’t see it all. Just come to terms with that now.
Go to Cowboy Christmas. It’s at the Convention Center and is the biggest, oldest and hands- down best shopping venue during NFR. Literally 1/2 mile of vendors… on the first floor alone. Did I mention the Jr. NFR and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are here too? So bring the boys along, grab them a drink at the Pendleton Whiskey Bar when you arrive, and point them at the escalator to the RMEF on the second floor while you get your shopping on.
Where to shop at CC? OK ladies, here’s where it gets fun.
Two Bar West. I’ve been addicted to these bags for years. And this is the ONLY retail show they do, and we all know our local boutiques can only get their hands on a few bags a year from this brand. Texas made. Funky. Not budget friendly, but worth it. Splurge on one or two… then grab your man another whiskey before showing him your receipt.
Heritage Brand. Duh.
Great Blue Herron Furniture. Think sassy, urban, western. Is that a thing? Made in Austin, TX, this stuff is the real deal. If you’re looking for something a little different that will give people something to talk about you don’t want to miss this booth.
Sullivan Glove. The BEST leather riding gloves you will ever buy. You cannot outwork these gloves. I’ve had a pair 5 years and they still won’t quit. Also colored and fringe gloves so buy a pair for the barn, your trailer and your truck. You’ll thank me.
Tip: Best shopping times are 9-11am. I know, I know… you’re on Vegas time and that’s like 5am in the real world, but it’s a zoo from lunch-time on and a ghost town the first couple of hours.
South Point. My second fave shopping venue. Think World Series Roping, which is also code for… the boys will have something to do. There’s vendors around the arena, in addition to the adjoining atrium.
Where to shop at SP?
The Rowdy Rose. Clothes, accessories and purses you won’t find anywhere else. Legit statement pieces.
Yipiokya. Re-purposed clothing, accessories and home decor that's got that retro cool vibe. Great gifts. Be sure to check out her vintage rodeo shirts she gives face-lifts to. Everything is off the charts unique, the kind of stuff you won’t find anywhere else. Tell Julie to hold a Medium for me!
Ranch Cut Designs. Furniture and home decor that looks 10x more expensive then it is. Each piece is unique, hand made and FABULOUS. Joan has a knack for combining the unexpected, most pieces have a story behind them, and you are guaranteed to find something you can’t live without. I always do.
Sands Expo. Very similar to Cowboy Christmas in scope and size, with the addition of the iconic Luan’s Leathers. You tack fiends are already familiar I’m sure, so stop by and give my mom a hug as this will be her last year being a vendor in Vegas. End of an era for sure.
OK, now that we’ve spent all your money, let’s go eat.
I’m not going to waste your time with the typical Vegas strip joints. These are the good ones. My three favorites, and why.
FireFly. Tapas. Right down from the Convention Center. There’s two food items I dream about, and the stuffed dates from FireFly are one of them. I don’t like dates, or bleu cheese, but I LOVE this dish. Like, I’m in danger of foundering on these little morsels of Heaven kind of love. And the sangria. It’s a winner.
If the menu overwhelms you, just have the server bring you his favorites. You can’t go wrong. Unless you forget the dates.
Ferraro’s. I almost didn’t share this one with you. This is our secret, pre-NFR dinner spot for a few reasons. First, it’s 5-star Italian cuisine in the middle of ugly old Nevada. I just spent 5 weeks in Italy this year, and the food here is just as good, only cheaper. Tip: Order a bottle of Montalcino, Brunello red wine. It’s going to be expensive and it’s going to be worth it.
Second, it’s a 2 minute Uber ride from the Thomas Mack.
See, this is what you do. Come to Ferraro’s around 5:15, have a spectacular, relaxing carb-filled dinner, while the streets outside become a parking lot of cabs, shuttles and Ubers heading to the performance. At 6:45, grab your ride to the Thomas and Mack, which will now take mere minutes to get to. You’ll avoid all the lines, and slide into your seat at 6:58, relaxed and ready to watch the best rodeo in the World.
Herbs and Rye. It’s 10 min off the strip, and I bet you 20 bucks none of your friends have heard of this place either. It’s a legit speakeasy, that looks really sketch from the outside but so freaking cool inside. It’s like a time warp straight to the prohibition era. Don’t eat at a table, and don’t make a reservation. Go to the bar and go late.
The drink menu is organized by decade starting in the 1700’s. So cool! Pick one, or just tell your bartender what your favorite drink is and he’ll make you something that will surprise you. The drinks are great, the experience even better.
Next, and this is important, order the calamari.
Remember I said there are two food items I dream about? Well, this is the second. And I don't even like calamari! It’s unlike any calamari you’ve experienced, topped with the most delicious aioli sauce, prosciutto and pepperoncini… yumm!
Now that you’ve checked shopping, eating and rodeo off your list, what else is there?
Cirque Du Soleil! If you’ve never been to a VEGAS Cirque show, you’re in for a real treat. I’ve been to several, and I couldn’t pick my favorite if I had to. Impossible to describe! (If you've seen the Beatles one, let me know what you thought as that's the next one on my list.)
High Roller at the LINQ. The big ferris wheel looking thing on the strip, is actually the world’s tallest observation wheel, and is 30 minutes of awesome. Glass walls surround you, making you feel like you’re in a giant bubble over the strip. Do it.
Concerts. Because NFR is the second busiest time of the year for Vegas, it always offers huge acts. Obviously country if that’s your jam, and this year brings George, Reba, Brooks and Dunn, Tanya Tucker and Florida Georgia Line to name a few.
Me, I checked Lady Gaga from my list last year, and have my eyes on The Chainsmokers this year.
OK! That’s my highlight reel for doing Vegas during NFR. Tell me what I missed, and make sure and report back if you tackle any of my suggestions. Cheers to 150 days in Vegas, and hope to see you there!
~Jess
]]>Buying horses. To me it’s one of life’s most exciting, nerve wracking, endorphine-filled experiences. There’s nothing quite like unloading that new prospect at your house, and watching them scat around the pasture for the first time. Infatuated with thoughts of the future, convinced this is the best investment you’ve ever made. Tho I am in no way in the market for another horse, I still check out BHW and various “Barrel Horse’s For Sale” FB pages on a weekly, if not daily basis. You just never know when one’s going to jump out at you, and there are still a couple empty pastures at my house and I’m one of the lucky girls whose husband actually encourages my habit so…
But sometimes the prospect isn’t a good fit. And after some time you realize someone else might enjoy them more than you. Or, let’s face it. Sometimes you kinda wish that salty, hay sucking son of a gun had never come into your life.
So now what?
Well, if you’re like me, than it’s time to do the one thing that ranks second only to child birth. Selling a horse.
My family purchased my first pony for $325. And they over paid. She was the orneriest, most despicable excuse for a kid's pony God every made. The story ended well, and in hindsight she probably taught me more than any “good” pony could have, but it was a rough start for sure. I’d give good money to see the “For Sale” ad the sellers put in the paper that compelled my family to call about her. I think it probably said something like:
“Spirited, welsh cross mare, looking for an ambitious kid eager to put the finishing touches on this flashy pony. Great foundation with potential in many areas, could see her excelling in the show ring, gymkhana or trails. Good home a must.”
When it should have said:
“Carnivorous half arab in search of her next victim. Capable of walking on hind legs, slipping halters, kicking farriers, extremely barn sour and resembles a zombie when she’s in heat. Barely green broke, and will shake, rub or roll on the ground to unseat her rider. $325 obo. Just kidding, we’ll pay you to take this little demon who we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy.”
“Sorrel philly” = Your “filly” is not a cheese steak.
“For Sell” vs “For Sale” = Insert eye roll and proceed.
“Finished heal horse” = Heal means "to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.”. I’m pretty sure your horse can’t do that. The word you’re looking for here is HEEL, two E’s.
“15.4 hand gelding” = 16 hand gelding. 1 hand = 4 inches.
“Out of _________ stallion”. Gah! NO! That horse did not “come out of” that stud. It’s “by” a stallion and “out of” a mare, because… you know… it literally comes out of the mare.
And here’s where it gets fun you guys…
“Can be cold backed” or “Cinchy” = It’s a buck-ity buck buck bucker folks.
“Needs an experienced rider” = This horse is nuts. Like, really crazy.
“I just don’t do him justice” = Nobody will do him justice. He’s a dink.
“She’s been on the back burner” = Because she’s my least favorite and I can’t stomach riding her.
“All business in the alley” = You’ll need a Magic Seat just to get to the first barrel.
“Push style”…“Needs an aggressive rider”…“Setty” = Be sure to stock up on the shin guards for this one. If you’ve never knocked a barrel out of the arena this one will teach you how it’s done.
“Extremely free runner”… “Not for the faint of heart” = I hope you have a brain chain, helmet and plenty of Prozak in your arsenal. Ever drove a semi truck without breaks?
“15 year old gelding, requires no maintenance” = Either he didn’t get broke until he was 14, he’s the most stoic horse on the planet, or the owners aren’t paying much attention to him.
“Currently walking the pattern” = What’s the stage before green broke? That’s right, un broke! And that’s what we have here.
“4 year old, sane and sound, would make a nice broodmare” = She looks good on paper but has zero athletic ability.
And there you have it! My over-generalized, how-to-read-between-the-lines list of Horse Shopping 101. I’m sure I missed a few, so chime in the comments below and let me know your favorites!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>"Had a bad experience with Tack repair after spending over $750. Spent money to send it back and have item fixed and product was not fixed when I got it back and I ended up fixing it myself and didn’t get any money back.” ~Anonymous
A couple months back we posted a quick Customer Survey with some pointed questions to help us gather information about our customers. Where you live, what you do with your horse, etc… and most importantly to gauge how we are doing as a company. To date, there have been 661 responses to this survey. The survey was completely anonymous, which we hoped would garner the most authentic, unbiased responses. And boy did it!
The last question on the survey, was the most valuable.
“Tell us what you really think! Please elaborate on any of the above answers, and/or share with us any comments or suggestions you think we should know.”
We wanted to hear the good, the bad and the ugly. The things you might say to your friends about us, the things that keep you coming back, or disappoint you, frustrate you, or down right make you mad about how we operate. It was a platform for you to anonymously vent, and it is the most constructive feedback we have ever received.
And while you might expect me to brag on the numerous positive comments we received, that’s not what I’m going to do.
Today I’m going to do something a little unexpected. Some might call it reckless. Something you probably haven’t ever seen another company do. I’m going to unveil the skeletons in our closet and show you each and every one of the “negative” comments that we received from our Survey. I’m not leaving a single one out, no matter how harsh and embarrassing they are. Some require a response, some don’t. But each and every one allowed us to learn how we are failing. How we need to improve, and grow and be better. So thank you for your honest critique of our company, I promise you we are listening and will be better because of it.
(*Responses shown in italic, and grouped according to subject when applicable.)
I love my sets. You guys helped me design all my sets. However, even being flattered, I saw you sold my design online, not happy. I like to stay different. That's my only complaint. Only!
Let me just say that you are not the first person to voice this concern, and you are justified. We are guilty of being short-sighted in the assumption that customers were complimented by this gesture, and have since changed our policy regarding this. Sorry for the lapse in judgement on our part, it won’t happen again!
Well I scored your company low on quality because when I received my tack set there was a crystal already missing from the concho and I've only put it on my horse maybe 5 times and a stud already fell off. The tack set was a big birthday present for me from my parents and I know they spent a lot of money on it and I was hoping it would be a lot more durable then it is... I think it's beautiful and everything I wanted but it's hard for me to justify spending that kind of money again on something that doesn't hold up very well.
I would score us low too. I’m so very sorry to hear this was your experience, and would love to repair or replace these items for you. Thank you for this detailed feedback, and I am sincerely sorry that we let you down.
Warranty goes a long way when selling tack at the price point to which you do. Knowing that there is a lifetime warranty on the crystals and "metal" used carries a lot of weight when deciding which company to give my money to. This is why I have 4 (custome/large $ amount) Luan's Tack sets and 0 Heritage Brand.
We couldn’t agree more on the value of a lifetime warranty! Which is why all HB products have and always will come with our Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty, it’s one of the services we are most proud of, and I’m sorry you weren’t aware of this. It’s transferrable as well, in case you ever sell your HB product. We will work harder to make sure we communicate this better. Check out our Warranty.
I love your tack. I feel like there is a disconnect with your website as compared to your Facebook. Photos on FB are much more detailed and many more choices than I've seen on your site. Don't change your quality. My headstall and breast collar is spectacular and well worth the money!
Yes! It’s a constant struggle to convey the same detail you see in the editorial style FB pic’s on our website, as well as not flooding the site with too many options. FB is a great place to see the most current creations, many of which are added to the website for immediate purchase. Know that we recognize this disconnect and are working towards a new and better site design to improve this!
I love y'all's stuff and y'all do a good job but it's really expensive which is a huge turn off because it goes on an animal with a mind of its own who doesn't know how much you spent on that breast collar/headstall they just broke.
Your tack is really beautiful: high priced for the average horse owner
Love love love your stuff but dang it's SOOOO expensive. Yes others are more expensive than HB but I actually would buy more HB if it were not so pricey. Yall's tack is by far the coolest, but sadly one of the most expensive too.
Just wish it was more affordable.The last price increase was just too much. Your tack is high quality but the prices have gotten outrageous.
Your tack has gone up too much.
Love all tack just way to pricey for canadian dollar. Wish made some less pricey sets.
I love the work. Some things I do find really to pricey.
Love the look but sooo expensive
I dream of owning a HB set one day. Designs are beautiful! I'm sure the time spent on them and quality set the price but I can't see myself spending the amount on a tack set. I'm envious to those who can/do. I love this Brand.
Love your tack just hard to afford.
Love your tack! A bit spendy for me and my lifestyle but would love town a set someday!
Overpriced
Love your Work but they are Too Much for me to spend
I love your tack it's amazingly beautiful! but it's so outrageously expensive, i slightly doubt I'll ever be able to afford this tack.
I love your products just wish they were a little more affordable.
I think it's to expensive for most people, but of course you have to be able to make a living as well.
Love the designs but very expensive.
You produce beautiful pieces of high quality tack, however it is very expensive. I would own more pieces if it wasn't for the price. I also have one breastcollar for special occasions.
Love the tack but wish there were some less expensive options as well. Definitely want a halter at some point!
And the winner with the most frequently submitted suggestion is… “your prices are just so high!”
While it might be easy to respond with “you get what you pay for” or “it’s not for everyone”, and while those things are true, let me go one step further.
We are dedicated to being the very best tack company on the market. Not just in quality of materials, warranty, design or customer service but in ALL of these categories. We don’t cut corners, we don’t settle, and we are constantly evolving and improving.This huge banner hangs in the middle of the production area, it is our mission statement and the heart of what we stand for~
At HB the order of importance goes like this: 1. Quality 2. Design 3. Price. We absolutely won’t compromise on #1 or #2, just to decrease #3. And because of that we know that we aren’t necessarily on budget for everyone.
I wish you could have sales so ppl like me could afford your beautiful tack
Good news! Each Summer we have the “Famous Heritage Sale” where each and every item is 25-50% off retail prices! It’s a chance for us to clear out items with discontinued hides, crystals, conchos, etc… and gives our customers a chance to snag pieces at huge discounts. Plus all pieces come with our amazing Lifetime Warranty.
REPAIRS
I own 2 Heritage Brand breastcollar/headstall sets and absolutely love them! However, one set has berry conchos with crystals glued on and I do frequently lose the crystals and have to ship it back to be fixed about once a year. But they have amazing customer service and the quality of their tack is amazing!
Love your tack. However, I wish there was an easier way to replace lost crystals other than having to ship it all back. Also, wish there was a way to build a set online so that I could see what it looked like prior to ordering. The prices are getting to be a bit much too. :(
Dang shipping! We agree with your frustration, and are working on a more convenient solution so stay tuned! Until then, know that we prioritize all repairs in order to get your product back to you as quickly as possible. Typical turn-around time is just a couple days in fact! Return Shipping Form.
Have a set, used it for one season, maybe 15 times and the white leather is cracking.
Over the years we’ve had 3 items that we’ve had to recall due to manufacturers issues. A small shipment of white gator is one of them we didn’t catch in time, and unfortunately it sounds like you have received an item from this batch. Know that your set is 100% warrantied, and if you return it we will immediately re-make the item and cover all shipping costs. I am very sorry for your inconvenience and hope that you will allow us to rectify this situation.
As a barrel racer I would like to see short cheek headstalls for gag bits & draw bit headstalls with the same measurements as the Loomis. I have ordered multiple HB products including 3 custom orders. It's pricy so I do a little at a time, but my favorite tack company for sure.
I wish the headstall's/cheek pieces were smaller for standard size only because if you have a horse with a small head your not really seeing any of the tooling.
Being a barrel racer myself, with a professed bit addiction, and horse buying habit you guys are speaking my language! We offer numerous options, from shortened cheek pieces, custom length poll straps, nylon Loomis style draw cheeks, etc… at no additional charge. There’s also no charge for modifying existing products, if you find your favorite HB headstall needs shortened for a new horse/bit and we can even send you replacement pieces to “grow” a previously shortened headstall. And breast collars? Yep, we do those too! Check out our custom sizing options here.
The quality of your tack seems great but if you're not into a lot of crystals there's not much to choose from.
Make more options without crystals to appeal to men.
Agreed. We are definitely known for specializing in, and generally advertise our more extravagant designs, but since we are custom we can always accommodate orders for a more subdued look. From fully carved pieces with no bling, incorporating handmade hardware, hide with no crystals, etc… Custom Order Page.
i wish the leather was thicker on your breastcollars. They are really beautiful, but the thickness just isn't there for me. If I were to buy anything from heritage brand it would be a headstall. I used to own some of your tack that was stolen and the new stuff just isn't the same as the old. I still love looking at the stuff online.
Having purchased almost $4000 in products from Heritage. I believe that when you first split from your mother the quality of leather was better, the last two head stalls i have purchased, it seems as if the finish actually wears off. Otherwise, you all rock!
Thank you so much for this feedback. Since we manufacture all items from the ground up, we have complete control over leather thickness, finish quality, etc.. and we will work to improve in these areas.
Have tried to custom order twice recently- man in charge of design help was not of any help nor does he have an eye for design- very disappointed in his desire to help achieve the look I wanted- gave up.
That would be Jim, my husband, that you spoke with. He’s been taking nearly all the custom orders around here since 2007. I do understand the frustration of not feeling like you’re being heard, and sometimes it’s just not a good fit for whatever reason. There’s several designers at HB, and we would love the opportunity to try matching you with someone that might better share your design aesthetic.
If the site has and internatinal pay oftion it would be affortable to purchase a tack set out of the US then having to waite to go to Texas on vacations.
Our website uses PayPal, and does allow foreign currencies to be used via credit card. If you ever have a problem please contact us and we can accept payment via phone or email, whichever is easiest for you. Hope that helps!
When you sponsor someone it shouldn't matter whether they are a 3D or 1D rider
Thank you for this suggestion. Please read my blog post “10 Ways to Not Get a Heritage Brand Sponsorship” for an inside look at the how and why we choose our endorsees.
Thank you to everyone that contributed these suggestions and comments. I’ve got a sticky note in my office that says:
“You will find the things you least want to hear will help you grow the most”.
So even if it’s uncomfortable and sometimes stings to hear, thank you for your honesty and we promise to be better because of it!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>I kind of wanted to title this one “Don’t Be A Sucker”, but then I thought that might be a little aggressive. But, if you are interested I’ll explain how you too can make a $100 tack set. We’ve all seen them being sold. But how do they do it?
But first a little back story…
About 18 months ago my father in law, Jim SR, (who does all our carving at HB) brought an issue of Western Horseman to me and showed me a full page ad that showcased a $470 Heritage Brand Matisse breast collar that I had designed, he had carved, and we had put into production at HB in 2011 and they were selling it for $69. Yes, $69.
Here is the original:
This ad was not done by us. It was paid for and done by a TX based competitor (who shall remain nameless tho I promise you know who they are), and was their major marketing campaign unveiling “their” new line going into the Christmas season. In the photo there was virtually no way to discern the difference between the two products.
But this isn’t the bad part.
After speaking with the owner of this company, that portrays themselves as “American” made, he disclosed to me that he had purchased an entire shipping container of this particular design from a manufacturer in India. Yes, India. They had approached him with photos, he had placed an order and “What was he supposed to do with them if he couldn’t sell them!?!”
Now we need to rewind for a moment.
Throughout the year we receive emails from manufacturers from India to China, soliciting us to buy their cheap products. Many of which are our original designs like this one:
With emails like this actual one we recently received with this headstall photo:
“Thanks to reply please find hare some new samples of head stalls and spur straps.If you want to see samples for checking Leather and manufacturing quality I can send you samples for you kind consideration.Please tell me the article No.our Company Located in Kanpur India.”
While we would never dream of purchasing from these companies, for more reasons than I have time to list, clearly some people do. And what I'm going to do today, is explain how they can and do make tack sets for $100.
First, you need to understand that retailer’s (a.k.a. stores) cost on tack is generally right about 50% of the retail price. So if a tack set is priced at $100, the store paid somewhere around $50 for it.
Which means the manufacturer, in this case a company in India, has a total cost of $50 in an entire tack set. How do they do it? I’m so glad you asked!
Crystals: Don’t use them. Know what happens when you swap genuine Swarovski crystals for acrylic crystals (which is just a churched up way of saying plastic)? Your cost decreases by about 90%. And while they might look passable in a picture, there’s no mistaking the difference in person. They’re dull, cloudy, lacking the sharp facets that cause Swarovski’s to have their luster, will scratch and the color will quickly fade.
Carving: Nah. That’s way too much time and effort. Say hello to my little friend the leather embosser. Simply squeeze plain leather through the patterned rollers, and Voila!, you have what looks like exquisitely hand-tooled leather. From a distance. To the untrained eye. If it’s not open.
Leather: (Hold up! How does a country that worships cattle, and has laws banning cattle slaughter also manufacture leather products? I need someone to explain this one to me!)
Use Bonded leather instead of Full Grain. Bonded leather is leather shavings or dust that is literally glued together and resurfaced. It is weak and degrades rapidly with use. Think particle board. You know, the stuff that swells and separates when it gets wet. Or if you’re really lucky, it’s made from “Genuine” leather, which, although it sounds very high quality, is merely one small step above bonded. It’s the layer that’s left after all the good layers (Full and Top grain) have been split off. It is commonly resurfaced with spray paint to resemble a higher grade. Oh so tricky!
Sidenote: Mixing of dog poop, flour and water, pressed flat and dried in the sun will also achieve a bonded leather equivalent. You’re welcome~
Hardware: Anything but stainless steel. Typically cheap alloys like Zinc, which are brittle and will break when put under too much pressure. Or my favorite, and the one I discovered was used on the $69 knock off of our breast collar, wait for it… PLASTIC! Yes, gray molded plastic, which looks surprisingly close to metal in a Photoshopped picture. But which I can contest looks and feels like what it actually is in person. Neither material is a problem until you’re running 35 MPH at the second barrel and your headstall buckle breaks in two.
Note: Stainless Steel is strong as all get out, doesn’t chip, bend, crack or rust (thank you Chromium Oxide), and is also expensive. So that’s out when you’re talking $50 tack sets.
Warranty: They are 100% covered… that is until you walk out of the store.
Versus our Lifetime Warranty.
Customization: Need a darker leather color? Cheeks shortened? Maybe your horse’s name carved on a halter? Lose your throat latch and need a replacement? Sorry dude. Not gonna happen.
Labor: These Third World countries use predatory labor practices, paying approx. $1 hour, no benefits, using unsafe chemicals and loose safety standards. I’m guessing less than $10 total cost per tack set.
Here’s the HB Crew: none of which make $1 hour, and all of which pay taxes. We worked one summer without A/C, and the fridge is currently out of Diet Coke, but that’s about as predatory as we get around here.
Not to mention market research, product development, etc… When all you have to do is copy what other companies have successfully ironed out, your costs magically decrease significantly. As does your dignity.
And if that wasn’t enough, keep in mind that these huge shipping containers come to the US stuffed to the gills with foreign imports, and leave our shores empty headed back to refill. If they went back to the other side of the planet full of American made goods, we’d all be singing a different tune.
I get it. You can’t buy a Mercedes on a Geo budget. I understand that not everyone has an extra $700 to spend on fancy HB tack. My first bridle was made out of nylon because that’s what we could afford. But please do your patriotic self a favor, and buy American Made tack in whatever budget works for you. And if the tag doesn’t say Made in the USA, I promise it’s not.
Here’s the HB wholesale line, for you stores out there hungry for something you can stand behind.
And if your tack room is full of Showman, Bar H, Krazy Girl or one of the many brands all being manufactured from the same shared facility in India, just keep that bonded leather out of the rain! And the next time you go tack shopping… don’t be a sucker ;-)
Now want to see how an $890 tack set is made?
I was not a rich kid. My parents gave us a yearly “allowance” to spend on school clothes, and once it was gone it was gone. Being a child of the 80’s, this was typically spent on a pair of white Keds, an Esprit bag, a bunch of stuff from Ross Dress for Less, and a bazillion pairs of colored socks. (Because this was back in the day where we layered them by colors. Remember??) We also loved our skin-tight, lay on the bed to zip up, acid washed jeans.
This one year in particular, I convinced them to let me spend almost all my allotment on a pair of light acid-washed Guess brand jeans. I had to pitch in for half with my hard earned $2.00/hour babysitting money, so it was a genuine sacrifice for sure. But they were AWESOME!!! Complete with zipper up the back of the calf. OMG! I’d been dreaming of making these mine for quite some time and they did not disappoint. I wore them at least 3 days a week, proudly showing off the trademark triangle emblem, and relishing every second I spent in my cherished jeans. Until one fateful day when I decided against changing into my riding jeans after school, and tore a giant hole in the bum trying to get on my horse in my skin-tight, over-bleached, designer jeans. And just like that, they were garbage. True story.
So now 20 years later I get to call the shots on not only what we produce around here, but also on how we stand behind our products. And let me just say, the Heritage Brand warranty is killer.
Our full warranty is here, but to give you a condensed version, this is how we roll:
Every item that we manufacture comes with a LIFETIME warranty against defect. We make high-end, quality stuff here guys and we’re not afraid to stick our necks out there and stand behind it. It’s pretty AND it’s built to last. Brilliant! Our warranty doesn’t expire after a year, or is void if you’re not the original owner. If for some reason something goes awry, we will repair or replace the item and cover all shipping expenses. Indefinitely.
As I was doing a little research for this blog, I scoured the internet to find out what everyone else is doing in the way of warrantying their products. Oy vey people. What I found was not good.
The vast majority of tack manufacturers out there don’t even acknowledge a warranty, and the couple I did find were extremely vague saying they “stand behind” their products (with no details on what exactly this means), one company warranties only the painting, and another that instructs customers to “keep up with your stuff”. Those exact words. Translation please?
So I moved on to saddle manufacturers. And it didn’t get much better.
One of the leading barrel saddle companies (I’ll let you guess!), and definitely one of the most expensive, provides a mere 90-day warranty. Holy freaking I-just-spent-$4,500-and-if-it-falls-apart-in-4-months-I’m-SOL?!? #doilookstupid
Sidenote: I did buy one of these saddles and never even checked on the warranty beforehand. So I guess I am stupid. And yes it was falling apart after 90 days.
The BEST warranty I could find provided a 10 year warranty on the saddle tree (pretty decent) but only a 1 year warranty on all other parts and the silver.
To review up to this point: Heritage Brand = 1, Everyone Else = 0
With every item we sell, we include a Care Sheet that gives you tips and hints for keeping your product working and looking like new. It’s pretty much just common sense stuff, but worth a glance nonetheless.
But sometimes life happens despite your best efforts. I’m recalling the time I hit an elk in the middle of a highway with my brand new, week-old truck. Not covered under warranty.
So, if you ever have any “accidental damage” we’ve got your back there too. Say “Rover” decides your new headstall tastes scrumptious and chews your cheek piece in half like this adorable and obviously guilt ridden pooch here:
Or maybe your set that once sparkled like a million diamonds, has been the victim of a few hit barrels…a couple good fence rubs after sweaty workouts…and that one week you forgot it out behind the barn in the rain. And now your beautiful Swarovski crystals look like this:
No worries! All accidental damage or wear and tear repairs are covered for just the COST. MY cost, no sneaky little up-charges thrown in. Nope, we will fix you up and the cost will always be minimal. Plus, we prioritize all repairs so you won’t have to wait long to get your product back and into commission. If accidental damages are minimal there generally isn’t even a charge. Because we’re just awesome like that!
Just send that sucker back to us and we will give it an overhaul that would make the late Joan Rivers proud. Here’s the link to do that here.
Furthermore, we automatically provide the following services FREE of charge:
Alterations: Need your tugs, cheek pieces, poll strap or any other strap shortened? We’ll do it and you’ll never pay for it.
Cleaning: Anything you send us will automatically be washed, conditioned and thoroughly gone over. It’s like a complimentary mini-detail.
So even years after your purchase from HB, we will still be there for you. Wether it’s a warranty issue, alteration, or just an everyday wear and tear situation. We will not leave you with your bum hanging out!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>So this just happened…
And we could have gone on there and tried to substantiate our price and argue with her about this, but instead some of our fabulous customers went to bat for us. That, in my opinion, is the kind of advertising you can’t put a value on.
And because of this, I’d like to give you a revealing peek into a deceptive business strategy that you may have never noticed.
Facebook is a huge marketing avenue for most businesses these days. Nearly every legitimate business uses Facebook in some way or another. And the beautiful thing about FB (for consumers) is that unlike a website where the company has complete control over what their audience is exposed to (testimonials, etc…), when a Facebook Page is created the admin. has the option of allowing for Ratings and Reviews to be added to their page. All Pages have this option, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Accepting this feature allows for people to Rate your business on a scale of 1-5 Stars, as well as give voluntary Reviews with their experience and/or opinion of your company. Kind of like Yelp.
As a Page, these Ratings and Reviews cannot be edited, deleted or hidden. This allows for credible (and not-so-credible) people to voice their opinion of your company in a platform directly attached to your FB Page. By allowing this option you obviously open your company up to the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s an extremely revealing look at how others view your business and/or the experiences they’ve had, including (I’m sure) the occasional malicious competitor, or in our case those that are offended by the price tag. Literally the only 1 star reviews we’ve ever received are from people that are upset about the price we sell our items for. And that’s o.k. I’m shocked at the price of a Bugatti. But I still want one.
As a business owner, I think it’s an invaluable tool that helps us keep our finger on the pulse of how we are operating. We read the reviews, each and every one of them. (Check out our 367 public Facebook Ratings and Reviews here: https://www.facebook.com/heritagebrandco?sk=reviews)
But the question of the day is this: Why would a business NOT allow for this option on their Page?
Well, there’s only two viable answers to this in my opinion.
1. FEAR. They aren’t confident they will receive positive feedback.
2. BAD REVIEWS. They disabled this option because they received negative feedback and they don’t want you to see it.
Both of which should be giant red flags to you as a consumer and cause pause before dealing with these companies. I’m being too kind. If a company won’t allow for public reviews of their product, customer service, etc… they aren’t a company that anyone should be doing business with. They are protecting themselves and their bad business practices by not being transparent.
So, please, do a little research before you buy. Anyone can toot their own horn, Photoshop the crud out of their pictures, get all their friends to collaborate on a few good Reviews. But the truly legitimate companies… the ones that have worked hard to build a solid reputation immune to public criticism… they aren’t hiding.
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>This would be a fitting caption for the advertising poster for A & E‘s newest reality TV show Rodeo Girls.
Am I right?
And after viewing this poster advertising the show…
…this undoubtedly is exactly what this show is going to be about. I propose we concentrate efforts and all boycott Rodeo Girls as it is an INSULT to all barrel racers!! I mean, no real barrel racer would ever ride in a bikini!! This is just trashy garbage that makes us look bad!!!
O.K. Let’s pause.
If you agree with what I’ve said so far, here’s your chance to turn back because if you are easily offended, what I say next will likely forever alter your opinion of myself and my company. You’ve been warned.
And here’s why.
I love this poster. I think it is brilliant. Absolutely BRILLIANT. This “scandalous”, “trashy” show might just be one of the best things to happen to the sport of barrel racing since the invention of the divisional system some 20 years ago. (gasp!) Now, I don’t have a crystal ball, or any inside info that you don’t have, but I do have a decent dose of common sense and a realistic expectation of human nature.
I know that although it’s hard to comprehend that there is a person on the planet who doesn’t know what barrel racing is, the cold, hard fact is that most people have no clue what we do. You know what I’m talking about… “You do what with the barrel?” “Is it barrel riding or barrel racing?”. In fact, I’d venture that most people in this country go their entire lives without ever going to a rodeo or barrel race.
Do you realize that the above photo is at a bus stop in New York City? Wow. I’d say it was paramount to have a little shock value involved to catch the attention of this massive audience of non-horse people.
This show will ultimately bring our sport into the living rooms of millions of people who otherwise may never have the opportunity to experience it. And while it might not bring it in the most “realistic” of packages, let’s be honest here, how long do you think we could keep the public’s attention if we showed them what we really do. The “real” life of a barrel racer… you know, cleaning pens, all-night colic sessions, wrapping legs, trips to the feed store, hours and hours in the practice pen, hooking up trailers, breaking icy water troughs in the winter… all the un-glamorous stuff that happens to be a part of the deal. I mean, we can talk about ground conditions (dirt people!) for hours, which I’m going to bargain wouldn’t be a captivating conversation for mainstream America. Heck, if that’s how the producers chose to spin it, I likely wouldn’t watch either.
And in an effort to un-bunch some undies from a few (thousand) people who have gotten themselves wound up over this poster, let’s get a few facts straight:
1. Women do run barrels in bikinis. Every weekend, in fact. They are literally called “Bikini Barrel Races” and are typically done to raise money for charity. REAL barrel racers do it. The good ones (and not-so-good ones), ones that look great in a bikini, and then the rest of us too. Like it or hate it, it does happen.
2. The girls on the show are real barrel racers. I’m not saying they are vying for World Titles here, but I know (or know of) each and every one of the girls on the show and they are the real deal. In fact, one of the show’s stars, Barb West, is running this coming weekend at the Columbia River Circuit Finals, and this is not the first time she’s been there.
3. This poster does not give barrel racers a bad reputation. Barrel racers give barrel racers a bad reputation. Enough said.
4. A & E doesn’t really care what we think about this poster, or the show. A & E is in the business of making money, and our barrel racing/equine community is such a small fraction of the over-all audience for this show. We are not the audience this show is intended for, we are the minority folks.
Now, I am sympathetic to those of you who are still disconcerted about the potential for the show to cast barrel racing in an unflattering light, which is a legitimate risk and concern. However, I think this might be a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, made before thoroughly putting this “reality show” into the proper context. If you can get past being insulted at this bikini-clad sex pot being our representative, you might be able to see there is a bigger picture going on here. A bigger picture that just might benefit us all.
And for those of you that just can’t figure out how to feel about this situation, here is my suggestion: JUST RELAX!
When Rodeo Girls airs on Dec. 15th, grab yourselves some popcorn and settle in on the couch to be entertained. Because that is, after all, the point of the show. Expect it to be outrageous and sensationalized, chock-full of drama and an unrealistic dose of eye candy. Be confident that most people realize this is the case, as with all reality TV. MOST people have the common sense to recognize the show will likely be an exaggerated version of the truth.Be pleasantly surprised if there are realistic aspects of our sport portrayed, laugh at the inaccuracies, and just enjoy.
Be confident that any exposure is bound to be positive for the barrel racing industry. It will undoubtedly bolster attendance at rodeos and barrel races, which will ultimately increase the purses we run at. Anticipate that it will broaden the scope of potential sponsors, and if I’m being particularly optimistic, I think there will be a drastic increase in people who pursue our sport. And you know what that means! More events, bigger events, increases in horse values, etc… etc…
I am hopeful that the show plays into people’s fascination for our sport in a huge way, engaging a massive new fan base that could propel barrel racing into the mainstream and onto whole new level. I would even go so far as to hope it helps in establishing barrel racing as a lucrative industry much like NASCAR or the NBA.
To further this perpetual optimism, I am embracing this statement from A & E’s General Manager and EVP David McKillop:
“The women of the competitive barrel racing world are formidable athletes living sensational lives and we are excited for our viewers to go along for the wild ride.”
Sounds good to me!
Until next time ~ thanks for reading, and Happy Halloween! ~ Jess
]]>JWOWW. Snookie. The Situation.
If none of these names are familiar to you then the following will not make much sense. But since I’m assuming you haven’t been living under a rock the last few years, and may possibly have fallen into the same morbid-fascination comma that I did, than you are all too familiar with the infamous characters of the reality show, Jersey Shore. And although I haven’t caught an episode the last couple of seasons, I’m sure it’s still brimming with ridiculously trashy and obscene moments that it’s famous for.
One of the main characters, Michael Sorrentino, who is known by the reality T.V. world as “The Situation”, frequently sported Abercrombie and Fitch sweatpants on the show. After numerous episodes aired with him sporting A & F apparel, the retailer was quoted as saying the following:
“We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans.”
Soon after, the company offered The Situation a “large cash payment” if he discontinued wearing A & F and began wearing an alternate brand. Abercrombie was so disturbed by the growing association of their brand with “The Situation”, and everything he represents, that while other companies were offering the actor advertising contracts for bronzers and alcohol, this apparel giant was so intent on distancing themselves they were offering him money to NOT wear their clothing.
And as hilarious as I find this predicament, I also find it the perfect way to illustrate my next point.
Here at Heritage Brand we get hundreds of Sponsorship Requests each year. Hundreds of people who want to endorse our Brand.
That’s awesome. I mean it’s truly flattering to have so many people love what you make. Trust me this never gets old and I am in no way trying to minimize that by what I say next.
But it has to be said.
When we extend a sponsorship offer to an individual, which includes providing free or reduced product, trailer stickers, shirt patches, etc… we are in a sense endorsing you as well. Putting our stamp of approval on you to be a model hand-picked to represent our company. We are admittedly extremely particular in who we want out there in the spotlight, and go to great lengths to ensure we aren’t putting our Brand on any “Situations”.
From a business standpoint, we sponsor individuals who will represent our company in a positive way which will encourage sales in the future. And to be even a little more blunt, we sponsor people who will ultimately help to make us money.
It’s really that simple.
The bigger your exposure, the better it is for us. For example, all of the people on our Professional Team compete at an elite professional level, and have garnered a lot of recognition in their sport. We’re talking NFR qualifications, magazine covers, world records, etc… These people are really good at what they do, they’re exceptional in their event, and are likely to be emulated by many. Or at least that’s the idea.
Now if you’ve made it this far, I have this for you… all which may or may not be actual examples of submissions.
I lie. They’re all bloody real.
TOP TEN WAYS TO NOT GET A HERITAGE BRAND SPONSORSHIP
1. List yourself or your mother/father as your only reference. Are you kidding me? If you can’t find one person to use as a reference that isn’t related to you than I think we are done here.
2. Ask for money, not product. Ummm…let me be clear. If you don’t wear my tack it does me NO GOOD. Capiche?
3. Misspell and/or use terrible grammar throughout the application. So, you won’t put the effort out to proofread an application, but I’m supposed to trust that you will when it’s time to fulfill your sponsorship responsibilities?
4. Your biggest accomplishment is placing in the 3D. I know this one sounds harsh. And it is.
5. Your most recent accomplishment is from 5 years ago Ya, that’s not really gonna work either.
6. You would like a sponsorship so you could “look good as you LEARN to run barrels”. I literally don’t know what to say about this.
7. Never having bought or used Heritage Brand tack…and disclosing this fact. If you are not familiar with the quality and functionality of our tack, you should not be willing to endorse it. It’s in my best interest to have endorsees on my Team who have positive, first-hand experience with what they are endorsing.
8. Forget to delete your half-naked, drunken Facebook pictures or crass posts. Don’t think we won’t look you up online. We will.
9. Talk more about the cool/famous people you know and ride with then yourself. Perhaps your cool/famous friends should be filling out the application and you can be their reference?
10. Be under 18 years old.
Although we have a few, select “Rising Stars” that receive small sponsorships, we typically don’t extend sponsorships to anyone under 18. Refer to #8 for one of the many reasons for this.
While a good deal of the applications we receive are very professional, the above examples are just a few of the highlights we’ve made note of over the years. If you are interested in applying for a sponsorship and promise not to commit one of the 10 application crimes listed above, you can find information on our application for sponsorship here.
Have a great week!
Until next time! ~ Jess
]]>Wow. It’s been awhile since I’ve sat down and written to you guys, February to be exact. I had a good friend tell me awhile back that whenever she sees I’ve blogged on here she thinks ‘Uh oh, who annoyed her now?’. There’s probably more truth to that than I’m willing to admit, which means things have been pretty great the last six months. Until Friday that is.
As many of you already know, we had a pretty eventful Friday evening here at Heritage Brand. Our much anticipated Famous Fifty Sale launched at 5:00 pm and approximately 10 seconds later our entire website crashed due to the exceedingly large amount of traffic, which then caused all Hell to break loose on our Facebook Wall. It became immediately evident that people were more than a little upset about this turn of events.
At this point, I feel it’s necessary to back up and give you a brief back-story on what lead up to this Sale.
I had attended a “trunk show” a few months back for my favorite jewelry designer here in Bend, Nashelle, where I had picked up some amazing pieces at ridiculously low prices. I loved the concept of offering surplus inventory at insanely reduced prices, most of which would not even cover our manufacturing costs. It would kill two birds with one stone: give our customers killer deals, and give us the space we needed to re-stock for NFR. Boom. Everyone wins.
Some thought obviously went into the length of the Sale (Friday-Sunday) and we had even questioned whether that would be an adequate amount of time as there were several hundred items we were going to be selling. We debated, and then decided that whatever inventory remained after the sale would be donated.
Being as Jim (our tech guy) spends massive amounts of time examining the analytic data for our website, and has communicated with our server in the past when there were traffic issues, we thought we were adequately prepared to handle the conceived amount of traffic our site would experience. We actually had bets going…. I said we would reach 500 visitors at one time, and Jim hypothesized 300. Both of us were very wrong.
At the time our site crashed there were over 14,000 people trying to access the Sale page.
Were we naive? Absolutely, positively, without a doubt.
(I’ve since learned that even gigantic stores like Best Buy and Kohl’s have had similar server crashes during online sales. Furthermore, we’ve since been told that our website’s crash Friday night initiated the subsequent crash of hundreds of other websites on the same server. Whoa.)
It was a colossal underestimation on our part, but let me assure you that in no way, shape or form was it premeditated or intentional.
So back to Facebook…
Within moments of the site crashing, the Comments starting pouring in. “I can’t get on!!!”… “Why isn’t the link working???”…etc… We, of course, immediately contacted our server company who notified us they were doing everything they could to get our site back up and worked tirelessly to remedy the situation…eventually.
In the meantime, those that were able to access our Site quickly took advantage of the Sale, which essentially sold out in just over an hour (our minds are still blown by this BTW). God Bless the guy who in the midst of so many that couldn’t access the Sale posts this Comment: “I just bought 4 headstalls and 2 halters… prices were so cheap, it felt like Christmas!!”. I can almost see the heads spinning on those reading this Comment who had already hit “Refresh” 700 times and still couldn’t get on. Talk about adding fuel to the fire!
Here’s also where it gets really fun. (insert sarcasm)
As we sat there panicking, quickly realizing what an epic disaster this was turning into, helplessly waiting for the next correspondence from our server and praying for a miracle, we read your Comments. We read each and every one of them.
A number of individuals decided that Facebook would be a convenient platform to convey their frustration about not being able to take advantage of our Sale. Frustration is too polite. The word(s) I’m looking for are more like rage, anger and hostility. Within 30 minutes of our Site crashing, there were those that said that this was a “conspiracy”, threats to turn us into the BBB (Better Business Bureau), threats to start a Facebook Page “Boycott Heritage Brand”, etc… We were called “stupid”, “ignorant” and “dumb”. All because our website crashed due to the unexpected large volume of visitors and they couldn’t go shopping. Because that’s really what it boils down to.
Individuals publicly hurled insults and threats at us in what I can only describe as full-blown, adult-sized temper tantrums.
And that was just Facebook. There were also dozens of distressing emails and phone calls.
I’m not talking about those that respectfully expressed frustration, or offered suggestions, because I am exceedingly sympathetic to what a gigantic inconvenience the site crashing and lost opportunity was for you. I know many of you were enthusiastically waiting to take advantage of this Sale, had left work early, rearranged your schedules, etc… and if we could turn back time and somehow remedy the issues believe me we would!
I’m talking about those that viciously fired off one big, nasty threat and insult after another at us as if there weren’t people sitting on the other side of the computer. They couldn’t throw their sucker down and have a tizzy fit in the privacy of their own homes, they insisted on doing it for all to see.
Now there were some extremely gutsy individuals who went against the mob, defending us and trying to talk some sense into those that were relentlessly assassinating our character and integrity. And to those of you who stuck your necks out there for us…thank you, thank you, thank you! We saw your posts and cannot express how grateful we are for your loyalty. You have my respect for standing up against the mass majority who had decided to go on a Heritage Brand witch hunt. I can only imagine you were probably pretty bummed yourselves about the site crashing, and I admire your class and perspective against a group of individuals who were clearly lacking these traits at the time.
As far as if we’ll have another Sale down the road, the answer is probably. We’ll learn from this debacle, and hopefully next year we’ll be in a position to do some sort of sale again. And if those that threatened to “never buy from Heritage Brand” are true to their word, that just means there will be more to go around for you guys.
In the meantime, in an effort to make up for the frustration this Sale caused, we would like to extend the following discount to you:
All orders placed this Mon-Thurs. (8/12-8/15) will receive 10% off and FREE shipping (USPS Priority, $25 towards International). Please call the shop 855-389-9889 or email info@heritagebrand.com to place your order.
And if you are one of the ones that had the dignity and self-control to hold your tongue (or fingers) last Friday, I applaud your parents for raising you right.
Until next time! ~ Jess
]]>"I learned a lot from Lindsey Sears this year" – Brenda Mays
I’ve got a confession.
It seems pretty sacrilegious to admit this, but I don’t actually like watching rodeos. I’m a horrible spectator. In fact, I’m generally hanging out at the trailer or riding horses, popping over just long enough to watch my husband rope before getting on my barrel horse to run.
If it’s not someone I know, I can pretty much take it or leave it… but if I know the person competing it completely changes the dynamic.
I just spent the last two days watching my daughter dance in the Nutcracker ballet. I know next to nothing about ballet, it’s not something I would normally be even remotely interested in, but because my kiddo loves it and has worked so hard at it, you can bet I was captivated with every moment she was on stage and would not have traded watching her for the world.
Now there are exceptions…
For instance, I love watching the NFR. Ten days of the best the rodeo world has to offer is some amazing watching. Unlike your average rodeo, everyone there is at the top of their game, and have proven they deserve to be there. There are no weekend cowboys at the NFR.
We all have our favorites, and in the barrel racing sometimes it’s hard to pick just one. Well, today I’d like to give you the inside scoop on one of the toughest, hardest-working and talented barrel racers today. I want you to get to know her and her awesome family just a little better, and I bet when you get done reading this you will be as big a fan of Brenda Mays as I am.
But first, I’d like to introduce you to Lynn Mays, Brenda’s mom, because there’s no denying that her influence has played a critical role in helping Brenda become and continue to be the success she is today. She’s a wealth of experience and information, and as anyone who’s ever met Lynn knows, one heck of a nice lady. Being that the Mays family comes from my neck of the woods here in Central Oregon, I’ve had the privilege of watching them in action for years. I’ve watched as the Mays training program has turned out one successful barrel horse after another, including the big, black phenom, and 2010 WPRA Horse of the Year Judge Buy Cash, affectionately known as Jethro. Lynn qualified for the NFR back in 1975, so she knows a thing or two about being a successful barrel racer, and has watched the sport change throughout her lifetime.
I asked Lynn a few questions and this is what she had to say:
How have you seen the sport change over the years?
More money, more one go round rodeos, more rodeos that you have to qualify to get into, and way more entries. As far as vet care, there are so many more therapeutic and diagnostic things available, such as irap, shock wave, prp, mri, ultra sound, etc. I was very fortunate to have a retired race horse trainer, Chum Summers, that helped me with keeping my horse sound and running. He had some great leg remedies that I still use today, and he taught me so much about the care and conditioning of a horse. Ground conditions: We have it so much better(most of the time) now than we did back then. I can’t imagine running now on some of the conditions we did back then, but great strides have been made in the preparing of ground and there are some great implements now for working ground. As far as the horses, there are way more really tough ones now. There top horses were tough back then,and would be now, but there are just more of them now. I think the fastest I ever ran on my NFR horse was a 17.3. He ran a lot of 4-8’s, but now at many of the rodeos, that will get you a bottom hole check, if any! Drug use: Many more therapeutic drugs available now. I think bute was about all there was back when I went. Now there are many more, banamine, ketophen, things for bleeders, which I really don’t remember hearing about bleeders then like there is now. Probably were there, just maybe didn’t have the knowledge or available diagnostics that there are today. Illegal drug use in horses, it’s always been around, just don’t think on as broad a scale. I was very naïve about such things but Chum told me about some of the stuff that was used on the track.
What was the most memorable win of your barrel racing career and why?
I think the thing that comes to mind isn’t about one win, but about 9 in a row that Roanie won after a change of shoers. Would have been 11 but I got a barrel at those 2. That is when I really realized how much difference a shoer can make! I thought I had a good shoer until I had to get him reshod in California and I went to a guy in Grass Valley, Bill Neice. What a difference! I’ve been fortunate now to have had the same shoer since 1982 and I haul back to Roseburg to get them done. Jim Leach, thank you, and on the road I use Kerry Burger.
If you had to boil your proven training program down to a few key points, what would they be?
Having broke horses, that you can control every part of their body, not being in too big a hurry with them and keeping them liking it.
You and Brenda obviously are a great training team, what would you say are both of your strengths/weaknesses when it comes to training horses?
Brenda can do both, train and run. Anymore, I’m mainly a trainer and can get on and fix some part of their handle that may be a little lacking. I can feel what is off and needs to be fixed. No way could I run one anymore when you have to go that fast! I can ride them, keep them in shape when Brenda is flying between rodeos, things like that. But she is the jockey!
What is your favorite part of being on the rodeo road with Brenda?
Seeing different places, and the great friends we have out on the road that I wouldn’t get to see if we weren’t rodeoing!
Everyone knows Jethro, but what is Dora’s story? (Dora is the sorrel mare that Brenda runs)
In Nov of her 4 yr old year, she set back at the trailer and unknown to us at the time, she broke her coffin bone in her left front. Wasn’t lame for a while and then it seemed to be an abcess, so doctored for that. In Jan of her 5 year old year, we were in Az and Brenda was back riding her. Seemed to be just a little off on hard ground, so had the mobile vets from CSR ultra sound her. Found the fracture, which was about a 3rd healed, so gave her 6 months and she was healed up totally. Decided to give her the rest of the summer off and in Aug., she somehow broke a bone in her guttural pouch(just being in her pen, no less!) that got infected and caused her to be paralyzed on the left side of her face. Her left ear drooped, her eyelid had to be sewn shut because of no blinking motion, her face twisted off to the left, and she couldn’t chew on that side. She looked like she had had a stroke. She came thru surgery at OSU good, which saved her life, but they gave us a 50/50 chance of her ever being even a broodmare, let alone rideable. With lots of prayers and a product from Silver Lining called CNS at the time, she ran her 1st race in Aug of her 6 year old year, and is running and winning today. She is truly a miracle horse!
Then just a couple weeks ago I had all three ladies: Lynn, Brenda and sister Vicki out at the shop picking out some new tack, so you know I had pick their brains a little!
One thing Brenda kept coming back to again and again, was her appreciation for the team of people that keep her and her horses going strong. Her sister Vicki who I learned is a fantastic driver, and expert at tire-changing in a pinch… even two flat tires at once (ask her about Reno this year). Brenda was quick to admit that she would never be where she is today, without all the behind the scenes people who she appreciates so much.
Brenda hauled a lot with Lindsay Sears this year, and all three ladies couldn’t say enough good things about that family and the help and hospitality they provided her. While Brenda and Lindsay’s horses were divided into two teams, the girls were frequently flying from rodeo to rodeo, while the Sears family helped haul the horses across country to the next event. They were always there taking stellar care of Brenda’s horses, getting down and dirty icing legs, and treating them as if they were their own. Brenda says she got a first hand look at the hard work Lindsay and her family dedicate to their horses, staying at their home at various times throughout the year, where they took her in and made her feel like family.
If you’re from the Northwest, and you’ve been to the Central Point rodeo in the last 7 years, you will know that this Pro Rodeo has been dominated by Brenda and Jethro who have day-lighted the competition year after year. Her signature move of running through the gate (which is situated at the far right hand corner of the arena) and straight at the first barrel, making what appears to be an impossible approach, actually came about by pure accident. Apparently, the first year she ran Jethro here, he actually took off in the parking lot, and instead of pulling him up she just let him go which proved to be a great move, as he pulled off the win and has continued to do so every year since, making these wins Brenda’s most memorable of her career.
The relationship and understanding Brenda has with Jethro is evident to anyone that’s ever watched them run. Going into this year’s NFR I learned that this relationship will be at the center of Brenda’s game plan. She will listen to how he works each night, and let Jethro decide when he needs a night off, and then she will break out her back-up horse Dora, who has proven she is force to be contended with herself. While Jethro is a bit more “free wheeling” then Dora who has more natural rate, Brenda says she rides both her horses in pretty much the same fashion, making only small adjustments between the two.
It was evident that keeping both horses healthy and feeling good was the main focus for the NFR. In addition to her normal competition routine with feed, exercise and therapies, she also adds daily Acuscope treatments done by Kelli Jo Hammack to ensure Jethro and Dora are feeling their best.
Among the products she’s used over the years, Brenda expressed her belief in Silver Lining Herbs in helping with the longevity and continued health of her horses. She also loves her Larry Coats saddles, and has always been impressed with their functionality and quality.
Both Jethro and Dora are Judge Cash bred horses, so I was curious what it is about this bloodline that works for the Mays’ training program. Lynn and Brenda were quick to communicate that these horses are extremely strong- both mentally and physically. That they possess a gritty constitution that gives them the ability to handle the rigors of being a rodeo horse. A grittiness you can’t put into a horse, it’s something they are born with.
It’s my belief that the horses aren’t the only ones with this inner strength and grit. The Mays family trains all their own horses, they don’t depend on high dollar prospects or drive fancy rigs, they have earned the success they have achieved one sweaty saddle pad at a time. They are not strangers to training world-class barrel horses in a simple dirt patch, and will be the last ones to brag about their abilities or successes. They are good people with big hearts, that let their horses success speak for themselves.
So while there’s no denying that Brenda’s Dora mare is a miracle, when you watch Brenda and Jethro run through the gate tomorrow night at the Thomas and Mack, you can be sure it wasn’t just a miracle that got her there!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>She was the lucky one.
The husband and 13 year old daughter were later found. Dead. Buried in debris from the storm.
Can you imagine being that woman? Waking up in the hospital after living through the nightmare of the storm, to discover that your husband and daughter were dead. Dead. Gone forever…
Just think about that for a second.
I have a friend whose 12 year old daughter just went in for brain surgery a couple months ago. She survived the surgery, but they weren’t able to remove all of the tumor, and she will likely be facing another surgery, not to mention another round of chemo/radiation. Her little girl has a ticking time bomb living in her head.
I try to imagine what she must be going through. How she puts on a happy face for her little girl. Anyone that’s a parent knows the indescribable love you have for your children. It’s almost irrational sometimes. The desire to protect them and keep them from harm, knowing you would sacrifice yourself for their safety without a moment’s hesitation. How do you watch your child be ravaged by a disease… watch them fight a battle for their lives? I just cannot comprehend what this must be like for her.
I got a tiny glimpse of this nightmare my friend is living a couple years ago when my daughter suffered a concussion, that led to an uncontrollable seizure that forced the neurologists to put her in an induced coma. My husband and I had a conversation with the doctors that night, where they matter-of-factly informed us there was the very real possibility she would never wake up from this. And if she did, she might have severe brain damage, etc… It was incomprehensible conversation for me. I was filled with an immense, indescribable and crippling fear. I was terrified and begged God to save my baby.
He listened.
She woke up the next morning with no recollection of the accident, and has been perfect ever since.
Today I spoke with a gentleman who fought in Vietnam, and watched four of his buddies die in one day. Watched it. Witnessed it. And lived to tell about it 40 years later.
We’ve all seen the “thankful” Facebook posts this month. “Day 1: I’m thankful for my awesome horses…” “Day 2: I’m thankful for my family… or chocolate cupcakes… or extra strong hold hairspray…etc…”.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great and I am right there with you. Last year, one of my “thankful” posts was about my truck’s heated steering wheel, so I feel you.
The thing that struck me this year is that I don’t think I really know what it means to be thankful. I don’t think I know what it REALLY feels like to be thankful for something.
If it means I have to survive a night in a hurricane fighting for my life while my family loses theirs to be thankful for family, or witness my child be ravaged by a disease to be thankful for health, or witness the horrors of war to be thankful for my freedoms. No thank you.
I don’t know what it means to be truly thankful. And I’m not ashamed to say I hope I never do.
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>And whether you have been 20 times, or this will be your first year, I’m going to give you a road map of don’t miss activities that you can thank me for later.
RODEO
Go. That’s all I can say.
You just cannot put into words the energy the Thomas and Mack arena holds unless you go and experience it yourself. It’s a rodeo like no other and each year is a little bigger and better than the last. There’s a reason the NFR has been sold out for the last 250 consecutive performances. It’s amazing.
Don’t have tickets? No problem.
There is a Ticket Exchange at Cowboy Christmas where you can buy and sell tickets for each night’s performance, an online Ticket Exchange for you pre-planners, or there’s always the scalpers that have tickets aplenty. For you adventurous souls, know that the ticket booth at the Thomas and Mack also sells “Mad Dash” tickets for each night so you have no excuse.
And if all else fails, you can find the NFR Live Stream broadcast at a multitude of casinos where you can watch while you eat and drink. My favorite locations to watch the NFR on the big screen are Treasure Island, South Point, MGM or the Mirage.
SHOP TILL YOU DROP
The world’s greatest Western retail shopping experience is undeniably Cowboy Christmas located at the North end of the strip at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here, over 2.8 million shoppers have come to find the most unique and sought after products from over 300 vendors across the globe. Admission to the longest running and only “Original” NFR gift show is always free, and it’s an experience in itself.
In addition to the shopping at Cowboy Christmas, you can also get autographs from NFR contestants past and present, buy and sell rodeo tickets, meet Miss Rodeo America, and catch a free shuttle to each night’s rodeo performance right from there.
And as an all new bonus this year, Cowboy Christmas has partnered with the PRCA and added Fan Fest, which is a whole show in and of itself. There’s a rodeo arena for exhibitions and specialty acts where fans will get a closer look into the sport and even participate in the action. The Academy of Country Music has a live stage for specialty entertainment and a battle of the bands competition, as well as “A Taste of Rodeo” area where visitors can treat themselves to some delectable munchies and a libation or two.
There’s also the Forum Shops at Ceasars Palace and the Fashion Show Mall which will quench the shopping thirst of even your most hard-core shop-a-holic, like myself.
BUCKLE PRESENTATION
Each night, the winners from that night’s rodeo performance gather at the South Point to receive their buckles. It’s a chance to see the winners and their families from a whole new perspective…You will be privy to personal interviews and stories you can’t read about or see on T.V. Get there early as it fills up, grab a drink from the bar and enjoy a little dancing before the ceremony starts. It’s always a memorable experience, especially if one of your favorite contestants is on the receiving end of one of these special go-around buckles. So make sure to check it out.
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
A few year’s back, a good friend took my husband and I to Mystere and I have had a love affair with Cirque Du Soleil ever since. Each year we make a point of watching another Cirque Du Soleil show while we’re in Vegas, and it’s become a tradition I look forward to each year. I’m impatiently waiting for this year’s trip to go watch the latest release from Cirque Du Soleil Zarkana. I will let you know how it is!
BE A TOURIST
Here’s the short list of my favorite Las Vegas sights to see on the strip.
1. Bellagio: Go see the Fountains of Bellagio. A stunning water show you can see right from the sidewalk in front of the hotel, it’s a unique water experience set to music and lights that cannot be missed. When you are done with that, wander inside one of Vegas’ fanciest venues and check out the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens that are made into a magical winter wonderland. It’s truly sensational!
2. Ceasars Palace: after you’ve wandered through the Forum Shops, check out the animatronics show which plays every hour on the hour and is pure entertainment for sure.
3. Venetian: My all time favorite hotel. Inspired by Italy’s most romantic city, Venice. Here you can enjoy authentic gondola rides (complete with singing gondoliers) through the beautiful Grande Canal Shoppes, some of the most fabulous restaurants Vegas has to offer, as well as the new Winter in Venice attraction with ice skating and over-the-top theatrical street performers. I cannot wait to take my daughter here this year, she is going to LOVE it!
4. Stratosphere. “Strap into the Big Shot and prepare to be shot 160 feet in the air at 45 miles per hour as you overlook the majestic Las Vegas Valley. In a matter of seconds, the Big Shot thrill ride catapults 16 riders from the 921-foot high platform up the Tower’s mast to a height of 1,081 feet and down again. Before you catch your breath, you’ll be shot back up again at forces unmatched by other Vegas thrill parks! Experience a gut-wrenching four ‘G’s of force on the way up, and feel negative ‘G’s on the way down as your legs dangle in the Las Vegas skyline.” If that sounds like fun to you, they’ve got 3 other rides that are equally terrifying…or so I’ve heard. I will gladly swing a leg over a crazy barrel horse, but you will not find me on one of these rides. It was terrifying enough watching from the sidelines. If you’ve got a serious adrenaline junky in your party, here’s one spot you won’t want to miss.
5. Coaster at NYNY: It’s pretty awesome, the location is unbeatable, and it’s just one of those things everyone does in Vegas. So do it.
6. Mon Ami Gabi: The most A-MAZ-ING french food on the planet! It also doesn’t hurt that you can eat this delectable cuisine in a heated outdoor patio over looking the strip in front of the Paris Hotel. It’s pretty fantastic and I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. And if you are in the mood for the best prime on the planet, then check out Lawrey’s where your palate will most certainly be pleased. This year, I am going to be at the top of the Palm’s at least one night eating at Alize… which rumor has it will give Mon Ami Gabi a run for its money. I can’t wait!
7. Freemont Street: It’s the second most famous street in Las Vegas and chock- full of history including being home to the first paved street and first casino in Las Vegas. A multitude of famous movies were filmed here, and today it’s home to an impressive LED canopy covering the street and performing light and sound shows beginning at dusk. So wait till it’s dark to check it out in its full glory.
This years National Finals Rodeo takes place December 6-15th. If you’ve never been, I encourage you to make it happen as this is one item on your Bucket List that you shouldn’t procrastinate about. Did I mention you can get hotel rooms from $30 a night??
Anyhow… if you go I expect you to come by our booth at Cowboy Christmas and tell me how your vacation is going!
And if I’ve left out any must-see or do destinations please let me know!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>So there’s this barrel racing association here in the Northwest. It’s a great association. They have some of the biggest and best races, the ground is typically stellar, and they have garnered a respected reputation for putting on quality races. They even have a fantastic website that offers a wealth of information about sanctioned races, race results, and a Free Classified section that thousands of people a year take advantage of to buy and sell horses, trailers, saddles, etc… It’s a good place to advertise your company as there is a good amount of traffic to the site, in fact, I’ve spent thousands of dollars over the years doing just that. In addition to these services, they have a Discussion Board where you can go to find out what people are talking about. It’s a handy place to find a place to stay on the way to Vegas, get recommendations on someone to start your colt, perhaps you want suggestions on a good bit to get more lift, or maybe to find out they added Time Only’s before the jackpot Saturday. This Discussion Board gets a lot of traffic, much more so than your average Barrel Club board, I would wager that there are probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000-2,000 visitors on an average day. I think it’s a great service provided by this Association and I have used it to garner a ton of information over the years.
But the fundamental problem with this Discussion Board is that it’s completely anonymous. Unlike other Chat Boards, such as the Barrel Talk forum on BarrelHorseWorld.com, where it’s necessary to create a User Name and Log In each time you want to post anything, thereby allowing others to identify the source of the information or opinion when posted, this particular Board allows it’s posters to be completely incognito.
So wrap your head around this for a moment. You’ve got an audience of thousands, the majority of which are women, and a format in which they can post anything they want without any accountability or fear of being recognized. Can you imagine the potential of this situation? I mean, it’s no mystery that it’s easier to talk BEHIND someone’s back, instead of confronting them to their face. And if you are one of those particularly smarmy people, bent on smearing someone else’s reputation, or divulging clandestine information, this is the perfect platform to get this out to thousands of people at once. We’re not talking about a couple of people chatting in the stands at a barrel race, we’re talking about real exposure here.
I’ve seen it done. I’m friends with people who have had some of their most private, personal information broadcast on this board for all to see.
Apparently the Board is “monitored” with rules that discourage people from making personal attacks on individuals, but lets be honest, it still happens. There are cowards out there who cannot help but take advantage of this opportunity.
And what is so disappointing to me is that despite numerous requests to the Association to change the format of their Discussion Board, requiring people to create an account to Log In to in order to be recognized, they have refused. And since I have seen the destruction this Discussion Board has caused first hand, and they are knowingly allowing this to continue, it’s not a situation that I can be a part of in good conscience. I’ve been divided about this for some time, as I do genuinely like the majority of the people running this association, and I have hope that some day they will step up and change this destructive format they have created. But until that day comes, my sponsorship money will not be going their direction, as it’s not something that I am willing to help perpetuate. Directly or indirectly.
Not to mention that I cannot help but wonder about the motivation behind not changing the format. I mean, what harm would come from adding some accountability? Or is there some advantage to having a forum which provides a platform for the spread of gossip… perhaps that’s what keeps them coming back… at the expense of who?
Anyhow, something to think about…
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>And being as we do work with and get to know these people quite well, and more than a few are close personal friends, we've got a pretty good idea as to what these people go through.
I'm sure, from the outside, it must seem like a pretty sweet gig. I mean, who doesn't like to spend someone else's money, right? And on some level, that has to be a part of the initial appeal and draw that gets people who are already working full-time jobs, have families to take care of and horses to ride, and have absolutely no free time, to volunteer for a non-paid position. And for the first 30 or so hours these people put into researching and "shopping" companies, that is probably exactly what it does feel like.
But then invariably the day comes when the Association reveals that:
...the budget has to be reduced as there weren't as many nominations as they had expected...
...and we won't know how many Youth awards we'll need until the last race, which is two weeks before the banquet...
...and "so and so" didn't like the pads that were bought last year...
...and we're planning on awards to 6th...unless we don't raise enough at the fundraiser, then it will be 4th...unless this sponsor comes through, then it will be 8th...
...and do you think we should embroider the blankets again... what if they don't fit the winner's horses...
and...and... you get the idea.
You have NO IDEA how many last minute calls/emails we get from people begging to add 6 halters, and change the branding on two of the breast collars, and what can you do for $90 as we just found out we can add one more placing. These folks work tirelessly and I can only imagine the details they have to juggle to make it all come together. They use their breaks at work to call and email us and then forgo their evening ride to drive out to the shop and spend 4 hours picking out hides and conchos. Not to mention all the time communicating back and forth with the Association's Treasurer, showing up to club meetings, etc...
And they stress this. Alot.
They worry that the members won't like what they choose... that the companies they use won't ship the product in time. They worry about the 100 ways it could go wrong.
There's no getting around it that it's a personal reflection of these individuals, and you can sense the pressure they are under. Most are amazing to deal with, and the few who are less than ideal typically wind up being the most grateful and appreciative, which leads me to believe they were probably just nervous about the responsibility they were given. They don't know me from a can of paint, but they do know that if I flake on them they will look like a big jerk in front of you and all the other members that have been disappointed.
So the next time you win something fabulous at your local barrel club or a year end award for your rodeo circuit, make sure you tell the person in charge of picking out that award just how much you appreciate it. Just how much you appreciate them.
And if the award you win is the worst thing you've ever won, and you just can't believe they would give this away here's what you do: You go to the next meeting and raise your hand when they beg for volunteers. Then get back to me at the end of that year and let me know how it was.
And for all you Awards Directors out there... We appreciate you. We get it. We've got your back.
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>Several years ago I became friends with a lady who was dating a good friend of my husband’s. They would come out to our arena to rope frequently, and I got to know her pretty well over a few month period of time.
This was during the beginning of the “bling” craze, and we were one of the only tack companies to venture into this territory at the time. We had introduced the Crystal Concho several years before, and it was rapidly gaining in popularity, though still somewhat audacious for the majority of people and certainly not knocked-off by a bazillion different companies like it is today.
One day, she innocently asked me if I would show her how to make crystal conchos so that she could make her sister a headstall for Christmas. I was happy to pass along my suppliers contact information for conchos and crystals, and even met with her to show her how it was done. We continued to remain friends, and she even brought the headstall over when she finished it to show me.
Fast forward about 6 months.
I walk into our local tack store, and while browsing notice a small section of headstalls and breast collars with crystal conchos that looked all too familiar. Today, it would be unusual NOT to see crystal tack in your local tack store, but remember at this time the bling trend was just beginning, so it definitely caught my attention. Being as we were friends with the store’s owner, I asked who had made the tack and he happily passed along the number of the lady, who was apparently now dating one of the store’s employees. He also passed along the lady’s name, which was coincidentally the same first name as my “friend”. Hmmm….
What do I do with this information? Can you guess? Of course I did!
So… being as I wasn’t 100% positive this was the same person (and in denial that someone would be so brazen), I politely listened to her sales pitch on the phone about all the different products she could put her conchos on. About how she had been making them for “years”, was just getting ready to launch a website, etc…
At this point I was sure who she was, so when she stopped to take a breath, I told her who I was.
I am proud to say I didn’t break down and have a stereotypical crazy-woman moment and tell her what I really thought of the situation (like I wanted to). I candidly told her how I felt like she had manipulated and deceived me, that I considered her a friend and was disturbed to find out she had done this. My dispassionate response must have startled her, as she instantly tried to back-peddle and make excuses, re-assuring me that she could explain. So I listened, for about 5 minutes as she rambled on about how “lonely” she was, how she valued our friendship and was going to stop doing it immediately. Right.
Fast forward another 6 months.
My daughter was going into Kindergarten and her teacher came out to do a home visit before school started. She asked what I did for work, and when I told her she told me about another student in class whose mother did something just like it.
You have got to be kidding me! Nope, not kidding. Same person.
And when our school’s fundraising auction came around, I even had to donate money so my “friend” could create crystal conchos for items to be auctioned off for the school. Yep, that was a fun check to write.
Now at this point all I could do was laugh about it. I mean what else do you do?
In hindsight I was pretty naive, and while I try to not be too jaded regarding people knocking off our ideas and designs, it is just a fact of life in this business. In fact, I’ve come to expect it at this point. It doesn’t make it right, and sometimes it does still bother me, but you can’t make people have character or integrity and I decided a long time ago that instead of worrying about the people trying to follow us, it’s much more productive to spend energy staying ahead of them. We joke around in the shop whenever we unveil a new product, wondering how long it will take before we start seeing copy-cats. It usually doesn’t take long.
One of my favorite quotes is this: “Imitation is the ultimate form of flattery”.
We are flattered alot around here!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>“Take a day off? I don’t even take a morning off.”
“I haven’t ordered dessert in two years.”
“You know that best selling book everyone loves? I haven’t read it.”
“I haven’t watched TV since last summer. Hey, I’ve been busy.”
~2012 Citibank Olympic commercial
There's something about watching athletes from around the globe compete for international glory and fame that is no less than gripping for me. It's watching the year's of hard-work, determination and devotion culminate into those final races, games, dives, etc... that is incredibly inspirational.
You know they've sacrificed so much to be there. For some, it will be the greatest moments of their lives.
There's Michael Phelps who will leave London the most decorated Olympian ever. And Usain Bolt, who breaks his own Olympic record to win yet another gold medal and the hearts of millions. Then there's Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings who captured their third consecutive women's volleyball Gold medal last night. That was a proud moment in Olympic and US history for sure. And who could forget Germany's Stephan Feck?
Wait... who?
Imagine being him for a minute. You've been training your whole life to compete in this one event at the Olympic games. You've sacrificed any semblance of a normal life to dedicate everything to perfecting each detail of your craft. This dive is, in a way, the culmination of your life's work. The eyes of your family, country, and the world are on you.
And you do a GIANT BACK FLOP. Get a score of Zero. And ultimately drop out of the competition.
Ughh... Can you not feel for this guy? In an instant he will forever be known as the Back Flop Guy. The video has gone viral, and the rest is history.
And his name. Oh my. Could it have been anything else besides Stephan FECK? That's just way too convenient.
Apparently his hand slipped from his thigh, which caused this, that caused that... But all anyone knows is that it will go down in history as the worst ever olympic dive.
On a much MUCH smaller scale I've been there. I'm sure you have too. I remember a phone conversation I had with a friend about a run I had just made on my horse. "How did it go?" she asked. "Well, it was awesome until I got to the first barrel" I said. Sometimes there are just days like that, but thank God I have never had a moment quite as bad as Mr. Feck.
Talk about a character builder. I'm sure he will laugh about it someday, as the rest of us are laughing now. And I'm sure he will dive again as well, because it can literally only go up from here!
Do you have a favorite Olympic athlete? I became an instant fan of the "Man With No Legs", Oscar Pistorius, when I watched him compete in the Men's 400 meter preliminary race and win 2nd last Saturday. And the more I read about him the more I admire and respect everything he represents. His story is the kind of thing that sticks with you and inspires greatness.
And while I was daydreaming of Olympic greatness on my couch last night, that Citibank commercial came on again and I heard "I haven't ordered dessert in two years". And right then I knew.
I'm out.
And took another bite of my chocolate-peanut butter ice cream.
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>If you are conservative, if you are liberal... gay, straight, man or woman... please take a moment to hear me out. This has nothing to do with horses, tack, or anything else you thought you were going to hear about, but because I have a big mouth and even bigger opinions I'm going to give you an earful and then next week I will be back to normal I promise! In the meantime I do love a captive audience so thanks for being here :-)
I grew up in a politically charged house. My dad is extremely passionate about his politics, and growing up I couldn't care less. Then I married into a family that could give my dad a run for his money in the political opinion department. And..you guessed it... I still couldn't care less.
Now, 14 years later I'm starting to get it. What I'm learning to love about politics is not the politics (I REALLY hate all that boring stuff), it's that every "debate" causes me to question what I believe in. And guess what? I am really passionate about some things, and I'm willing to bet that you are too. I love this great country that we live in, I'm super patriotic and rarely have a dry eye during the playing of the National Anthem at rodeos...even though I've heard it hundreds of times. This is a great country, there is no other country on the planet that can compare, and I want to ensure it stays that way for my daughter and the generations to come.
There has been so much drama lately revolving around Chic-Fil-A, and most recently with yesterday's "Chic-fil-A Appreciation Day". All because it's President, Dan Cathy, publicly stated that they support "traditional marriage" as in, between a man and a woman. He went on to state that "The Chic-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity, and respect- regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation, or gender."
That's it. That's all he said. He stated his company's Christian belief because he lives in a country where we are free to do so. Or so I thought.
And the backlash has been of epic proportions. I'm not concerned about the backlash from people who don't agree with Chic-fil-A's stance. Nor does the picketing, newspaper articles, media storm or anything else bother me. Here's where it all went wrong: Mayors in Chicago, Boston and San Francisco are so outraged that they are attempting to ban Chic-fil-A from opening chains in their cities. Banning them because Chic-fil-A has gone on record stating their beliefs. Our GOVERNMENT has made a pivotal step, crossing a huge line, to use its power to suppress a viewpoint with which it disagrees. To deny a business on the basis of the personal beliefs of its owners. Wow. We are witnessing our government squelching our First Amendment right...the right to free speech.
This is not about chicken sandwiches people.
It's not really even about gay rights.
Our Constitutional rights are being trampled. Our rights as Americans are being diminished and flagrantly disregarded. It's a big freaking deal.
Now I could make my point by quoting conservative radio host Glenn Beck who said today that "The issue has very little to do with gay rights and as regards to same-sex marriage and much more to do with the Left's desire to squash freedom of speech." Or his later statement that "I want freedom. I want liberty. I want the right to choose my own path. I want the right to fail and say stupid things...to think these things...because once you stop thinking or living in a society that says 'you can't think that way', the country fails."
But I wont ;-)
As I think to better illustrate my point let's hear what the liberal ACLU, a huge proponent for gay marriage has to say as they come to the defense of Chic-fil-A: "If a government can exclude a business for being against same-sex marriage, it can also swing the other way and exclude a business for being in support of same-sex marriage."
Or how about N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg who self-proclaims that "Nobody's a bigger supporter of same-sex marriage" then himself, but also goes to the aide of Chic-Fil-A by stating that the banning of their restaurant in cities is "inappropriate" and "I just don't think it's government's business, period." "This is just a bad idea and it's not going to happen in New York City".
And here's Steve Salby, dean of the Schiller College of business and gay man "A society that truly believes in individual freedom will respect Mr. Cathy’s right to his views. Those who disagree with him are free to boycott Chick-fil-A in protest. But if our elected officials run Chick-fil-A out of town, they are effectively voting for all of us, regardless of our respective beliefs, and eliminating our individual freedoms."
The bottom line is this. You have a right to hate Chic-fil-A. You can vote with your pocketbooks and refuse to eat there. But when the government threatens to sanction an otherwise lawful organization based solely on it's disapproval of their beliefs, it truly is bigotry gone wild. And if we as Americans sit by and allow this to happen then we are as worthy of the idiot stick as our government.
So let's grab our pitchforks and lanterns and do something about it!
Just kidding... O.K., I am officially off my soap box here. And for those that made it all the way through that, thanks for your time and I would love to hear how you feel about this...
And as much as I would kill for a Chic-fil-A chicken sandwich right now, the nearest one is 256 miles away so I'm resigned to just dream about one.
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>I grew up on a family farm. My sister and our family in one house, my grandparents across the orchard, and my aunt, uncle and 3 cousins at the back of the property. It was a pretty great place to grow up. I was the oldest of the 5 of us kids, and when I was 8 my mom and blissfully horse-crazy aunt decided it was time we had a pony. So my parents went in halves on a $325 pony they found in the local paper.
I still remember the first time I saw Shasta. I was getting off the bus after school, and glimpsed a splash of white behind the big walnut tree. My aunt was hurrying to hide her back in the barn before my cousins and I saw her.
When they finally unveiled her to us later that day, I couldn't believe my eyes. She was white, with big brown eyes, a long silky mane and tail...14 hands of beautiful...just like all the princess ponies I had dreamed about! All my dreams were coming true!
And then I rode her.
I'm pretty sure they could not have bought us a more naughty, mischievous, ill mannered pony if they had tried. Shasta knew every trick in the book. She was an expert at rearing, rolled while being ridden, could swipe a kid off on a low tree branch, fence, stack of hay bales... whatever was handy, never missed a chance to take a chunk from your backside when you weren't looking, and bolted full speed across pastures and back to the barn on more than one occasion. Needless to say, it wasn't long before my sister and 3 cousins decided the white beast was not for them, and she became my pony.
Turns out she was probably the worst pony ever. Turns out she was also the best pony for me.
Every time she dumped me in the dirt, after I dusted myself off and wiped away the tears, I was more determined than ever to climb back on and give it another go. It's a miracle that we both survived, but somehow we did. My patient mom spent countless hours overseeing the situation, helping me catch the little white monster and giving me a leg up when she would again toss me into the dirt. And then there was my Aunt Beth. The lady that probably knew how to ride before she could walk. To this day I know she would gladly trade an hour in the saddle for a day at the spa, and whose contagious love for horses infected me and has never been cured. Between Aunt Beth and me that pony didn't stand a chance.
It wasn't long before the rearing, rolling, biting, swiping episodes became fewer and farther between and eventually Shasta became a fairly civilized pony. By shear determination and alot of blood, sweat, and tears that snotty pony and I became a pretty good team. And once it was discovered that she wasn't going to kill me the sky was the limit! We rode english, western, did endurance rides, gymkhana, 4-H... she even became a pretty great little driving pony. Not to say Shasta's sassy side was ever truly quelled. I remember going threw the entrance gate for Bareback class at County Fair with my arms around her neck as she had decided to enter on her back legs! And then there was the time she slipped her halter at Area Fair and was missing for two days while friends and family frantically searched the country side. Only for her to walk up the middle of Main Street and surrender herself to a random construction worker at 6 AM two days later. She was always quite the character.
Eventually I outgrew Shasta and moved onto my next horse. But the lessons that pony taught me will stick with me the rest of my life. Some of my happiest childhood memories revolve around that pony. Some of my happiest memories ever.
My daughter Railey got her first pony at the age of 3. Suzy Q was the polar opposite of my Shasta. Suzy Q was a saint that wouldn't hurt a fly. I used to throw Railey on Suzy to ride while I did barn chores as that pony would patiently walk and trot her around the field and keep her occupied and out of my hair. One time Railey lost her balance and fell off the side, but her boot stuck in the stirrup. Every parent's worst nightmare! That Suzy Q pony stood there and didn't move a muscle while Railey hung upside down until I noticed her crying and came to her rescue. I'm not really sure how long she stood there waiting for me, but I do know that pony had a heart of gold and took such good care of my little girl. Suzy Q was the best first pony for my girl, and is now living with a good friend of mine and raising more kids.
Our latest Facebook contest is for ponies, and seeing all the picture submissions I can't help but remember the great ones that have been a part of my life. I'm so grateful for the little buggers that have packed us, and pack the next generation.
Do you remember your first pony? Did you have a Shasta or a Suzy Q? I would love to hear about your first pony...
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>Did someone borrow them? Did I move them and forgot?
Nope, it didn't take long to discover we had been robbed. You could even follow the footprints from our trailer out to the road where they had parked and made numerous trips with our belongings. We had been wiped out. And living in a tiny town called Alfalfa, where the cows outnumber the people 100 to 1, you just don't expect something like this to happen.
Then, just a few months ago while on a trip to San Antonio, TX. our truck window was busted out in broad daylight, in a public paid parking lot by yet another bottom feeder of society. This one got away with our laptop, iPad, iPod Touch, and a handgun.
The good news in both of these situations is that we had good insurance, so were able to replace most of the items.
But then there's the bad news. The part that sticks with you even years later.
Among the items that were stolen was a saddle I received for college graduation, headstall and breast collar awards I had won on horses I no longer owned, bits that could no longer be bought... My husband had a journal about our daughter he had been keeping for 6 years that was saved on the iPad. There were thousands of pictures between the computer and iPad that cannot be replaced.
These people didn't just steal our possessions, they stole our memories.
There are just some things that you truly cannot put a dollar amount on. They are priceless and they are irreplaceable.
What do you have in your tack room right now? How many saddles? Anything custom made for a particular horse? How about a headstall or breast collar you received as a gift, or won as an award? Any sentimental items that you would be devastated to be without? Any bits that you can't remember where you bought them and would likely never be able to be exactly reproduced?
If you're like most people, you have a $5 combination lock keeping all of these items "safe" in the back of your trailer. The kind of combination lock anyone with a set of $15 bolt cutters can get through in about 30 seconds.
Feel safe now?
That was me too until about 6 months ago when some friends introduced me to a clever locking system for my trailer called Invizi-lock. It essentially makes your trailer impossible to break in to, is inexpensive, easy to install, and comes with the convenience of remote keyless entry. It boggles my mind that no one has thought of this before, and I will never have a trailer without it again. So if you are in the market for some peace of mind, you will want to check it out. http://www.invizilock.com/
Have you ever had something like this happen to you? If so, we'd love to hear your story!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>Until next time ~ Jess
]]>There’s something to be said for a boat or a snowmobile that you can leave parked for 9 months out of the year. There’s also something to be said for the fact that your boat won’t break through a fence at 3AM and require you getting out of bed to chase it down the street.
When’s the last time you went to the chiropractor? When’s the last time your horse did?
How much did you spend on your horses shoeing last year? How much did you spend on your own shoes?
Ever set down and penciled out what you spend on entry fees, vet bills, traveling expenses? My accountant had me do that this last year. I recommend including a bottle of wine in this process if you ever decide to try it.
Imagine the fancy house you could have in town if you didn’t have your place on acreage…
Then there are those long nights driving back from a weekend of races having not won a dime. Or how about tipping a barrel that cost you from winning a bundle. Those drives aren’t much easier.
Looked at your legs lately? If you’ve been running barrels for any length of time there’s a good chance you’ve got a few scars to prove it.
And there’s no guarantees.
I’ve won (or lost) just as much on the expensive horses as I have on the cheap ones. Just because I wrote a fat check for a new horse, doesn’t mean it’s going to be a good fit. I’ve ridden some nice horses, but I’ve also had a few donkeys that I lost my shorts on.
If there was some magic calculation that would guarantee success wouldn’t that make it easier… if you spend “this” much, and ride “this” often, and buy “this” saddle… But there’s not, and that’s why barrel racing stinks. That’s why sometimes it seems like it might be better to just sell it all and move on to something else.
But what else?
What else can compare to that euphoric feeling you get from laying down a wicked fast run on a good horse? That sense of excitement as you run through the gate during a performance at a Pro Rodeo. There’s something indescribable about that atmosphere. That energy that will transform even the most level-headed barrel horse into a fire-breathing, barrel turning machine that will give you the ride of your life. It’s fun to watch, but it’s a thousand times better to be on the back of that fire-breathing machine.
And if that horse is one you trained yourself? Forget it. Best. Feeling. Ever.
I think it has something to do with pride, or accomplishment, or working towards a goal. Whatever it is, there’s something about running barrels on a horse you made yourself that beats it all. Or at least it does it for me. Something about a partnership and a bond you get when you invest that much of yourself that doesn’t compare to anything else.
I’m sure there’s a certain personality type or genetic flaw that brought us all to this sport. A certain degree of insanity or at least lapses in judgement that allow us to justify the massive time and financial commitment we make to the sport we love. We are adrenaline junkies, we are workaholics, we are addicted and we are in good company.
So while barrel racing does stink sometimes, I can’t imagine my life without it. Can you?
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>What is that special ingredient that sets some so far above the rest? Is it physical greatness, determination, dedication...?
No.
It's heart. And you can't measure, predict, buy, or replicate that.
My heart dropped last Wednesday when I read that the 10 time World Champion, 10 time Rodeo Houston winner, and winner of over $1 million in lifetime earnings had died. My heart dropped to hear that Scamper had died. There's really no way to fully describe the impact that one animal has had, and will continue to have. To say he was an inspiration is such a huge understatement. (Here's a great article about his life)
“It’s sad that he is gone but what a life he had. It’s something to be celebrated.” ~Charmayne James
What's so amazing to me is the unlikeliness of his story.
Talk about beating the odds. A marginally bred, cold-backed 4 year old gelding, who had been shuffled through 4 auctions, gets paired up with an 11 year old girl and 3 years later they are winning World Titles. No way. No freaking way. Oh, and not just one World Title... 10. They were unstoppable.
They overcame injuries, surgeries, respiratory issues,... even managed to win an NFR go-around without a bridle! I love what Kenneth Springer says about that run...
“When Charmayne won that go round, she was just so dominant at the time," Springer said, "and you knew it was a great thing she had done, but it took maybe a decade for it to really sink in how phenomenal those two were together and what an important moment that was. She had to do everything you’d normally do in a run, balance that bit in his mouth after the bridle broke and keep it all going, which she did seamlessly.
“The bridle broke, and Charmayne’s focus was on keeping that bit in Scamper’s mouth for as long as she possibly could. When he finally spit it out while turning the third barrel, she went to the bat. I don’t think anyone would have predicted her to do that. Most people would have been thinking about how to get stopped at that point, and she goes for a go round win. That spoke volumes about her as a focused, quick thinking and athletic individual.
(Read more: http://www.barrelhorsenews.com/articles/horse-rider-profiles/1306-scampers-stats-with-charmayne-james#ixzz20R2cQ7R3)
There's no doubt Charmayne was a huge factor in the making of that miracle, but it's evident from what she says about him, that she credits her success to Scamper. Scamper was Charmayne's once-in-a-lifetime horse.
The unlikely pairing of Charmayne and Scamper and what this unstoppable duo accomplished is the stuff of storybooks. The kind of stuff that makes you believe in miracles. They taught us to dream bigger. The impossible things they accomplished were magical, as silly as that sounds, but it really was. Scamper brought a little real-life magic to our lives and he will never be forgotten.
And while I doubt there will ever be another horse who will compare to Scamper, I've got hope that there just might someday be another horse that brings a little of that magic into the world. And because Scamper taught me to dream, I've got hope that maybe, just maybe, that next miracle maker is out eating in my pasture right now.
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>O.k., let's pause here.
To paint an accurate picture, I feel it's necessary to inform you that both of these lovely ladies had wintered quite well, and were at no risk of shopping in the Petite section anytime soon. Had the subject of the conversation not revolved around weight I would not feel compelled to share this, but since it does I think it's imperative.
About the third time she interrupted me, and basically told me I was lying, I decided it was best to just walk away and help another customer as it was clear I wasn't going to win this one.
But here's what stuck with me.
I wasn't lying, or exaggerating, or being shady in any way. I know what this stuff weighs. I'm generally the one to box and ship all orders, as I like to be the final set of eyes that goes over things before they leave and make sure they're perfect. (So if your next order isn't right you now know who to address your hate mail to). But for the sake of argument, let's say I was being a shyster and fabricating low weights.
I should also add that I am guilty of this practice in other circumstances, such as at the DMV when re-newing my Driver's License and they ask if my weight is still 120. I immediately suck in my belly and nod my head, praying they don't ask me to step on a scale. But, really? How likely is it that my weight is the same as it was when I was 16? Does anyone fess up with their actual weight? I like to think NO, and will continue lying through my teeth until they force me onto said scale.
Anyhow, I wasn't trying to dupe anyone here, and it just seemed like such a contradiction that this ample woman was so concerned about a few pounds of tack when her horse was already carrying a substantial load. God Bless them for being barrel racers, but really ladies? Could you not see how illogical your argument really is? I'm pretty sure that what's "slowing your horse down" has little to do with the tack you use. Just sayin.
For those of you that are curious as to what your tack does weigh, here's a few examples of the (aproximate) MAXIMUM possible weight of some of our items:
Browband Headstall: 1.6 lbs.
Single Ear Headstall: 1 lbs.
Scalloped Breast Collar: 2.5 lbs.
Dali Breast Collar: 2.5 lbs.
Picasso Breast Collar: 1.2 lbs.
Matisse Breast Collar: 2.5 lbs.
Van Gogh Breast Collar: 3 lbs.
To put it in perspective, the few pounds of tack your horse packs is similar to the weight of a wrist watch to a person. You get my point?
That being said, I'm off to grab a burger and fries for lunch. Don't judge, I ride a big horse.
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>I love the courage it takes to be an unconventional visionary in a sea full of people just trying to fit in.
I respect people willing to take a risk to express themselves.
Who doesn't have even the slightest fascination with Lady Gaga? She's a total freak. And yet you can't stop watching. She's dripping with self confidence and enthusiasm, performing in hideously bold outfits full of shock value, and she owns every second of it. And while she might be totally over the top, I confess I am morbidly fascinated and cannot get enough of her.
Are you a Lady Gaga? I know some of you are, because I've taken your orders. There are those of you that go for the big kill when it comes to designing horse tack, and I think you are fantastic! You aren't afraid to be reckless in what you design, thinking outside the box of what others have done and creating items that are uniquely yours.
But here's the catch. If your one-of-a-kind "meat dress" for your horse doesn't turn out exactly like you had envisioned, it's still your one-of-a-kind "meat dress" so I hope you can own it. Because you will. As in... it can't be returned.
Don't worry though, we will always notify you during the design process if your creation is crossing over into eccentric diva territory. We don't want you to be designing the next Ford Pinto anymore than you do. And while the vast majority of your creations are out of this world amazing, there are those that will go down in the history books as epic failures, but we salute you for your efforts. I mean, you can't win them all, but at least you were brave enough to try which is more than most people can say.
And now for the big announcement....the two lucky recipients of $100 in Heritage Cash are: Heather Thompson and Michelle Begnaud!! Congratulations ladies and happy shopping!!
Until next time ~ Jess
]]>We finally got the good sense to get a mileage credit card a few months back, and now I'm taking a 4 day vacation for 3 on their dime. I'm pretty sure we are their worst possible scenario customer too. We use the card for business expenses and literally pay it off every day. I'm not really sure how they are making any money on this deal, but as long as they keep paying for my vacations I'm not going to bring it to their attention.
I'm all over this kind of thing. Whether it's my Dutch Bros stamp card, $10 punch card at the Buckle, or that fuel rebate you get at Safeway, it's a good thing. Because if there's one thing I am good at, it's spending money. I'm generally pretty lazy when it comes to this sort of thing. I'm not into "clipping coupons" or doing any of those real money saving things, but I will take a "bonus" for buying the things I already do.
Which brings me to my next point. Did you know that Heritage Brand has a rewards program called Heritage Cash? You receive $5 in "Heritage Cash" for every $100 you spend. How much was your last tack purchase? It's a free program, and you can sign up at anytime. And while we won't be sending you on a killer vacation to San Fran with this rewards program, you can use this "Cash" towards anything we sell, which is a pretty good deal. You also automatically get $5 in Heritage Cash just for signing up, so it really is worth the trouble. I wouldn't waste your time.
And as a special bonus, we will be awarding $100 in Heritage Cash to two Heritage Cash account holders next Thursday (5/31). So get signed up for an account to be eligible, and I will announce the winners in next week's blog post.
Now I'm off to explain to my husband why I need 6 pairs of shoes for a 4 day vacation... Wish me luck!
Until next time ~ Jess
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