DECEMBER IS FINALLY HERE! This is a much anticipated month for ALL Futurity Trainers! They can now enter their 3 year olds! I am ready to go to thye B.F.A. My favorite riders will be there! Latricia Duke, Jackie Dube, Kyle McCormick, Add Waddel, April Hickey, and Stef / Cody Bauserman! It makes for a GREAT TIME. Good Shopping, Great Riders, Amazing Horses, and a lot of CHEERING! I love it!

Well, the end of the year is approaching and I swear the older I get the faster the year goes by. My 2 year olds are fixing to turn 3, and we are that much closer to being ready to exhibtion!!!

Well, Sunday I rode to Rangeline with April, and we got there early or so we thought! Nope, in Oklahoma this close to the B.F.A. you need to get there an hour early to get exhibitions! Luckily we were able to get one a peice at the very end. SweetTe worked really good in her exhibition. This mare has a little alley issues, and we wanted to make everything easy and calm. I have her on a good ulcer medication, and she is really responding to it. Horses can develope Ulcers in as little as 5 days, so with the trip from Arizona to Oklahoma I am sure she had one! Anyway, she was really doing good and when I went into make our run we fell. Yes, fell. Another horse in the first drag fell, but they went over the ground they ran 10 more horses before my run. I didn’t sail in there really hard, I was cruising, and when she went to set the ground just didn’t hold her. I was worried, because this mare already had that little alley issues and I didn’t want to make her worry about going in anymore. She wants to “vaper” lock going into the gate. She just stands there. But, I was really good with her. I gave her treats when I got off to tighten my saddle, I petted her, I talked to her, and I talked to her, and kept her breathing and relaxed. I was really proud because after everything she went in the alley good. I made sure after our fall during our run I went back down the alley before we went home just to reasure her everything is okay. I am got her home and wrapped her up in magnets and today she was fine. I think I am way more body sore than she is.

On a positive note, I have been riding Odis and the more I ride him the better I feel about him. He is so smart and he picks everything up so quickly. I have ponied on him and worked him slow threw the barrels, I am really impressed with him. I hope I can take him somewhere this week and cruise him threw

My 2 year olds are doing great! Butters is loping the barrels at home and now turned out for a little time off, Smoke on the other hand is just now getting started! He is riding great and trots the pattern wonderfully! I am hoping that the weather stays decent so I can get a few more good rides in on him before the weather gets bad and I turn him out also. This week and I am starting to ride a new 2 year old I own him, and I hda him turned out. I rode him twice a month ago, but I haven’t offically started him yet, his name is Flashen Oakie. He was put up in the barn 2 weeks ago and he is looking GREAT, so now we are ready to start!!!

Megan Oglesby called me this weekend, and she gave me a JET update! She cruised him last week at a local Jackpot with about 20+ entries and ran a 17.9 and a 17.8 won it. She took him to Dunns this weekend to an IBRA Barrel race and won just over $100 in the 3-D on him! I am really excited and proud for her! She deserves a good one!

I am off to bed and I hope you are all doing great! Please feel free to e-mail me! I hope you had a GREAT Thanksgiving and maybe I will see you at the BFA!
Tara Michelle

As most of you already know I have a new mare, Cream N Sugar Te! She is a 7 year old palomino daughter of Blazin Te Bar out of a exceptional PA Jones mare, named Fancy Nancy Jones. I picked her up Tuesday night at the Harrah Oklahoma jackpot. After I picked her, I decided to saddle her and exhibition her. I was dying to try her! My first exhibitions were easy, just building confidence in each other. The last exhibition I loped her to the first, and WOW! She turned the first barrel so fast I was shocked, I about fell off! We loped a 16.5 in our exhibition without any effort, and NO helo from me. I’ve never run in that pen before, and I did not stay for the jackpot but a friend of mine told me a 15.8 won the jackpot, and they do exhibition on the stakes. So, she did GREAT! I felt like we were slow loping and she still clocked. I can tell this mare has a big motor and a lot of try to her. God has truly blessed me with an amazing athlete! And I think Sweetie is what I need to build my confidence again, and convert from TRAINING Mode to JOCKEY!!!!

Tara Sanders

I found this quote and it really fits my life right now.

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

As some of you may know I have a new barrel horse. Her name is Cream N Sugar Te. She was owned and trained by Jackie Dube and Tammy Key. Her nickname is “Sweetie”. She is a palomino own daughter of Blazin Te Bar out of an extremely nice PA Jones mare Fancy Nancy Jones. I am actually planning to breed Sweetie in the spring to Letta Hank Do It. But, until then I may haul her to a few local jackpots. I am also excited to tell you guys that Kara (whom I am sure will be on here later) won the barrel race and set the arena record at Texarkana tonight Nov 3rd.

The two year olds are coming along nicely. I’ve had a few calls, right now everyone is waiting until the B.F.A. to come look at them. I have some people coming out during the WPRA Finals. I have decided that what doesn’t sell by January 1st I am going to keep and pattern. I am starting to miss barrel racing. It’s been a year since I have hauled down the road. I think this break was good for me, and it really made me focus on what’s good, for me. I am excited and nervous about next year. Dad will be gone to Ruidoso and I will be here in Oklahoma running horses for him. I am hoping I can take a few young horses to the local jackpots.

Well, I am off to bed and I will post back in a week or so and update you on the young horses.

Tara Sanders

Tara here.

My good friend Megan Oglesby is here from Arizona, she flew into ride with me and just hang out. I smet Megan in 2006 when I sold her BackBoneNRice. She flew in yesterday and we’ve been busy busy. We went to Add Waddells (www.addwaddell.com) today with Jet Flasher, “JET”. Add is just awesome. Add and Megan both rode Jet while I was the on looker.
While we were at Adds, Red Wooten was there. Ironicly Mr.Wooten trained BackBone N Rice, “Charger”. I bought Charger in 2005 from Lacy Cochart, and I ran her for a year. I sold Charger to Megan in 2006 and she was Megans first 1-D horse. Charger now belongs to another great friend of mine from Oregan, Alishea Jones. It was really neat for Megan and I to be able to met Mr.Wooten and to see RISKY CHRIS. Chris is just amazing. It was awesome that Megan just so happen to be at Adds today, here from Arizona, and Red just so happen to be there today also.
Tonight Megan and I took Jet Flasher to the jackpot in Wetumpka at Bray Farm. Megan ran him to the left without a tie down. We ran him in a Loomis Gag and a Bonnet. Megan lost her sturriup after the first barrel, and he is so snappy in his turns she just cruised to the 2nd and 3rd. She held him back coming out and ran a 15.3… That is GREAT!!!!! Her and I were super excited because he could have been a lot faster. She was loping when she crossed the timers. He also worked amazing yesterday night at home, we took him threw the barrel at home in a halter and he really worked awesome! He did great today at Adds, and even better tonight at the jackpot. Add really helped up on his 1st barrel. We all agree the horse does go better to the left, but he desperately needed the tie down taken off. The tie down was causing him to become very stiff and he was stalling out the back side of his barrels. We worked a lot on building a pocket, keeping his shoulder up, and keeping him shaped in his turns and that sucker worked like a MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!! He was so easy to deal with and he wants to work. I love a horse that loves their job!!! I am so proud for Megan, she is a great horsemanm, she has a tonof talent, and I appriciate her coming up here and riding my horse
Well, we’re headed to bed… Megan and I have a busy day ahead of tomorrow. We’re going to ride a few colts in morning, and then I have to have her back to the air port tomorrow afternoon… I may just keep her……. Muwahhahhahhh

Tara

Race Colts… Race Colts… Race Colts… That seems to be the one thing my life revolves around lately. As most of you know I enrolled in college, and in the last few months I’ve sold all of my barrel horses. I went strictly to Race Horses, or so I thought. It didn’t take me long to aquire a new barrel horse. Actually, I pony race horses on him; so he is a vital part of our racing team. But, he is a finished barrel and pole horse. I’ve only taken him one place, I slipped in made a few exhibitions and slipped out. He worked about 6 tenths off of what a really really nice horse would work.

Dad has 27 stalls in our race barn, and they are ALL full. We also have 6 horses turned out. Things around here are going great. I think we have the nicest set of babies we’ve ever had. I bought a Streakin La Jolla filly out of a Strawflyin Buds mare, her DAM is a sister to Jess Destined and Phemomenal Fantasy. Her 3rd dam is the amazing mare Dela Creme Smash! I am so excited about her! My Mother and I own a Brimmerton together, he is out of a really nice Invisible Injun mare that ran out over $114,000 her self. This was her first foal. His 3rd dam is Ima Ten Also! I also have a yearling filly out of Hope It Happens that is possibley one of the nicest paints to ever breath air. Her dam is a Treasured Too mare. (Mordis is a Treasured Too) I think this filly will be an APHA Champion!

I am going to keep my nose to the grindstone, focusing on helping my Dad in the race barn and finishing school. But, I will probabley be at a few of the bigger winter barrel races (if nothing else, just to watch Ms Kara!). I will say I have two, 2 year olds that are turned out that I will riding. I am going to put a handle on them and then sell them both hopefully to someone that will Futurity them. Kyle McCormick has done wonderful on Feet For The Dash this year, and I look forward to watching Craig Brooks on India Waters. I really take pride in seeing horses we’ve trained on the track excel in the barrel pen. I know some of our older trainees did wonderful in the barrel pen Leslie Willis rides Time To Coup, Mike Green had Packin Moonshine, and of course Jackie Dube and I both did wonderful on Mordis. So, I really hope that some of our future trainees will head to the barrel pen instead of to mexico.

Tara Sanders

There is no I in team… I know this is a very OLD quote but it is very true, Anytime you have a lot going on it takes a TEAM of people to keep it going right. I am so thankful My Father and I both have great help. I have Kara who is not only an amazing horseman, but she is also a GREAT friend. We also have two boys who help in the race barn that pull more than their weight around here. God has blessed us with Good, HONEST help and for that I couldn’t be more thankful!!!!!!!!!!!

Today I took Mordis, Tiny, CoCo, and my little sister Kaylee to the Beggs Indoor pen to practice. I swicthed Tiny to the left barrel first. It has made all of the difference in the world! Now we are working on him getting that 1st barrel [the left barrel] down. He has soooo much trouble finishing it when it was his 2nd barrel. I have had him to the VET and the Chiro and that helped a TON also. I think the left barrel being his 1st will be easier for him. To turn the left barrel first he only has to C turn it, instead of O turn it. His 2nd and 3rd barrel [to the right] are TO DIE FOR! I have not rode any horse who turns faster than he does. He can turn back so fast on the 2nd and 3rd barrel he whip lashs me. I am going to have to step up and ride him like a pro or he will leave me behind. I trained Tiny, and now Tiny is training me!!! LOL.

Mordis got injured today, he stuck a screw threw his eye socket. It missed his eye thanks to God watching over him. God really was with us today and I feel very blessed that The screw did not puncture any part of his eye it’s self. We had to give him a Tetnus-Shot, and he will be on antibiotics. But, I am so sooo thankful it is not worse. God is SOOO amazing!

My sister rode CoCo she took him threw the barrels four or five times slow, and then she loped him. WOW I was shocked how well they did. CoCo left the alley going A LOT faster than Kaylee or I was ready for. I couldn’t breath he rolled back and left the 2nd barrel and I about fell off my horse. Kaylee just hung in there and rode him great…. WOW is all I can say WOW.

Today had it HIGHS and LOWS. But, at the end of the day as the sun goes down — I am just Thankful. Thankful Mordis is OKAY, Thankful for Tiny, and Thankful my little sister has an AMAZING horse she can ride and soon go WIN ON! God is amazing and I trust him with me whole life. I live my life to the fullest and I go after what I want. But, at the end of the day I know no matter what I do or how hard I try GOD is where it’s all at… I am just Thankful he is such a BIG part of my life.

Tara, Mordis, and TINY TOO!

Well, this weekend looks to be another busy one. I am going to try and head down to Ardmore with Mordis Friday night and just make a nice clean practice run, we are entered at Okemahs Rodeos Saturday nightin the Perf and The J Bar rodeo in the Slack. I am really getting motivated to haul again. It’s taken me this long since breaking my leg to get back into the going mood again.
Mordis and I have made some really great runs at home lately, I need him to put those runs together away from home.. Well, really he needs to me to relax and ride like I do at home. Yesterday I made a run on him here at the house that nearly brought tears to my eyes. FINALLY… FINALLY we are back in sync and we smoked a run here. The ground here at home is a little trashy. But, Mordis is starting to handle himself better, and he is really working in all ground good.
Back to our run here at home… I was super agressive, I whipped him to the first barrel, he was rolling. I don’t know that he has ever been shipped to the first that hard, I did check him when he for there and he inhaled it. I totally pumped me up, after he smoked that barrel I got super agressive and rode him like I wanted it… I even pumped my arms across the pen, and smooched to him, whipped him to the third and whipped him out. My Dad was even impressed which is a feat in its own.
The big thing right now is my whipping… I am working on my whipping, I can WHIP like a JOCKEY really well, right handed… I have a hard time whipping left handed. And going to the 2nd and 3rd barrel I need to whip Mordis but when I whip him right handed he lugs in away from the whip a little… I basicly need to either over and under him or learn to whip left handed better, so we are sorting this out now. Jackie and I talked about it today, she is a great great great tool to have in the tool box. Jackie Dube is a great barrel racer, a great coach, and an AMAZING FRIEND… People can say whatever they want about her, the TRUTH of it all is in the end it’s her dust they are eating. I can only hope I end up having the desire to win, and the understanding of my horse that she has.
Training colts was a great thing to have in my tool box, now stepping up and being a Jockey is a whole new ball game, and a new set of tools hahaha… I am just really blessed to have the great people behind me helping me and pushing me… But, mostly Jackie threw highs and lows she is a TRUE winner and I am so glad I have her. She is a great pep talker, and she can really line you out and get you in the right mind set to GO WIN… Talent, Skill, and a good horse are only HALF of what makes a winner, I would say at least half of winning is the mind set you are in when you head down the ally. You have to want it, crave it, you have to live it… Jackie has helped me a ton to get mentally prepared… SO now Mordis and I need to get out there and put the runs together away from home we make at home. But, he is still young so I also have to be more forgiving and way less hard on myself when things aren’t pefect!

Tara

Well, I am just 2 weeks from being 21. I thought I would be more excited than I am… I am I guess, I can now go to more concerts, and get into bars… Haha…

I ran Mordis today at Checotah. And I told my self after the run at Graysons Rodeo. I was going to just school him in the ally, and really let him relax and take it easy. He never got bad or anything, he was really on the bit during my run and I had no control. I got on Mordis around #35 today… I was 141. I poured down rain on us and I saddled him in the trailer (I have photos on My Space of us soaked). Anyway, I schooled him in the ally and really got him to relax. During the BIG drags I took him into the arena and made him STOP, back up, and roll back. Over and Over… Until he relaxed and got off the bit, then I patted him on the neck and walked him out. We made a GREAT RUN today! Mordis worked better than he has in a really long time. I had 5 or 6 people tell me he did great. I was excited Diane Guinn even told me he looked really smooth… That meant a lot to me. But, I felt like Mordis did exceptional, most horses got past their 1st barrel at least 1 full stride, but Mordis nailed it. I was very proud, I did not push him to the first, and I was glad I didn’t. When I got there I could tell he was like, woah this ground is shifty… But, he just came right back around and had a great 2nd and 3rd also. I didn’t push him very hard out. I was a 16.0 =) He was a little sore tonight when I got him home, it’s in his right front foot. (He had lost that shoe a week ago, and maybe that is what did it. I packed his front feet and put the magnetic bell boots on him… So, we’ll see how he is tomorrow… )

Okay, so now time to rant rave and vet… HAHAHAHA ~ Okay Well, I cleaned house. Ha… I woke up about 3 months ago and realized I had surrounded my self with people who weren’t really my friends. I am pretty hard on my self, I’ve always tried to be a people pleaser. So, in some way I guess I attrack negative people, because the more you put me down, the more I try to make you like me. And I finally realized HEY – I can’t allow someone to define who I am… I mean no matter what you do in life SOMEONE isn’t going to like it. From the way I talk to the way I train… Someone thinks I should do it different. And finally I just had enough. I had spent so much time trying to please people who didn’t matter I had forgot about the people who truly matter. I did some culling, and just now can I breath again. I realized that all this time, I had friends and family who love me and have always supported me… And those are the only people I need to worry about… What is most important to me is the way someone makes you feel when you are around them… And I say I am sooo postive, well I had friends in my life who weren’tpositive people, and when I was around them I wasn’t positive. Then I would walk away feeling bad I said things I had said… I DONT NEED THAT, and I shouldn’t be around people who are like that. And now I just have NO room in my life for someone who makes me feel like I am not good enough, like I have something to prove, or people who want to judge me or other people in general. I am human, and I make mistakes. So do all people. I am not in there situation, and it is not for me to judge. And I think the best way is to live and let live… So now the people in my life are the ones who will help me up, dust me off, and laugh with me when I hit rock bottom… Then sit on the porch and help me make a game plan to get back to the TOP and push me the WHOLE WAY!!!! Those are the people I have in my life. Those people make me a better person, and I love them for that… And from this point on, I am not going out of my way to please people… Take me for who I am… Because I won’t change. =)

Also, there is a new beau in my life… I am still a bit jaded from the last relationship… But, I am getting better. And the new beau is someone who stand beside me no matter what, he believes in me, and he stands up for me. I found this quote and he it really reminds me of him – The only guy you need in your life is the one who proves to you he needs you in his. I love that quote, and it’s very true.

Tara

Somewhere behind the barrel racer you’ve become, the hours of riding, the horses [[you]] pushed, the horses that pushed you,and your parents and fans who cheer for you, it’s the little girl who fell in love with the sport, and never looked back… ride for [[her]]

Hey everyone. Wow it’s been a while… I haven’t had a whole lot to write about lately we’ve been getting yearlings upfor next season and Dad was in Ruidoso for the MBNA Challenge finals (we ran 2nd and 5th)… This weekend is the All American Futurity… and that is sooo BITTER / SWEET. Of course I enjoy All American weekend and it’s always exciting to see someone win the All American (especially someone who hasn’t won it before)… But, since we’ev won the All American it really sucks to not have anything in it… But, all we can do is keep going. The best part of summer ending is it’s sale time… We have 6 yearlings total so far. A Hope It Happens out of a Treaured Too mare that I own, a Two Timen Fuel out of an Ichibon mare, and we have 4 yearlings we purchased at the TQHA Yearling Sale. Dad will be at the Ruidoso Yearling sale this weekend, the Eclipse Sale the following weekend, and then the Heritage sale the weekend of my Birthday. Each year we get to start over, pick new yearlings, and hope for the best… I am just excited because I own a few this year that I think are really nice…

Now, enough of the race horses… Let’s talk BARREL HORSES… Mordis and I have made some local rodeos and he is doing great. I haven’t been pushing him very hard and he is nailing his first barrel. I am going to start pushing him harder to the 1st now. – Tara

Hey Everyone! Man I have been busy since Ft. Smith! I am home again working for my Father in the race barn. Go to Dads web site www.racehorsecentral.com Dad horses have been doing GREAT! I am sooo super excited because everything is just going great! Mordis and I have been riding and playing here at home. We did go to the SpeedHorse Gold cup and the pressure really got to him, so the first day I loped him threw and the second day I loped a little faster he was a 16.5. Which wasn’t too bad. He is just getting back to being really healthy and ulcer free. He is going to make a GREAT older horse, and that is our goal. He has proven time and time again he has the speed and talent but the stress and pressure really get to him… So, we are going to go and do things slow and easy and gradually add speed and allow him to relax and be comfortable away from home!!!!!!! I could win the NFR on Mordis at home lol but when he gets away from home he really just can’t handle the pressure (and he stressed HIM SELF OUT!) I put him on Finish Lines JC X-Tie Up and it has made a huge difference in his attitude away from home! I highly recommend it!

Anyway, I have had several people e-mail me and ask me where their Futurity Horses for next year should be right now. Well, ladies this is one question I cannot answer for you. You know your horse way better than I do. This time last year Mordis was still slow loping and trotting the pattern. I am sure some people are already clocking 1-D times and some people are just getting theirs going. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT ANYONE ELSE is doing or what they think you should be doing… Listen to you horse and allow him to develop at his own pace that is very important. Mordis is turned out and relaxing and I get lots of criticism for that. But, my horse will still be running when he is 20 and that is important to me. Push them if they can handle and allow them to take a step back when they cannot… Just listen to your horse and let GOD make the big choices…. – Tara

My Dad said the coolest thing last week

Horses don’t know what they cost, they just know how we treat them. So, it’s important to treat them all like they cost $100,000…. – Gregg Sanders!