By: Sharon Austin

I am a barrel racing quarter horse that understands the meaning of love.  My best friend is a 5-year-old boy that lives to go as fast as I can carry him around a barrel pattern or pole bending event.  His name is BJ Austin.  We live in a country, Southern Illinois town along the Ohio River where life is easy(Elizabethtown, Illinois).  BJ is the youngest racing member of the National Barrel Horse Association in our state, and one of the youngest in the nation.

BJ has love in his eyes, desire in his heart, and speed in his blood. He is somewhat of a thrill seeker and loves to run fast and turn sharp.  When I see him running to the pasture where I stay, I know it is time to practice and practice hard on a daily basis when possible.  We practice to continue to become better and better.

I can’t tell you the feeling I get when the announcer especially Don Hutchcraft, calls our names.  I begin to pound my feet on the ground, rear up a little to get the blood flowing, and then the excitement builds. As I move closer to the gate, I feel the anxiety build, as the gate comes into view.  Once inside the arena,I see three barrels standing alone in the distance, hear the silence of the crowd, and feel the pull of the reins that signals me to run with all my heart. 

For that little 40 pound boy on my back, I will run with every ounce of strength flowing through my veins.  My first thought is to care for BJ and my second thought is to run hard.  Once the last barrel is behind me and we’ve crossed the timing line, I feel the love from BJ as he leans over hugs my neck, and says, “good job,
Creek! I love you.”  The greatest thrill for a horse is to be loved and loved I am by one of the best 40 pound 5 year olds in the nation. 

BJ has many wins to brag about, but we have worked really hard together along with our trainer and coach, Joe Mosby and Kass Downen, whom we both love very much.  With all the bad in the world, this is a story of love as seen through the eyes of a horse and the smiles and laughs of a little boy.  BJ and I love doing what we do best. Being a team.