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MEANT TO BE
by Gina Rollins
Meant to be is how I feel about Salmon Magnolia coming
to me. A shorter version to a long story: I am a
barrel horse broker by trade and rarely do trades unless
a client wants me to find them one. I needed a "trade"
horse for a client and placed a "want ad" on Barrel
Horse World (where many of my consignments are
advertised for sale). After viewing many videos and
hearing their story I narrowed it down to "Salmon
Magnolia" BUT ONLY if he was at least 15.2 or better.
Several times I reiterated that he must be at
least 15.2 or my client would reject him. Anyway, she
said she measured him and, alas, 15.2 hands! We planned
to meet on the road in TN, me with the "true" 15.3 hand
stout rodeo horse and she with Sammy. I unloaded mine
first and when she unloaded "Sammy" he looked like he
could be the baby of the horse I was trading.
"Sammy" was poor in weight and probably had never saw 15
hands, let alone 15.2 and stout as he was suppose to be.
14.3 and skinny was more like it. OK - after I took a
deep breath and looked over at my husband who had a dumb
founded look on his face about equal to mine I guess, I
don't know why I did it, but I completed the trade,
loaded up Sammy and thought, I'll just trade him for a
bigger one for my client.
Well, I found a bigger one I felt would be ideal for my
client, but they did not want Sammy. (The hocks and the
back ankle are not real good selling points, plus being
underweight didn't help) Anyway, the woman wanted one of
my other horses, so I traded her, thus leaving me with
Sammy.
Right before I obtained Sammy I had broke my arm and was
still rehabbing from that. There was complications
with my wrist and I couldn't go back to riding my #1
because I could not pull myself up enough to ride up
over him which is what you had to do to ride thru the
turns clean.
Getting frustrated, I climbed aboard Sammy at the house
and liked his feel. He seemed to be the only one at the
place I felt comfortable on. My mission was to get
him up to weight, looking and feeling good. I had his
hocks done and my vet said WOW did he need it. Found
out as Sammy got to feeling real good and looking great
and I couldn't believe how stout he actually was, out
came a gate issue. Anyway, nothing that we couldn't
work through.
I took him to the World in place of my #1 and we did
quite well, making it back to the short go in the SR
Finals and clocking a 2D time in the Finals Run. I was
far from 100 percent though and would still lose the
horn driving out of the third, but Sammy and I had
formed a bond together.
Finally, in April almost a year after my accident, Sammy
and I started putting together a bunch of jam up runs.
I have since won the Open on him at a District Barrel
Race, won the 1D IBRA Masters several times (he is
currently sitting #4 in the 1D IBRA Masters for 2010 in
NC) am currently #2 in the NBHA NC02 1D Seniors
Standings and plan to compete at the NBHA World, as well
as, the IBRA World in October. I got a really great
offer on my former #1 and since I felt so connected with
Sammy, I sold my Dashin Thru Shawne. There was a lot of
factors as to how and why I ended up with Sammy, but I
am sure glad I did. We respect and connect with each
other and both believe when we come down the alleyway
that we can win it!
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2010 NBHA World Show
by Gina Rollina
Just wanted to let you know that Sammy and I are the
2010 NBHA SENIOR 3D WORLD CHAMPIONS! Started out
with 419 entered in the Seniors. Sammy
qualified us back to the Finals in the 1st
go in the 3D he won 4th and a Buckle.
In the 2nd Go we ran up into the 2D.
They took back 9 in each division from both goes.
Scary thing is that I came real close to not even
going to the NBHA World because of finances and had
to sell Sammy’s Saddle before I left to help pay
expenses. Sammy had to share my 4 year olds
saddle with him all week. Guess Sammy didn’t like
that much and decided the only way to get his own
again, was to win one.
Now he has an absolutely gorgeous Cactus Saddle that
says WORLD CHAMPION on it that he will never have to
worry about getting sold.
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