10/23/2026
🐎 Nemo and I went to a show!
This was only the second time Nemo had been away from home for a show, and he was struggling a little; missing his friends and dealing with a lot of new sights and sounds.
💪Our first class went well, and I felt like our performance was strong.
Then came our second class.
It was late in the afternoon, Nemo and I were both starting to feel tired, and he was annoyed at being asked to go back into the arena to work after having worked earlier that day.
About a third of the way through our performance, Nemo saw a tractor in a nearby field. He spooked, bucked, and went off course entirely. I assumed that we'd blown our chance to place.
But I kept riding; trying my best to finish strong. Afterwards I told him he was a good boy and got him settled down to rest. I figured we'd place in the middle of the field at best.
🥇Later that evening I got a text from our trainer "1st place on the rodeo ride!!!" I was so surprised I actually laughed out loud.
When you're in it, you don't know what the ending will be. I had no expectations of placing, much less placing first. And we wouldn't have if I'd given up and stopped trying.
There will be times when your life, your plan, or your investments go of course. Just because you got off course doesn't mean you aren't still in the game.
🏆Keep going. You might still end up in first place.
