The start

I wasn't born into rodeo. I didn't grow up on a big ranch. I didn't come from a rodeo family. I didn't have generations of knowledge behind me, and I certainly didn't have a bank account ready to support the lifestyle. My kids brought me into this world. When my oldest son discovered rodeo, it was obvious almost immediately that this wasn't just a hobby. It was his passion. It was the thing that lit a fire inside him. And I've always believed that when our kids find something they truly love, something that pushes them to work hard and become better versions of themselves, we should do everything we can to help them chase it. So that's what I did. I learned as I went. I figured things out one step at a time. I worked harder than I ever thought I would have to. I stretched budgets, sacrificed wants, and found ways to make things work. Not just for one child, but for all four of my boys. There were times it was hard. Really hard. Rodeo is expensive....

People often talk about how hard co-parenting is. What they don't talk about is how hard it is to co-parent with someone who isn't actually parenting at all. There is a unique exhaustion that comes from being the parent who carries everything while the other parent simply exists on the sidelines. Not because they can't help. Because they choose not to. It's not even about the money anymore. Sure, the sports fees add up. The equipment. The travel. The fuel. The hotel rooms. The registration fees. The team fundraising. The endless expenses that come with raising kids who are involved, active, and chasing their dreams. But money isn't what hurts the most. What hurts is watching your child sit by the window waiting for a parent who doesn't show up. What hurts is hearing the disappointment in their voice when plans get cancelled at the last minute. What hurts is watching them check their phone, hoping for a text, hoping for a call, hoping for some sign that ...