What a year 2013 has been for Dreaming of Three! It was only our second year in existence (Really, April, 2013 was our official year in existence). So many roads that personally I ventured down, that I would have never even imagined!
During 2013 we managed to solidified exactly what Dreaming of Three is all about as a
Team, instead of just myself personally. As when I started this all, the "Three", was about: 1: Raising money through my competing in barrels for the charities. 2: Taking children with life threatening diseases to Rodeos along with their family for a fun filled, worry free night out. 3: Allowing others to place their own loved ones initials on my saddle crosses so that they could ride with me as I honored them and tried to raise as much as possible for the charities.
As we grew, and we realized how much we could make a difference together as Team, we started to do bigger and better things. Of course Dreaming of Three/Team DO3 is still about: 1: a Team of riders, of all disciplines, riding, competing and donating to charities throughout the year. But now, also helping animals/animal rescues during natural disasters in the U.S. through Tshirt sales, which we work together to come up with a heart felt design, share the sale, and try our best to get as many sold as possible.
2: Taking children with life threatening diseases to rodeos through our Rodeo Kids Program, which has grown due to having State Captains allowing the program to go further than just my own personal reach. This part really thrills me! I was so nervous about opening things up to State Captains this year, as to hand over the reins so to speak to somebody else, letting them run things, was a tad nervous for me. Once I did, and saw the passion that those that stepped up to the plate had, and how much they too, wanted to create a magical evening for these children and their families, I knew for sure I made the right decision. My hope is that we can find enough State Captains in every State, that we can take families across the U.S. all through the year! This would mean more families getting a night out without worry, more families getting to enjoy a night at the rodeo and to see how big the hearts are of every cowboy and cowgirl out there!
However, 3: Number 3, because the saddle cross program was more of a personal thing for me, which I still do, (At the moment I have four saddle crosses filled and staring on my fifth) something new developed! As I mentioned, as a Team, we realized we could do bigger and better things! In the beginning of 2013, the idea of having a barrel race to help horses have a second chance was put out to Team DO3. Together with other Team members we discussed some ideas, and developed the "Extreme Retired Racehorse Makeover Barrel Race"(Now the
Ultimate X Showdown, due to Disney wanting us to change the name because it was too similar they say to the Extreme Home Makeover), a 100 day trainer challenge for off the track Thoroughbreds to give them a second career, but in a western discipline, specifically, barrel racing! No doubt it was an undertaking, as it wasn't something that was totally in the comfort zone of most OTTB enthusiasts. We received some heat over the mere mention of an OTTB barrel racing. However, I felt it was worth the risk after discussing the idea with several professionals in the industry, as if it succeeded, it certainly would give these wonderful horses another outlet after their careers on the track were over. If it failed, it would be myself and DO3 that would take the fall. I felt it was worth the risk, because for all that DO3 does good, if we had a fail, we could at least said we tried, and we could just go on doing what we did before with riding throughout the year and also the Rodeo Kids Program.
Now, I admit, I am NOT a "Producer" of equine events, or rather, I was not before this undertaking. I have handled large functions and parties with my job, but nothing really in the horse industry. So this was all totally new to me. I did have the confidence of all those that supported this effort, and I was not shy about asking questions along the way. There were many stresses, many times I was in tears for just not knowing what in the world I was doing or how to do things, or people not being so kind, but in the end, it all turned out amazing. I credit that all to TEAM DO3, to all those that supported this effort through our sponsors, through helping just by advice, and everything that it took to put it all together. I believe that 2014 Ultimate X Showdown will be bigger and better than our first! It is a fun Event not doubt! I met so many new friends, and certainly my views on Thoroughbreds have changed. If you would have asked me a year ago, "would you own a Thoroughbred?", most likely I would say "no", as I am a barrel racer, and mostly a Quarter Horse owning horse person. Through our own event, my opinion has changed, I have become a believer in the breed, as they can truly do anything. I will always own my Quarter Horses I'm sure, but no doubt, I will probably have an OTTB in my barn as well!
Which of course brings me to Pookie! Again, if you would have asked me a year ago, "Are you getting another horse?", I would have said, "NO!". I certainly did not need another horse. I did not need another barrel horse either. But, with the Ultimate X Showdown, me being the Producer of the Event through Dreaming of Three, I felt I needed more of a personal approach and understanding than just watching from afar. I discussed it with my husband, Sean, and although we didn't have the room for another horse in our barn, we both knew this was the next step in making the Event successful. So adding onto our barn it shall be! To practice what you preach so to speak. I couldn't continue to go to OTTB Events, being asked "Where is your OTTB?" and having the answer, "I don't own an OTTB".
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| Pookie's Princess |
Discussing my concerns of not actually owning an OTTB myself with one of the judges from the Ultimate X Showdown, Patrick King, that I needed to get my own OTTB, and that I wanted to bring my chosen horse to him for a month to get the foundation work done, Pat volunteered his time to the
X Project! What is this you ask? This is yet another project to help promote the Ultimate X Showdown and to help OTTB's even more and to help all those out there just like myself! Every day horse owners, who perhaps before all of this had concerns about selecting an off the track Thoroughbreds because of all the stereotypes. Pat wanted to show every step that was taken with my horse and film the training, so that others could follow along and to eliminate that stereotype of "crazy Thoroughbred".
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| Patrick King, Pookie, Jackie Harris (me) |
The first episode of the X Project will be releasing in January! We of course need sponsors and supporters to help us cover the associated costs with filming, etc., so we will be setting up a Kickstart program as soon as we get the first episode released. Family and friends and followers will be able to support this project and online tv show from anywhere from $1 donation all the way up to being a larger sponsor of the Project! The sponsorship form for the X Project can be found at the
www.ultimatexshowdown.com website. We truly hope that showing every step from Pookie coming directly off the track in November to her training through several months will help everybody become a believer and perhaps have them scanning those trainer listings, rescues sites and taking a closer look at the horses in our Event on September 5, 2014, as most likely some of these wonderful horses will be for sale as well.
We had many other fund raisers throughout the year in 2013 too! From disaster relief efforts like the Colorado Floods, Oklahoma Tornado, and South Dakota Blizzard. All Team DO3 members always stay alert for larger disasters where horses or other livestock is affected that DO3 can step in and raise some funds to help the local rescues or relief efforts.
During the Oklahoma Tornado, our Texas State Captain, Carlie Hayes, also stepped up and held a benefit barrel race that was also supported by Cowgirl Tuff Co to help raise even more funds to donate to one of the farms largely damaged, Orr Family Farm and also Horse Feathers Rescue who helped a lot of the horse owners in the area. So, we went from having some online tshirt sales to help raise funds, to holding a benefit barrel race as well! I never would have thought in a million years back in the beginning that Dreaming of Three would be holding a barrel race in TEXAS to help those affected by a tornado in Oklahoma!
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Oklahoma Tshirt artwork done by Team DO3 member Sandra Whitcomb
Sandra is an artist who does a lot of our disaster relief effort artwork when needed. You can truly see the talent and heartfelt sketch, as the horses expressions running in fear from the tornado and then with peace into heaven's gates. Sandra and I always work together with each other's ideas, and the result is always amazing! |
Not only did Carlie hold a barrel race to help those in Oklahoma, she also put together a series, See No Evil Barrel Race series, to help our Rodeo Kid #5, Dominique McAllister. As after I had noticed on Facebook his family struggling a bit from all the trips to get Dominique treatments with car issues, and bills,etc, I asked Carlie if we could come up with something to help them in some way. My simple thought was perhaps a raffle or online auction, to raise a few hundred dollars to give to the family to ease their pain with bills. Carlie took it to the next step, and held a series!! It turned into a huge success and certainly eased the bills that come along with driving back and forth for treatment with a child that is sick.
In Michigan, our State Captain, Andrea Cherwinski, decided to hold a "Clinic for a Cause", which was a barrel racing clinic to donate proceeds to our local animal rescue in Michigan, Horse North!
In North Carolina, our State Captain, Heather Jarman wanted to do a barrel race as well, having proceeds to go St. Judes Children's Hospital!
We also had a bull ride in Missouri held by our State Captain Felisha Whitman and a Team penning in Idaho held by our State Captain Christina Rasmussen, we had a Team member hold a fund raiser by selling some Scentsy items for one of our charities, another bunch of Team members did a fund drive for St. Judes through another clinic, so many good things that happened in our second year, it's amazing! We are just gaining momentum!
So, we went from just riding and donating to charities, Rodeo Kids Program, to disaster relief, to a large Event like the Ultimate X Showdown, to benefit barrel races slowly across the United States! I have a new horse, Pookie, and even a new barrel racing organization has been born from everything we have started through the Ultimate X Showdown, the
Thoroughbred Barrel Racing Organization! I will actually be able to be a competing part of too!
I am truly excited to see what new things come our way for 2014! I can't wait to see how we grow, to see if we can once again double what we raised from 2013, as we did from 2012. I hope we acquire some new members. I hope that equestrians will see that joining Team DO3 (for a minimum $25 to one of our charities, which our discount sponsors cover that quickly PLUS the Team tshirt certainly makes the $25 minimum affordable) and adding a little more meaning behind every ride, can give them that extra push, that extra incentive to ride longer, to ride harder, to improve and do their best, as they can ride for others as well as themselves.
2013 was a good year for Dreaming of Three no doubt. There were a lot of happy moments and some sad moments. A lot of new friends made and some friends lost. Some folks have disagreed with the direction in which DO3 has gone or felt we lost our initial intent by growing too large or wanting to be noticed in order to grow, but, in reality, we have only built upon what I had started two years ago. Alone, I could have never raised as much money as we did as a Team. Alone, I could have never handled helping as many disaster relief efforts as we did, as I am only one person and that is just too many shirts to fold, pack and ship! Alone, I could have never had an Event to help horses have a second chance. Alone, I could have never taken children out of state to rodeos that were fighting life threatening diseases.
Our mission is the same as always: helping to raise money for American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, St. Judes, Animal Rescues, whether that is through our riding daily or through events or through fund raisers or disaster relief efforts. To take children fighting life threatening diseases to rodeos for a worry free night of rodeo excitement with their family they'll never forget.
