By John Goralski Sports Writer The January chill was broken by thundering hooves as steered her horse TeeJay toward a barrel at the back of the Wolcott barn. The earth shook as the two raced toward the barrel, and a plume of dust filled the air as they banked into a turn. The Kennedy Middle School student wiped the dirt from her face as the horse trotted back towards two family members and a visitor at the side of the indoor arena, but Renn made no effort to hide her smile. Behind her, the barrel still seemed to teeter in the dirt. It’s easy to see why the local rider has turned heads in the rodeo sport of barrel racing. Even on a day that’s too cold for skiers, Renn was honing her craft in the chilly stable enclosure. “You don’t take too many days off when you ride at this level,” her father says to a visitor with a look of proud satisfaction. Rain or shine. Cold of winter or heat of summer. Renn is practicing break-neck turns with her 1,100 pound quarterhorse. The two spend hours each day circling poles and barrels to get ready for their next [...]
By John Goralski Sports Writer The January chill was broken by thundering hooves as steered her horse TeeJay toward a barrel at the back of the Wolcott barn. The earth shook as the two raced toward the barrel, and a plume of dust filled the air as they banked into a turn. The Kennedy Middle School student wiped the dirt from her face as the horse trotted back towards two family members and a visitor at the side of the indoor arena, but Renn made no effort to hide her smile. Behind her, the barrel still seemed to teeter in the dirt. It’s easy to see why the local rider has turned heads in the rodeo sport of barrel racing. Even on a day that’s too cold for skiers, Renn was honing her craft in the chilly stable enclosure. “You don’t take too many days off when you ride at this level,” her father says to a visitor with a look of proud satisfaction. Rain or shine. Cold of winter or heat of summer. Renn is practicing break-neck turns with her 1,100 pound quarterhorse. The two spend hours each day circling poles and barrels to get ready for their next [...]