Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 12-30-16 Online Edition

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Descendant Of Black Cowboys: Anissa Platt, 18, Is On Track To Become A Pro Barrel Racer
Anissa Platt barrel racing on her horse, Rambo. Anissa and her horse.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
If you attended the Gus Trent Rodeo Fest this summer at the Florida State Fairgrounds, you may remember a petite, curly-haired young woman guiding horses around a set of barrels.
That woman is Anissa Platt, 18, a skilled horse- woman who’s on track to becoming a professional barrel racer.
In fact, she’s so good, Trent’s added her to his
act that will perform next April at the Bill Pickett In- vitational Rodeo in Mem- phis.
Platt’s dedication to the sport of barrel racing is remarkable, said Trent, who owns a horse ranch in Plant City.
“It’s one thing to look the part, but she has a good horse and she knows how to ride,” he said. “Her heart and passion are all over it.”
Platt said a love of horses runs through her blood; she’s the descen- dant of Black cowboys who settled in Florida
three generations ago. Platt said she first rec- ognized her affection for horses at age 5. At 11, she told her mother she wanted to work with the
animals.
But her mother didn’t
think she was serious – until that summer, when Platt answered a ranch owner’s ad on Cragislist. Platt wanted the job, so she applied – and got it.
It was then that Platt’s family realized that she had more than a passing fancy for horses, she said.
“Isetitupallbymy- self,” she said. “I worked there all summer, six days a week.”
Platt said her devotion to horses left little time for socializing with friends. While other teens were
hanging out at the mall or going to the movies, Platt was cleaning out stalls and grooming horses.
“Growing up, I wanted friends, but they were never interested in what I did,” she said.
One day, Platt was hurt when a few horses “got crazy.” But not even a head injury or a broken ankle and three cracked ribs could keep her away from the horses, she said.
Platt said her connec- tion to the animal defies explanation.
“It’s an understand- ing,” she said. “My horse – I don’t have to say any- thing. He knows my next move.”
Platt said horses have helped her get through some tough times, includ-
ing the deaths of an uncle and her best friend within a short period of time.
She began missing school and her grades slipped.
“It was too much at one time,” she said. “I was more angry than anything. I knew what was going on, but I didn’t know why.”
Platt said she leaned on her beloved horses for healing.
“I would get on the horses and think about other things,” she said. “It helped.”
Platt said she pulled herself out of a funk by training and caring for other’s horses and talking out her problems with people she could trust, like her school administrators.
After graduating high school in May, Platt ob- tained her CNA license and began devoting more time to riding.
Now, she balances working full-time and practicing with her horse, Champion on Deck, also known as Rambo.
Platt said she eventu- ally plans to attend college and become a social worker so she can counsel teens who need help over- coming traumatic events.
For now, Platt said her focus is on making an im- pact in the sport of barrel racing.
That means putting her all into it and pushing through obstacles, she said.
“I’ve put so much time and effort into it,” she said. “I’ve been trying to set myself up to grow and achieve goals and get to where I want to be.”
Anissa with Gus Trent.
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016