Page 91 - 2018 Barrel Stallion Register

T hat same determination that . . . brought her success in the rodeo arena . . . has factored into her success in life outside the pen as well.
“I can’t change some of the situations I have to deal with, soI just have to figure out what I’m going to do with it from there.”
GRIT & DETERMINATION
Born in Laguna Hills, California, while
her father played for the Los Angeles Dodg-
ers, Amberley discovered her passion for horses when she began taking riding lessons at age 3. In 1998, her dad retired from baseball and the fam- ily prepared to move to Utah. Amberley stood firm: She’d only move if she could have a palo- mino barrel racing horse when she got there.
She got her wish: a mare named Lacey. “Just like Legacy [her present horse] does, Lacey had that little bit of spunk in her,” says Amberley. “She also loved her job. She loved doing it so much that it made me love doing rodeo even more.”
At the time of her accident, Amberley was com- peting on her 2003 gelding ATP Power (Mr Special Charge – BF Margo, Dash Ta Fame), whom she calls Power. Right now he’s on break while Amber- ley’s 16-year-old sister, Autumn, works with her own up-and-coming high school rodeo mounts.
Amberley got Legacy (9-year-old French Open, by Frenchmans Guy and out of Mr Eye Opener daughter Miss Eye Paint) three years ago and trained him on the barrels herself. She also still competes in breakaway roping.
How does she do it? A natural problem solv- er, Amberley simply straps herself to the saddle and off she goes. Well, not quite “simply.” “I’ve done the barrel racing completely by myself — unloading, saddling, getting on, getting off, the whole thing,” she says. “But after a couple weeks of doing everything for myself, it started making my shoulders sore, and I realized that I only had one set of shoulders. So now, I go out and catch
Amberley and Legacy with their first buckle win, 1-D Champion of the 2016 Legacy Barrel Race, since her accident.
Amberley incorporated a saddle into her therapy sessions, as shown here in 2010.
SPEEDHORSE 89
Amberley competing in pole bending with Jazzy at the 2003 Junior High Nationals in New Mexico.
Amberley and Power compete in Spanish Amberley roping aboard Wrangler at Fork during Fiesta Days in 2011.
the 2009 Utah High School Rodeo.