Page 67 - Barrel Stallion Register 2024

Ryan Hamilton Photo
A Life in
Barrel horse trainer, racer and clinician Ashley Schafer nurtures harmony among her many life pursuits
by Diane Rice
Balance
When barrel horse trainer Ashley she’s out there day in and day out working at of all that, she’s a partner in the online barrel-
Schafer starts a new day, she
mentally examines her previous performance and strategizes attaining her next goal for each task she tackles.
“She has one of the best work ethics
of anyone I’ve ever been around,” says her husband, Seth. “It doesn’t matter if she’s struggling in the barrel pen or with her colts, or whether she’s having a stellar season on one;
either getting better or maintaining the horse. She’s out there sunup to sundown working at trying to make everything she does better. To her, there are no excuses.”
Maintaining those standards isn’t the proverbial “walk in the park,” though. The many (cowgirl) hats she wears include barrel racer, trainer, teacher/clinician, wife, daughter, sister, mother to 8-year-old son Payson. On top
training platform BetweenTheReins.us along with fellow barrel racers/trainers and friends Jolene Montgomery and Joy Wargo.
In juggling each—and all—of those roles and relationships, Ashley strives to minimize stress by balancing her work schedule while maintaining a healthy relationship with the Lord and her family. “I used to get stressed about having to be gone a lot,” she says.
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