b"Running the RaceBy Betsy Nunnhowfastdouwannab@gmail.comM y name is Betsy Nunn. I wascussing LOL! I had been trying to born to my parents Jeff andread the Bible but was having trouble Bonnie Lemaire in 1973.understanding it. And then off I went on I come from a rodeo family. Wethe rodeo trail again. I had lots of people ate, drank and slept it. We raisedthat blessed me with rigs, horses, entry and trained horses for a living infee money and even a cell phonebig the barrel racing and calf roping realm. I wanted to tell youstuff. It was the Betsy Show once again a little bit about myself because beginning in November Istaring Betsy Lemaire!will be writing a column on barrel racing in Arizona Real County Magazine. I drove a bazillion miles and went to a bunch of rodeos and then missed the I went through Jr. Rodeo, High School Rodeo, College, andNFR again by a tiny bit as my horse had the WPRA and got to be one of the kid stars back then sincebroken her splint bone and I had kept I had gotten my card when I was 10 years old. I was prettyrunning her since I had no idea it was sure that I was as awesome as they came, shoot just ask me.broken. I finally left her off six weeks. My mom hauled me all over the country and I was makingI came back to win Brawley by a mile the National Finals Rodeo that year in 1984. I had a horseand did well up at Houston and at that step on my ankle and I could not ride the last month or sopoint, I decided to sell her as I was of the season and missed going to the National finals by achasing some calf roper and helped him hair. My whole life goal at that point was to make the finalsmake the NFR that year (1999). He then at a younger age than Ann Lewis but to no avail. broke my heart and I ended up catching a ride with my pals Dollie and Jolee Lauterett from Caldwell, I did make the College National Finals and won many stateIdaho back to the house. I was so sick I puked by the side ofEventually we moved back down to Arizona. Will set up his and national titles; so again, I was untouchable in my eyes.the road all the way home. I was a mess for sure! shoeing business and I got back to training barrel horses.I come from and extremely prideful, self-made family and was following in their footsteps. I do not mean that in aMy family had been blessed by a move to Wickenburg so IThere have truly been so many ups and downs in my life disrespectful way as they raised me as well as they couldwent home to live in the bunkhouse at my folk's new placeand marriage. We have three wonderful kids. I homeschool with the tools they were given and I had a fun childhoodand it was there I met my husband, Will Nunn, at a Biblethem and they are amazing. Wyatt, our oldest, is awesome but Jesus was nowhere in sight. study. I had been going to church but still didnt really haveat any sport he gets involved with, as well as the guy that a clue who God was at that point and Will had been toknows much trivia about many subjects and loves the Lord. At age 20 I married a fella that I had met in college, he wasChrist for the Nations Bible School in Dallas, Texas. We wereHe does his own laundry (voluntarily I might add). He is a real dandy. We had a very physically abusive marriagemarried and all I can say is we were pretty much, unequallysuch a good man with a servants heart. He helps so much springing from his drug problem. We had opened a pizzayoked at that point. We met in December, were married inaround here,rides his bike to his Nanas and feeds for her in restaurant and managed to stay married and run thatJune and had our first son Wyatt the next September. Holythe mornings. Lilly Grace is amazing in so many ways. She business for three and a half years. We then divorced andcow was that ever a rude awakening! I went into a deephas always been an artist and has been drawing people since I went head first back to what I knew, which was trainingdepression. Looking back, I was basically a recluse. Willshe was about 16 months old. She also loves to read and is a horses and rodeoing.thought I should sell all my horses and be a mom now. Ivery good writer as well. A fun aspect right now in her life thought he was absolutely certifiable. Pretty soon Lilly Graceis her playing basketball and she is really starting to take I felt like I wanted to be a good influence on kids. Imakes her way onto the scene about 20 months after Wyatt. instruction, react in the game and make some cool shots! had kids coming for lessons and I had even stoppedShe has a good mare named Maple that we enter in junior Meanwhile, I was holed up in my houserodeos. You can really see Gods hand on her. Last but on the mountain and in a lot of debt. Mycertainly not least is Ethan. This kid has always been able family was not getting along really wellto tell you how everything works and how to put it back with my husband as he had other ideas fortogether without ever seeing it taken apart. They tell me he his little crew than they did and well, withhas a real engineering mind. He has a ton of common sense me being the only child, it was a wreck! and he sits back and watches before he jumps into anything. So what do you do? You move toHe loves his family and his animals and has way moreTHESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKIN.wisdom than most 40-year-olds.Colorado and run away from everyone and everything! We made it to Florence,Life now is crazy busy and super fun but very stressfulThe Concert Series will be traveling around Wickenburg this year!Colorado on December 2, 2005, and itat times. I really have to pray for the Lord to keep me in was snowy and cold. Life seemed to bebalance as I seem to say yes to everyone that needs helpLocation information and vendor applications can be found at:getting worse as I felt isolated and trappedor a part of me. My dad had Parkinsons and passed away with my two little buddies in the housein 2015 so I try to help my mom, as she has a herd still that in the middle of winter and no arena.need to be ridden and trained. I still ride outside horses God help me! What do you mean Ias well and have a couple of my own plus the kids horses. cannot ride? What do you mean youWe try to get to as many barrel races as we can and some wont help me, Will? Then guess what,rodeos. Some days my life feels like a total blur but I am I was pregnant again and it was time tohoping that in the end when I look back, that I will be go to Wickenburg for Christmas. I wasthankful that I have tried to keep God and my family first. I at my wit's end. My husband and I werefeel like a lot of us that are involved in the rodeo world get literally having heck at this point as wellour priorities messed up.as I thought I would surely lose my mind. I remember kneeling down at the backI look forward to sharing my training tips, insights and of the barn crying out to God and notanswers to your questions.***See online for details.knowing what to do. By Christmas time we had decided to make a trip home.facebook.com/Willnunnp3youtube.com/user/howfastdouwannab52 October 2019"