A teenager teams up with a one-eyed, barrel-racing horse
by Savanna Kaiser | info@ruralmissouri.coop
The first time Libbey Colvin sat in a saddle, she was 3 years old. She learned to ride on a miniature pony named Tucker her parents gave her for Christmas. He was the first horse to steal her heart, and he wouldn’t be the last.
Libbey, now 13, grew up around the rodeo, watching her older brothers compete in team roping events. She participated in several events close to her home in Stockton, and even shows at the Missouri State Fair, but she longed to go faster. “Then I attended the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, which covers everything in rodeo,” Libbey says. “After watching other girls barrel race and hearing their stories, I knew I had to try it.”
Her unlikely partner in the ring is Hollywood, a 20-year-old mare with only one eye. “Hollywood has one good eye and she’s beating a lot of horses with two,” Libbey says. “She’s an amazing horse and she’s taught me so much.”
In a typical local race, 30 to 50 riders compete. Over the last year, Libbey has won a saddle, multiple buckles and money along the way, but it’s the thrill of the race that’s hard to beat. She and Hollywood will compete at the National Barrel Horse Association’s Youth & Teen World Championships in Georgia this July, after her recent final landed her in the top 10 in her division. This event will bring thousands of competitors together from across the country.
Liz, Libbey’s mom, isn’t surprised Hollywood and Libbey are a winning pair. “We have a lot of older horses, but I believe that’s the best for youth to learn on,” she says. “There’s a lot of technique and fundamentals required, and I wanted to give Libbey a horse that had that foundation she could build her confidence with.”
They don’t know what happened to Hollywood’s eye, but otherwise, she is sound. “A big part of the reason we bought her was because she had really good feet and didn’t have to wear shoes,” says Liz, a member of Sac Osage Electric Cooperative. “Some horses are tender-footed and more apt to slip than others or be lame, but she is not.”
The quarter horse had been previously trained to barrel race and Libbey was eager to improve her skills. Creating a bond between horse and rider was the first goal. “I couldn’t expect her to do her job if she didn’t know me, so I started out by brushing her a lot and spending time with her,” Libbey says. “Establishing that trust between us was the first important step.”
Getting around that first barrel was the next challenge they had to overcome. Since Hollywood is missing her left eye and the first barrel requires a left turn, the mare must pay close attention to Libbey’s signals from the saddle. “If I didn’t put my hands forward or sit down in the saddle just right, Hollywood wouldn’t know when to bend around the barrel,” she says.
Many horses start with a right turn, but Hollywood’s pattern allows her to go left first and only face one blind barrel. The next two are right turns and she knows what she’s doing. “Her motto is go!” Liz says. “Working with Hollywood has really taught Libbey about body language. It took them several difficult races to figure each other out and learn how to work together and trust each other. It has really strengthened them as a team.”
Neither the horse nor its rider lets that one handicap hold them back. At race time, Hollywood is as spry and sassy as any other competitor in the arena. “A red-headed mare with a teenager is a real interesting combo,” Liz says with a laugh.
Libbey started racing in local events and shows across the state. They kept working, getting better and more consistent. “Hollywood has a really big heart,” Libbey says. “She’s very smart and she’s definitely trained for speed.”
When they’re not competing, Libbey does a lot of round pen work with Hollywood. “I take her on frequent trail rides too. It’s important to get her mind off the barrel racing,” Libbey says. “If all she does is train and do drills, it’s not good for her brain. She needs rest just like people do.”
Libbey hopes to compete at the National Finals Rodeo and get a pro card when she turns 18. She also wants to join the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. For now, she’s enjoying her horses while also juggling school, sports and, in the summer, showing sheep and pigs at her local county fair.
Animals have always been a huge part of Libbey’s life. “It’s been an adventure from the start,” Liz says. “It’s really helped Libbey learn the value of hard work, responsibility, managing money and respect. Caring for something other than yourself by owning animals is so important while growing up.”
This one-of-a-kind horse has made Libbey the rider she is today. “Hollywood has really helped prepare me for a younger horse. When that day comes, I’ll be switching places and training them like she trained me,” Libbey says. “That younger horse will have big shoes to fill someday.”
You can reach Libbey about her rodeo career at
Lizcolvin4@hotmail.com.
Kaiser is a freelance writer from Hartville.