FEBRUARY 2013 THE RIDER /13 The Road to World Champion By Dan Fletcher
The journey to become an NHRA World Champion is something that does not happen by accident. It involves care- ful planning, setting goals, the help of multitudes of people and the best horses in the world.
January 2012 started with team Fletcher trying to put a plan in place as to who would ride which horse and what the goals were going to be. Heather Vaughn came to work for us in 2011 and her goals were to win the Congress and be Top 10 in the NRHA world standings; check mark on both goals!
My brother, John, then suggested that I should ride Wimp (“Wimpys Tinseltown”) and take a shot at a world title. Wow, that would be a lofty goal, but we decided to go for it! Getting a chance to ride an amazing horse like Wimp, who is now the centre of our train- ing and breeding program, was all anyone could ask for. With over $70,000 in NRHA earnings, a two time Congress Champion, NRBC and Derby Finalist, he is the type of horse that just seems to get better each and every year.
The planning as to which shows to attend and how we would get to them were put in place. John,
sister-in-law Sharon, my wife Berenice, and Heather were always doing some- thing to make the plan work. Doing paperwork, entries, getting trailers and tack ready to go, cooking meals on the road, horse maintenance and lots and lots of travel became a weekly occurrence!
The season started in May at our own facility, with wins on both Saturday and Sunday. We competed
in all of the ORHA shows and were given amazing support from the members. Tim and Lisa Stanton and Darby Mailhot were also on the road, running for a title or to at least make the NRHA Top Ten. So we all became cheering squads for each other on the road, with a bit of encourage- ment when things were not perfect.
We also attended every show with the AQR
in Quebec and were made very welcome by Gaetan Laroche, Andre de Belle- fueille and all competitors. Our last show of the year was in Syracuse NY, and it had become critical to our title run. As it turned out, the year-end banquet for the ORHA was the same weekend. And as the Banquet Committee Chairman, I was undecided as to how I could do it all. I was so close to the Cham- pionship and knew I had to be in Syracuse, yet I felt obligated to be at the Ban- quet. Well that is where support was amazing. My wife enlisted Michelle Mahabir, a fellow reiner, to MC with her, Carol Ivey our President helped out, my daughter Jenifer stepped up and assisted, and of course every reiner who attended the banquet all understood and wished me luck, which left me an opportunity to leave for Syracuse with John and Heather and have 100% focus on the goal.
We had an amazing weekend of showing, fin- ishing second on Friday and winning the class on Sunday, which clinched the title Prime Time Non Pro World Champion.
We would like to thank each and every person who helped us get there. I am looking forward to 2013,
with John and Sharon, my wife Berenice, Loris and his wife, Amy, with goals yet to be determined.
“Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” - John Wooden
For riders who don’t have a regular coach... Video lessons:
If you need some feedback as you’re working toward your riding goals, I’m pleased to help!
Farm calls:
Join in at a farm near you: Grand Bend, Walkerton, Clin- ton, Orangeville, Uxbridge or your farm.
Fresh perspective and easy to arrange when time, distance is a challenge.
Clinics: Book a clinic at your farm.
It has truly been an incredible journey, one that makes me realize how many great friends we have in the sport of reining and how important family is.
Orangeville, Ontario (519) 938-8815 •
www.lgrice.com
OPTIMUM HEALTH SUPERIOR NUTRITION
ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE
www.theedgeup.ca • 1.877.433.3412 •
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