Perry youth compete in barrel racing championship

Two Perry youth, Brayden and Deanna MacNichol, have returned from competing in the National Barrel Horse Association Youth and Teen World Championships in Perry, Georgia, in July. It was a first for both says Rosena Crossman, a horsewoman in her own right who has worked with the two since they were little. Deanna, her daughter, is now nine, and Brayden, her step son from her former marriage to Scott MacNichol and whose mother is Tara Mills, is now 14.
"They mostly went for the experience," Crossman explains, but along the way Deanna did a personal best and Brayden "did very well." Brayden raced against over 1,300 teens, and Deanna raced against over 800 youth. "They both placed in the fifth division but not quite fast enough to make it back to the finals," she notes.
Crossman has run her Princeton business, Princess D Barrel Horses, for over a decade and gained her education in equine care, training and business management in Colorado and Oklahoma. Like Brayden and Deanna, she has been riding since she could walk and competed throughout Maine and around the country. Her love of horses was picked up by Brayden early on when he was given a mini pony at about age four. "He was the cutest," she exclaims. From there he moved up to a Morgan Arabian, and she notes that his love for horses and riding continued to grow.
Deanna, from the minute she was aware, "always loved it," and tagged along with her mother to the barn and became involved as soon as she could. Among many activities, they participate in the Downeast Border Riders Saddle Club, events at the Pembroke Fairgrounds and are involved almost every weekend in a local or regional show where they hone their skills.
Barrel racing takes balance, core control and practice, practice, practice, Crossman explains. Staying upright, not leaning and keeping the horse at a pace that matches ability and control take time to learn, and of course, adjustments as children grow and horses change. The Georgia show was particularly important as it allowed Brayden to experience and navigate an indoor barrel course, a very different experience from being outside, she says. Family members from extended branches came to cheer them on and help, including their father driving the horse trailer down through heavy traffic and a flat tire. "It took all the love and support from family and friends to get these two here to youth/teen worlds."
As for the future, Crossman thinks that Brayden "wants to do something with horses -- he loves them." Whether it's as a farrier, a veterinary technician, trainer or some other equine field remains to be seen. Deanna has talked with her mother about horse show rodeo circuit and teams. "It's still a little early to tell," says Crossman.