Daily Archives: February 3, 2010

Amber Mostoller

Well its been another long while since I updated.  A lot has happened in the last few months that has affected my life in soo many different ways.  Where do I even start?!?  Since I had last updated I had got Mighty Mouse back to run and it is always a blessing when I have her with me.  I have her back to sell for the Leavitt Family and she has been working like a million dollars. Mighty Mouse has really helped me get through the last few months. I have relocated to Louisville, KY and have went back to work for my mom and the IBRA (International Barrel Racing Association) as well. 

I lost my grandfather right before Thanksgiving to cancer.  We have always been close and I have many happy memories traveling with him and my grandma during the summer months when I was little and then later just going to stay with them in Florida.  He was always a very happy person to be around, had a smile on his face, and encouraged me in anything that I did. 

Christmas came and went and I enjoyed getting to see my little brother along with most of my dad’s side of the family.  I went to a large show over New Years and did very well on Mighty Mouse drawing a check on 4 out of 4 runs.  New Years really got me pumped up for the IFR. 

I went out to the IFR with a friend of mine and on the way out there I received a phone call that one of my very good friends, Cody Stephens, was not doing well and was not expected to make it through the weekend.  (I am sure many of you have read his story in recent weeks between facebook, prorodeo.com, wpra.com, or here on OTRR, etc) Cody had been diagnosed with Leukemia in April of 2009, went through chemo and beat it.  The cancer came back a few months later and his last resort was a bone marrow transplant which he had right before Thanksgiving.  The transplant worked and he was cancer free, but his body was rejecting the anti rejection medication he was on and his body was failing.  We broke down in Effingham, IL when the fuel pump went out in the truck.  It was 5:00pm and I feared that there was little hope that we would get it fixed that night.  Luckily there are angels that walk among us every day and two diesel mechanics stayed and worked on the truck to get us back on the road so that we would not be stranded with Mighty Mouse with nowhere to go.  Two hours later we were back on the road.  We arrived at the Kansas City hospital at midnight and his sister and friend met me at the door.  I broke down a few times on the way to his room, and when I got to his room tried to prepare myself knowing that his appearance would be different.  It broke my heart seeing him the way he was, but he was still my same old Cody giving me crap about stuff.  Lindsey Sears was there when I got there and had been there for a few hours (Cody had always had a crush on Lindsay and my first question to him after she walked out of the room was if he had proposed to her yet   He just smiled and told me to shut up.  I am very thankful that I got to spend those couple hours with him and feel very blessed to have been a part of his life.  I left the hospital at 2:00am and headed to Oklahoma City.

 I arrived in OKC at 7:00am Thursday morning, got Mighty Mouse settled and headed to the hotel to get checked in and showered before the mandatory contestant meeting at 9:00am.  We had the Gold Buckle Gala that night and autograph sessions at Grahams who was one of the sponsors for the IFR.  I went out to feed Friday morning and Mighty Mouse’s back leg was HUGE.  I do not know what happened, but she was sore to touch it so Richard (Mesa Leavitts dad) offered me Mesa’s new horse, Going In The Red, to run and give Mighty Mouse the night off.  I had never been on Red before but had seen him run many times before Mesa got him and then a few times with Mesa on him.  They told me to just let him coast to the first and then let him roll.  He worked really well and we ended up one hole out with a 15.2.  The second round I was back on Mighty Mouse.  She was not off at all, and seemed to be feeling good so I decided to run her and see how she did and how she felt afterwards.  She worked well, didn’t fire very hard but still turned in a respectable 15.4.  I knew she was going to get better if I ran her again, but wanted to make sure she was still sound.  Everyone was telling me I needed to run Red again and that I could win the round on him, but Mighty Mouse has been there with me through thick and thin and if she was up for it, she was going to be my mount. 

About an hour before the rodeo started Saturday night I got the news that Cody had passed away.  It hit me very hard and I broke down right there in the stands.  I went back to the stalls to get ready and knew I needed to be on Mighty Mouse.  I wore an arm band that night in memory of Cody.  Mighty Mouse felt like she had wings in the 3rd round and we took a 3rd place check.  That was my 11th run in the last 3 years at the IFR and although I have placed in the average before, that was the 1st time I had ever drawn a check in the round.  I knew Cody was with me.  Mighty Mouse ran another great time in the 4th round and we ended up 4th in the average by .001 of a second! 

It was a very long drive home from the IFR and the last couple weeks have been a whirl wind.  Mighty Mouse has had the last couple weeks off and we are getting geared up for the winter rodeos.  Every run I get with her is a blessing, although I know our time is limited until she is sold. 

Good luck to everyone in the 2010 season, and remember to cherish every moment you have with those you love.  RIP Grandpa and Cody…I miss you both everyday.

Happy Trails

Amber

Video from Round 3 of the IFR