Meet Hailey Prest | Barrel Racer/ Horse Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hailey Prest and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hailey, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
This question is as unique as the answer would be depending on the circumstances. It’s a very complex question that could go either way. Kind of a 50/50 question; you could be right if you give up or wrong if you give up. I am going to answer it with one of my past experiences that has taught me a huge life lesson. And that life lesson is that sometimes it is ok to quit.
Now, if you know me at all,“quit” has not been in my vocabulary; nor was it typically accepted growing up. Growing up I was taught that it didn’t matter what I wanted to do – just do it to the best of my ability. Anything worth doing is worth doing right, which meant I had to give it everything I had. But in this situation, I learned that sometimes it’s not only OK to “quit” but is the right thing to do for everyone involved. Just like setting goals for yourself, setting boundaries or limits are just as important.
Let me explain by painting the scene; I am 16 years old and have competed for years on very tough, strong horses. I’m a strong, confident, and fearless. On March 1, 2011, I got diagnosed with a very rare case of Type 1 Diabetes. I lost all my muscle, and my body was attacking itself. I looked like a walking skeleton. Right around the time I got diagnosed my mom and I were looking for a new barrel horse for me. Something I could finish my high school rodeos on and then take to college rodeos. I wanted to go to school in Texas, so I knew I had to find a really strong competitive horse and we did just that. RTR Go Perks was his name; he was 16hh by 16hh it felt like. Every step he made I could feel the power of him. He had an amazing track record and was trained by a well know Futurity trainer, Lacy Donegan. To say I was excited was an understatement! We get him home and we go barrel bowling- literally! I couldn’t seem to keep the barrels up on him. I tried and tried and then cried because my legs would be bleeding. I talked to the trainers and other barrel racers I looked up to, trying all their tricks and nothing was working. I would be so mad and frustrated because before this disease I was strong; I could handle a horse of his calibre, that’s why we bought him.
It took me a year of hard work and countless hours, but I finally put aside my pride and asked myself, “what’s best for this horse?” The best thing for him was to sell him. It broke my heart. I felt like such a failure and thought that if I could just get back to how I was before I could go win on him. But in the end, I listened to my gut, and we sold him. He went on to be a winning champion again.
Now, what was the point of me sharing this story with you? The point was, it’s ok to try really hard at something and have it be a complete bust. Looking back, was it a complete failure? Heck no! I learned that my health needs to be number one. I didn’t throw my sucker in the dirt and quit barrel racing all together. I sold an incredible athlete that just wasn’t my match to get another horse that worked out better for me. So, like I mentioned earlier with this being a possible 50/50 question I kind of did 50% throw in the towel and I 50% kept after it. When you have exhausted every avenue and reached out to the right people (right people meaning ones that have more knowledge in the area you’re having a hard time in and that want to see you succeed) then maybe it’s time to remove yourself from the situation and think “is this worth it anymore” or do you pivot and try a new avenue?

Personally, when I’m looking so closely at the problem, I can’t see a solution. So mentally removing myself from my problem with this horse I was able to see that it wasn’t me being a bad rider, I just physically couldn’t ride him at that time in my life. He wasn’t a bad horse; he was doing everything he was trained to do. We just weren’t the right fit at that time. The accomplishment isn’t always succeeding at something, but the fact that you gave it your all and tried your best.

Life is short so try to make the absolute best of it! Work hard, play hard and NEVER stop learning! If you have to close one door, there will always be another one you can open.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a professional Clinton Anderson Method Ambassador. I teach public and private clinics, lessons both virtually and in person as well as train a line of signature horses. As the owner of Diamond H Performance Horses, I am extremely proud of the quality of signature horses I have produced. I get so much joy and fulfillment out of teaching people how to gain respect and be safe around their horse at my clinics and lessons. How I got to be where I am today took a lot of determination. My father a few years ago talked to me about going to Clinton’s Accademy. I decided that I didn’t want to take horses that would secure me a passing grade; I wanted to take ones that would challenge me and see if I was really cut out to be a horse trainer. I took just those type of horses. I worked many hours and immersed myself in training these horses to the best of my ability. I learned that I am a lot tougher than I thought but also don’t get cocky cause Karma is real- that’s a story for another time!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As I am a new resident to the Kamloops, BC area I don’t honestly know a lot to do around here. That being said however, I would take my friend to the local winery that is just down the road- they have the most amazing atmosphere overlooking the river and surrounding fields. It is so relaxing tasting all the wines sitting back taking in the beautiful clean air.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost I want to give credit to the Lord for blessing me with the drive and determination I have. My family of course needs a lot of recognition because they have been there through it all. My mom, Sherri-Lynn, especially needs a shoutout as she has always been my biggest cheerleader and taught me to find the positive in every situation. As well as my dad, Don, for always pushing me to be better.

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Image Credits
High call media