Laura Dubois – Courtesy of the family
Laura Dubois
story by Lindsay Whelchel
Laura Dubois is relishing her new life as a barrel racer. The Tri State Rodeo Association cowgirl from Laurel, Miss. grew up showing horses in Western Pleasure, but life and an active athletic schedule in high school put Laura’s horse dreams on hold. She realized other dreams; like becoming a successful hairstylist seven years ago and a wife to her husband Michael six years ago, but always, horses lingered in her heart.
Laura explains she didn’t run barrels at all until around four years ago. That’s when she made some special friends in the sport, and her new dream really took flight.
Laura credits horseman Ronnie Craig with taking her under his wing, giving her access to good horses he trained and helping her with her riding skills.
“He has been super patient and taught me so much more than I could ever thank him for,” Laura says and adds of Ronnie, “if it weren’t for him I would never have had he opportunity to have my once in a lifetime horse.”
Ronnie’s daughter Morgan is now Laura’s traveling partner and helps encourage Laura to believe in herself.
“Morgan always tells me I believe in everybody else more than I believe in myself, so it’s been a struggle. I’m always rooting everybody on more than I do for myself, but she’s really pushed me to have more confidence and believe in myself more,” Laura says.
Another factor in boosting her confidence is Laura’s horse Taco. “He loves it. He loves his job. I was extremely blessed to have gotten him from Ronnie,” she says as she tells the story of Taco’s injuries last year.
In 2012 she and Taco had been in the top 15 of the Tri State standings, but by the end of 2013 they were slipping. Taco, who is usually only one or two tenths a second off the top times, was running four and five off. Lauran knew something was wrong.
Taco had bone spurs among other issues. The vet was amazed he’d been able to run at all.
“He [the vet] said, ‘Laura I don’t know how he’s been just five tenths off. He’s so sore he can hardly stand himself. The only thing I can tell you is he’s got a huge heart,’ so that broke my heart,” Laura says.
She gave Taco plenty of time off and credits a good supplement and lots of prayer with helping the horse bounce back.
The pair is again competing this year, and it’s an excitement Laura says she can’t get enough of, but it’s her fellow contestants she loves most about rodeo.
“The adrenaline of going to a rodeo and the people. All the girls in Tri State, they’re just really awesome. Everybody yells for everybody, so we have a huge support team. Everybody is wonderful. We’ve all become really close, it’s the same group of girls that have been doing it for awhile, and that’s my favorite part.”
When she’s not rodeoing, Laura spends time with her huge family. She enjoys being an aunt and says she is close to everyone on both her and her husband’s side. The couple now lives near Jackson, Mississippi. “My husband does not ride, so he helps me feed them, and that’s about the extent of it. He doesn’t know how much money is spent or anything like that, he has no clue.” Laura says laughing. Her work as a stylist is fulfilling as well, but there is also a lot of freedom to it, which is perfect for a cowgirl’s rodeo dreams.
“I absolutely love it, because I make my own schedule and can leave early on Fridays to go to rodeos,” she says. That’s a good thing because the rodeo road is calling and Laura is ready.
