Imanonstop Princess AKA “ Princess”
1997 Palomino Mare

Chapter One: The Beginning

Meet the Princess of our show!!! She is the star and she wears her tiara proudly. Princess was bred and raised by Terri George. Terri owned Imanonstop Jet, Princess’ mother. She was started on the barrels by Terri, but said she was so quick footed and catty that she turned so hard that no one could stay with her in the turn. Terri loved her bloodlines and thought she would be the perfect cross to the stud she owned at the time, Letta Hank Do It. The product being a palomino mare, Imanonstop Princess, one of six foals from this cross. Terri said that her head was so masculine looking that she thought she better name her Princess to remind her she was a girl! Terri started Princess and trained her. She took her time and trained her very fundamentally correct. Terri tried to have her ready to futurity as a 4 year old, but she just was a little slower maturing. So, she made the great decision to hold her over and enter her in the futurities as a 5 year old.

Terri then sent her to her sister, Dena Kirkpatrick, to compete on at the futurities. Terri’s son, Will, was very involved in baseball so Terri had not competed since 1998. That was the program, Terri trained her own, but sent them to Dena to doing the hauling and running. Dena did very well on Princess her futurity and derby years winning over $15,000. Dena says Princess was a challenge for her. Princess never did much of anything wrong and was always a pleaser, but she just didn’t turn as ‘round’ as she wanted her to. I just talked to Dena and she says now that is one of the reasons she thinks I get along so good with Princess. I let Princess be stiffer and do it ‘her’ way and I don’t constantly try to make her a certain way, I just let her be.

At the very beginning of 2004, when Princess turned 7, she was cut on her back right leg very badly. She cut her leg on a piece of angle iron and it was cut is so deeply that it cut the tendon sheath. The vets said that she needed surgery to carefully put layers of stitches in her leg to try to repair her badly cut leg. Scar tissue was a huge concern because the tendon must be able to move within the tendon sheath for her to be able to walk, much less run, in the future. For 18 months she was confined to stall rest. Slowly they started to leg her up and her leg seemed to be holding up. Terri legged her up and sent her to Dena to get ready to run. Once they started running her Terri was going to put her up for sale if she came back strong. I made arrangements in the fall of 2005 to fly to Dena’s to try Princess. But, a few days before I was suppose to go they called and said that her leg had some swelling in it and they were going to take her to the vet. So, I postponed by trip to wait to hear what the vet report was. It was not in the cards for Princess and I to be together just yet. When they ultrasounded her leg they found a spot that had healed on outside but not all the way threw on the inside. Dr. Tommy Hays did surgery on her leg and inserted “A cells” (grounded pig bladder, that is similar to stem cells) into the area that was not healed properly. Princess went back up in a stall to give the tendon sheath time to heal properly. They slowly legged her up, but this time Terri kept her. She ran her at 3 jackpots before putting her up for sale again.

My sister, Tammy, called to tell me she was back on the market. I told her that Blue (the mare I bought in the fall of ‘05 when Princess had surgery) was doing really good and I wasn’t interested in buying another horse. Tammy said ok and that Terri just wanted me to have first shot at her. About 5 days later Blue broke her leg during a run in Oakdale, CA. I immediately made arrangements to fly home to find a horse. Terri brought Princess to Giddings to the indoor arena. I warmed her up, trotted her once threw the barrels, loped her once and made a practice run on her and bought her. I never ran her in competition or against the clock. I knew she felt awesome, that our styles were compatible and that she was a winner before her injury. My vet is also Dr. Hays, so Dr. Lewis did the vet check. They both gave the thumbs up and that sealed the deal. The next day she was on a trailer headed to California, because I was entered up and she was now my mount!

Two days after Princess arrived in California we were up at Red Bluff. I was scared to death! Princess had only been run 3 times since the derby in Oklahoma City in December of 2003 and this was April of 2006 and had only been to the futurities and 4D jackpots on manicured ground. Now we were on rodeo ground where they drag after 12 instead of 5, and were in a huge out door pen where the barrels are way off the fences. Nothing at all like what Princess had been exposed to. So, the 1st go I just cruised threw. Not worrying about speed at all, just letting Princess find the barrel, feel the ground and make a nice smooth run. We ended up around 15th in the go and ran a 17.9 on a standard pattern. Princess worked like a charm, handled the ground great and I was very pleased with my new purchase. In the 2nd go around we were in the performance, Princess’ 1st ever. I was confident and had decided to pick up the speed this time. I came back and ran a 17.5, placed 4th in the round and made the short go. Not only was it our 1st rodeo it was also a Tour Rodeo with the toughest rodeo girl’s in the world! It rained the day before the short go, so now we would get our 1st experience in the mud. I drew number 2 in the short go. The 1st girl fell all the way down at the 1st barrel and fell off. They were waving me on and into the arena I went. I was very nervous because I knew Princess lacked experience on bad ground, but they were calling our name there was no backing out now. We slipped a little at the 1st so I eased to the 2nd. We turned it good with no slipping so I pushed her on to the 3rd. At the 3rd she slipped right on top of the barrel, on the backside. I was thrown off right into the 55 gallon metal barrel. When I did my off-foot got wedged in the stirrup so I was dragging when Princess recovered and took off again. I drug about 200 feet before my foot came out of the stirrup. My head was inches from Princess’ back feet when I was hung up. When the dust settled and I calmed down, all I could do was hug Princess and tell her how thankful I was for her and that we both came out of the incident unscathed. I knew right then and there that we were going to make a great team. She could have done so many things that day to get me hurt like kicking at the object that was dangling on the side of her (ME…YICKS!). She didn’t run full speed or freak out. She just was loping home, looking for someone to help her (and me!). Every time we run into the arena we put our life into the hands of our equine partner. I am honored to put my life in Princess’ hands each time, I have the utmost confidence in her and have from day one.

That is how we began our journey. It was bitter sweet for sure. But, we were both fine and would live to fight another day. I had found my new partner in crime and man was I ever excited.

This is only the beginning of our story… Check back soon for the next chapter!

Princess at the WBR - Race for the Cash IV in Conroe in Feb. 2009. 1st Place - $8,000.

Jackie and Princess at the Pendlton Roundup in 2007 running across the grass - Let 'Er Buck!!

Jackie and Princess at the Calgary Stampede in 2008.

Jackie and Princess at the 2006 Reno Rodeo.

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