Day 31 - March 3. We got up early (7 am) - Chad winterized the trailer and the girls and I finished packing. Our goal was to roll out of Buckey by 9:00 am and we were heading out by 8:40 am. We started the long pull up to Flagstaff and we burned through a tank of diesel and a half tank of DEF. The truck and trailer did well and we only had to slow down when we got stuck behind a few semis. We fueled up three times (Flagstaff, Arizona and Gallop and Stanley, New Mexico) for a total of $201 in diesel (significantly more costly than our drive down). We arrived at Rockin Horse Ranch around 4:30 pm and got the mares settled in. Gin and Breeze ate and drank on the road, but Pippa will only drink when we stop for the night. All of the mares looked great getting out of the trailer.

We visited with a couple from Illinois who had been in Wickenburg, unhooked, and went to town for pizza. We tried to sleep, but along with Chad gifting us with his presence, signing, ability to fix anything, and driving ability, he has also shared his cold with us - especially me and Matalyn. None of us slept well and our colds are making the drive fairly miserable. At least we got sick on the way home, and not on our way to Buckey.      

Day 32 - March 4. Our goal was to leave by 7 am. However, we noticed the stud gate somehow came off and it took us an extra 30 minutes to get everything put back together. We only had to fuel up twice (Tucumcari, New Mexico and Meade, Kansas) for a total of $144.  We had a wind pushing us and the tumbleweeds provided lots of entertainment (for me!) as we drove through Oklahoma and Texas. After the wind in Oklahoma and Texas, the light rain we had in Kansas meant we have a very dirty truck and trailer! We pulled into our overnight at E Bar Z in Salina, KS at about 7:00 pm. We opted to keep the mares inside the barn in boxstalls since they were predicting rain. We also let them run and roll in the indoor arena. Three of us took showers (in the barn), we prepped for an early morning, and then we went to bed. Our colds were not getting worse, but we were not feeling much better either.

Funny story - we stayed at E Bar Z on the way down and I forgot my winter jacket there. I did not even realize it was missing until they texted me. I certainly did not need it in Arizona - LOL!   

Day 33 - March 5. We left Salina at 6:07 am as we wanted to get home with plenty of daylight. We had to fuel up four times (twice in Kansas, once in Iowa, and once in Minnesota) for a total of $305. It was a nice and uneventful drive with just a little traffic in Des Moines and the Twin Cities. We arrived home just after 4:00 pm. We moved Sharpie out of the mare's pen, fed round-bales, scrapped pens, and then got the mares situated. We also started to unload the trailer and I started to tackle the mountain of laundry - so much laundry! Matalyn was ecstatic to see her cows and Montana grabbed the first cat she saw. 

Funny story - As much as we spent on fuel, I think the "snack" bill was almost equivalent! The amount of snacks consumed was off the charts - LOL! 

Final Thoughts: If you want to spend time with amazing, knowledgeable, and super fun people from Minnesota (and Montana) while barrel racing, Buckeye, AZ is the place to be! There is a barrel race every day (yes, every single day) within 1 hour of Buckeye. And, I should know, as we went to 12 of them, which is 8 more than I have ever been to in Minnesota! A few highlights from our time in Arizona:

I can happily and very comfortably live out of my horse trailer (new retirement plan?). Now, I did have full hookup (water, sewer, and electric), high-speed internet, and Shipt deliver my groceries. Even the little things were not really a bother and became humorous (e.g. the never-ending dust, shavings and hay in the bed, constantly hooking and unhooking).  

We put on 5,600 miles in 33 days - most of the time towing the trailer - and only once did I need assistance getting out of a tight spot. I might have to extend my "1-hour from home" rule when it comes to horse shows and might have to add some local barrel races.

The growth in the girl's horsemanship and willingness to try new techniques was notable, plus, they have a few found love of roping! Having positive, encouraging, and knowledgeable adults (and kids) around is often overlooked, but so important! They never wanted to miss a "happy hour(s)", warm-fire, or a day at the yard! 

The mares did so well! Gin has become a "road warrior" and now eats and drinks on the road and happily goes where asked (and man, can this horse eat!). Breezy no longer "paws" in the trailer and eats and drinks on the road. Pippa tolerated the travel but is just not that comfortable on the road. I have a new appreciation for the terms "travels well" and "seasoned horse".  

Finally, it's truly the people that make the experience. We were so fortunate to spend time at the yard, with the Minnesota crew that became our second family, with actual family, with saddle club friends, and high-school and college friends. 

While it might be a stretch, we are certainly going to try and go back in 2022, but only if I have my own horse to ride! Speaking of that, anyone have a cow/running bred QH mare (3-6 years old) for sale within 26 hours of Minnesota? Willing to travel for the perfect mare!