LAUREL HILL — Laynee Jo Pettis has her eyes on the prize: namely, an All-Around Cowgirl saddle.
It's hers if she has the most points in the under-6-years-old age group this year while barrel racing in Great Southern Youth Rodeo Association competitions.
Of course, each of the 10 events' outcomes relies heavily on Spirit, the Laurel Hill 4-year-old's 16-year-old quarter horse cross.
Laynee knows her companion needs motivation, and before the pair take off on a cloverleaf-shaped course, she gives the old girl a pep talk.
"She'll pet Spirit and tell her, 'OK, girl, we can do this," Bacarra, Laynee's mother, said.
And both cowgirl and her horse need help from Dad Deon, who leads Spirit into the arena and points her toward the first barrel.
But after that, it's all Laynee.
"Laynee uses her little whip, and her horse runs first to the right and then two left turns after that … she gets (Spirit) to go as fast as she can," Bacarra said.
THIRD WORD
Much of Laynee's young life has centered on horses.
In fact, the third word she ever spoke was "horse"; it sounded more like "hearse," Bacarra said, but everyone knew what she really meant.
That followed her first words, "Daddy" and "Mommy" — which sort of indicated the baby's priorities, her mother said.
"Daddy, who makes all the money; momma, 'cause I can saddle her horses up; and then horse," Bacarra said.
That's probably because Laynee has been around the animals her whole life.
Bacarra, a stay-at-home mom, once galloped young race horses in Ocala professionally; now she trains horses and gives riding lessons in her spare time. Before that, she raced horses since she was 7 years old.
The Pettises have a farm with a barn that houses a number of horses, which Laynee and her 10-year-old brother, Ryder, enjoy. Among them are Spirit and Apples, a 19-year-old Shetland pony that Laynee's grandfather gave her when she was 1.
SADDLING UP
Laynee started horseback riding when was 13 months old.
First, she had a saddle mate.
"She was just a baby, and since she could sit up, I would put her in a saddle with me and we would ride around," Bacarra said.
Now, Laynee rides solo using a saddle cover that secures the rider on the horse with Velcro straps.
It allows her to compete in the 6- and-under and 18-and-under divisions in Great Southern Youth and National Barrel Horse Association races in Mississippi and Baker, respectively.
And, more important for those rodeos, it allows her to fulfill her need for speed.
"I like to ride fast horses," Laynee says.
She placed second, with 18.6 seconds, in her age division two weeks ago in Mississippi, where she faced about 30 children, Bacarra said.
CHILD'S PLAY
So, how much does Laynee love Spirit?
"More than anybody," she'll tell you.
"Horses are her life," Bacarra said. "I don't push her, either. I'll ask her, 'You know, Laynee, do you wanna go outside and ride? Sometimes, she says no — sometimes, she beats me out there to the barn."
Laynee's love of horses extends outside the arena and her family's barn. She plays with about 100 of her mother's childhood My Little Ponys, has several Breyer model horses, and sometimes trades riding real horses for saddling up on spring-powered, bouncing horses.
And with this 4-year-old's imagination, a dog leash isn't just a dog leash.
"She'll pick up a dog leash and she'll gallop around with it like that's the rein to her horse," Bacarra said.
Laynee's still young, but the equestrian's passion for all things horses also surpasses child's play.
If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, it's a pretty easy answer.
"To help animals," Laynee said.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: This 4-year-old Laurel Hill barrel racer shares her mother's passion