Competition at the first day of the National Western Stock Show drew a lot of attention. Our attention was on a barrel racer who's teaching us all what getting back in the saddle really means.
Amberley Snyder competed Saturday afternoon and placed fourth.
"I've been barrel racing since I was 7 years old," the now 26 year old told 9NEWS. "Definitely a long time, but when you love it, it doesn't seem like that long."
But it wasn't long ago that Snyder wondered if her professional career was over.
"I was in a car accident on the way to the stock show here 8 years ago," she said. "I rolled my truck and was ejected and broke my back and injured my spinal cord."
She was paralyzed from the waist down and at the time doctors told her she would likely never compete again.
"They said the chances of riding were pretty slim and to actually compete in a rodeo was just going to be impossible."
Snyder says she refused to believe those doctors and instead was determined to continue doing what she loves.
"This is what I love to do, this is a part of who I am and regardless of what the odds were it's what I wanted to be doing. One of the things I like to share with people is that we all have the ability to get back on the horse no matter what."
She says it was never easy. Her balance is different and her core isn't as strong as it was before her crash.
"To get back in the saddle was a process, you know between my seatbelt, and I have straps I put on my legs, all the mechanisms that hold me. There was definitely some pretty sad, down days where I questioned what I was going to be able to do."
On Saturday afternoon she says she had a good run and finished fourth in the first round.
My favorite part about barrel racing is the teamwork that I can have with my horse Especially now being in a chair all the time barrel racing gives me the ability to have some freedom. It gives me the ability to be who I want to be."
She was riding her horse she calls Legacy, or Legs for short.
"He's the first horse I've trained since my accident and I thought it was pretty fitting for him to become my legs."
