Life saved

Last fall I was barrel racing bareback on my 13hh pony at about 8:30pm, I lost my balence when we were coming around the third barrel but was able to stay on because the pony was galloping in a straight line after the barrel but as i was trying to find my balence again the pony spooked and I fell off and landed on my head.

It sounded like somebody had shot a shotgun right by my ear as my head hit the ground and I blacked out. When I woke up I was seeing double off everything, I stumbled back to my pony and got back on to make sure i wasn't afraid to ride her again. I was only on her for about a minute before deciding that I should go inside the house and tell my mom what had just happened.

When I got inside the house I looked at the clock and it said 9:30pm. After about 15 minutes after I had fallen off my head was in extreme pain and I wanted to throw up so my mom called the doctor and we went in to find out what damage had been done to my head.  At the hospital the docter told my mother and I that I had a bad concussion and that if I hadn't been wearing my helmet I would not be alive today!

I still suffer from the effects of that concussion. Some days I feel like I did the day I got the concussion. I love my helmet and would love to see more people wearing them.  I hope to someday go to the WNFR and win the world championship title in barrel racing while wearing a troxel helmet!! I still have the helmet that saved my life to remind me what can happen even when you are riding a "bombproof" pony.