By: Tammie Hiatt
Everything happens for a reason and no one believes that more than Alex Dollar. “I’d went to look at a barrel horse and came home with an entirely different horse, she wasn’t even a barrel horse, but I’m so glad I did. Stella was just a 3 year old that had a handle on her,” said Alex. “I trained her and started hauling her last year and made the IPRA’s Southeastern Region Finals.”
“It all started when my main horse lost a shoe and I decided to run Stella. She really got thrown to the wolves but she handled it better than I could have ever hoped.”
The 25 year old from Florence, AL started her riding career in the western pleasure arena and competing in local saddle club shows. “The horse shows had barrel racing and I thought it looked like fun. It wasn’t too long before I had my pleasure horse going around the barrels. From there I started going to NBHA shows and then two years ago I began going to rodeos.”
“What I like about rodeos is that you get to the rodeo, you make your run and you’re ready to leave, no waiting for hours and hours to make your run. I also love the rodeo atmosphere and the rodeo family experience. It’s a tight knit family and you always have help if you need it. One other thing I love about rodeo is the food! You can’t beat rodeo food,” laughed Alex. “I also have to confess that I am a wannabe breakaway roper, those girls are so cool!”
“Stella is a 5-year-old gray mare by Identity Theft and Flyin Chick. Her registered name is Limited Identity. I love her; she just takes to things so easily. She’s got a great work ethic and likes to do her job. For a young horse she knows what to do.”
“On the road she’s a bit of a Houdini. She’s hard to keep in pens at the rodeos, she likes to escape. I’m up about every 30 minutes checking to make sure she’s still where she’s supposed to be. She thinks the grass is greener on the other side of her pen.”
“I feel like Stella likes the bigger pens because she can really stretch out and run and then I took her to a rodeo that had a 12-second pattern and she won the rodeo. She really surprised me.”
“My parents, Garry and Bonnie Dollar, have helped me get to where I am today. They have always helped me get whatever I needed to be successful and reach my goals. They’re involved 100%. The company I work for, Freight Management Inc., is also very supportive and works with me when I need off to go to a rodeo.”
“I’m planning to travel a lot this year. I really want to make the IFR and I’ve got my mind on winning the world. If it doesn’t happen this year, it will definitely be my main focus next year.”
“I try to ride Stella every day and work on fundamentals and keep her mind freed up. I’m not really a superstitious person but if I don’t do well at a rodeo the shirt I wore will be out of rotation for about two weeks so all the bad juju is out of it.”
Alex is currently 6th in the IPRA world standings. “It’s so exciting to see my name in the world standings. There are so many good girls in the IPRA, and I can’t believe my name is among them. I’m like a little kid looking at the standings, even though I know it’s so early in the season. I hope we can stay there!”
“Right now, I’m going to eat and breathe Stella and enjoy the ride.”
To follow Alex and Stella on their way to the IFR, visit www.iprarodeo.com to see rodeo results, world standings and upcoming rodeos.
Photo credit: Brian Dean Johnson/ Dean Johnson Productions
