BY TIM MANZI, JUNIOR JOURNALIST
AQHA Professional Horseman Jess Elrod with Collins Barnes, 16, and Sir Class.
“It was an experience you don’t ever want to relive,” Patti Lambert said of Hurricane Katrina’s effect on her home in Poplarville, Mississippi.
Two weeks without power and water left Patti and son Collins Barnes, 16, looking for resourceful ways to keep their heads, and their animals, above water.
Literally.
“Everything was fine with the horses,” Collins explained, “we just had to go down to the pond to get water and stuff like that because we had none.”
Although Collins and his family reside more than 45 miles north of the coast, the devastation from Katrina destroyed a little less than half of the pecan trees on their farm, and even brought seashells into their pool.
Unable to show at all that year, Collins missed his chance to qualify for the 2005 Ford AQHYA World Championship Show with his already accomplished 21-year-old gelding, Sir Class.
“You can put anyone on him,” Collins said, “from a little kid who is just starting to ride or you can put a world champion on him, and he can do awesome.”
Under the guidance of AQHA Professional Horseman Jess Elrod, Collins has made a strong comeback from struggling to keep his horses and cattle alive to qualifying for his second Ford Youth World in tie-down roping and heading with Sir Class.
