When you think of the cowboys and cowgirls competing at the National Finals Rodeo, you likely think about events they are competing in to claim the title of World Champion. For five elite athletes, they each showcased their game while competing in Las Vegas, December 2-10.
Tie-down ropers Haven Meged and Marcos Costa said their games are reaction and fast hands, respectively. Meged claimed the Reserve World Champion tie-down roping title after winning two rounds and earning money in five other rounds during the 10-night stretch on his horse, Beyonce. He proved “reaction” is definitely his game.
Costa used his “fast hands” to earn a check four nights. This was his first trip back to the NFR since 2017, when he claimed the world champion title. He finished this year ninth in the world.
Emily Miller-Beisel will be the first to admit her game is “tight corners, straight lines, and the fastest time wins.” Miller-Beisel followed that philosophy to capture third in this year’s highly competitive barrel racing event and tied for fourth in the average. She and Chongo posted the fastest time of the week, 13.43, winning Round Five. She also drew checks in six other rounds.
Steer wrestler Tyler Pearson proved he brought “horse power” with him in his horse Casper. With a final ranking of seventh, Pearson earned money in three rounds and won Round Five. Both Casper and Pearson worked doubly hard during the 10 nights, as World Champion Tyler Waguespack also competed off Casper, while Pearson hazed from his other horse Metallica.
With “no hesitation” team roper Trey Yates and his partner won Round 1 of the NFR with a time of 4 seconds. He pulled checks two more times during the 10-night run and ended the year tenth during his second trip to the NFR.
Common Thread
What do these five athletes have in common? While they are working on winning their game, they rely on their equine partners. And with any partnership, they must make sure their partner is in top shape. Each of these cowboys and cowgirl make sure that their horses are winning the game against ulcers, colic and digestive upset with products from Vitalize®.
“A happy horse is a horse that’s going to perform and if they are not 100%, they can’t do their job. In a competition like professional barrel racing, you must have your horses at their best all the time. If you don’t have your horse at its best, somebody else does. Being reassured that my horses have that Vitalize supplement and they are feeling good, is one less thing for me to worry about. If they aren’t feeling good, and time comes down to a one-hundredth of a second, everything counts. So, you have got to have them tip-top and ready to go,” said Miller-Beisel.
Vitalize is a line of supplements for horses that contain BioZyme®’s precision prebiotics to improve digestive health and gut integrity, keeping your animal healthy and performing.
“If you try the Vitalize products you can’t go wrong. This is not something to give your horses just for peace of mind. Amaferm® and these products make a real difference. After just 90 days I saw a dramatic difference in the performance of my horses and can say for sure I’ll be using these products until I retire (and beyond),” Costa said.
Amaferm is precision prebiotic that is designed to boost animal resilience to challenges. It is research-proven to improve gut integrity and immune response.
“I can definitely tell a difference in how my horses feel since starting the products like Vitalize® Alimend® and Vitalize® Equine Gel, and they don’t pick through the supplements,” Pearson said.
Yates uses an additional Vitalize product to support the joint health of his horses, Hyaluronex® Joint. Hyaluronex Joint provides a completely hydrated, oral, liquid HA formulation, allowing for quick absorption and maximum efficacy to promote joint, bone, soft tissue, and cartilage health. The formula also contains two additional natural ingredients to support soft tissue health and exercise recovery.
“My horses really like Hyaluronex Joint. They are doing awesome on it. It’s easy to feed; I just squirt it on their hay or cubes, and they eat it right up. They haven’t missed a beat and we’ve had an awesome year. I’m so glad to be part of your team,” he said.
From joint health to gut health, it is important to these elite athletes to keep their equine partners feeling their best.
“I’m always making sure my horses stay healthy and on a good nutrition program from Vitalize. I make sure everything is on top of their game, and they are getting the best supplements they can get. My horses look great,” Meged said.
Fast hands. No hesitation. Horse power. Reaction. Tight corners, straight lines, and the fastest time wins. Do what it takes to win. your. game.
