Midway Barrel Racing Champion
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Chapter 1 – Midway Moves to Fort Worth
Last night, I dreamed that a truck with a big trailer arrived in Midway with a young man and his daughter. They came to Kentucky and were here to transport me to my new home in Texas. I had been sold to Mr. Ricardo and his young daughter, Maria. Maria needed a new pony and wanted to enter horse shows in Texas and all across the country. Her father is originally from Kentucky and always comes back to central Kentucky to buy horses for his clients. Maria’s father is a horse trainer, and he has won blue ribbons in shows in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Ohio, Nebraska, California, Wyoming, and several other states. Maria has been riding and competing in horse shows since she was five years old. Maria turned sixteen years old last week, and I’m her birthday present. She loves to compete and take care of her ponies. Well, it is time to say good-bye to my birthplace and get in the trailer with Maria. Good-bye, Kentucky. I will miss your beautiful scenery, but it is time to live my dreams and move to the Triple S Ranch in Fort Worth.
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Midway, Kentucky
This small, railroad town is located in Woodford County and home to many famous thoroughbred farms.
Population Midway
There are 1,641 residents according to 2010 United States Census Bureau in Midway.
Location of Midway
Interstate 64 runs between Lexington and Frankfort in northern Woodford County.
Lexington
This city is home to the University of Kentucky and Transylvania University.
Frankfort
This capital city of Kentucky is home to Kentucky State University, Jim Beam Distillery, and Buffalo Trace.
Kentucky
The state is recognized as the Bluegrass state and known for fertile soil needed to raise healthy horses
Kentucky Horse Park
The horse park is home to the International Museum of the Horse and a horse theme park.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
After self-publishing our first children’s book entitled Midway Dreams and hearing from other writers that they don’t understand our book and hearing their questions: Is it a picture book? Or is it an entertainment book? Or better yet, is it an educational book? My sister, Rhonda, and I decided to write a second children’s book and use the same format. Rhonda will tell you that I always did travel to the beat of a different drummer and like to blaze my own trail and so does she, just ask Momma. That’s enough about that. In addition, after creating a labor of love, Midway Dreams, Melissa Shew Toutant, who is my niece, Gil and Kathy’s daughter and Amelia’s sister, asked if she could join our family team and participate in writing the second book. For those of you who are new to our Midway family, I wrote the even chapters in Midway Dreams and my sister wrote the odd chapters since she is a bit different than me. In Midway Barrel Racing Champion, I only had to write every third chapter after Melissa joined our team. By the way, Melissa, like her Aunt Rhonda, is an elementary teacher at Athens-Chilesburg in Lexington, Kentucky. Our family is so proud of Rhonda and Melissa for becoming elementary teachers. I’m proud to say that we have now created our second in a series of Midway books. Hope you all enjoy Midway Barrel Racing Champion and get to know Maria, Midway’s new friend. Remember to read for the rest of your life and dream big dreams. Hope to see you in Midway’s Dreams soon.
About the Author
After finishing Midway Dreams my niece, Melissa Shew Toutant, who teaches elementary school in Lexington, Kentucky, asked my sister Rhonda if she could help us write the next book in the Midway series. When Rhonda told me that Melissa wanted to help write Midway Barrel Racing Champion, I was delighted. Melissa had already developed our prototype stuffed animal, and like Rhonda, was an excellent elementary teacher. Rhonda and Melissa have spent a lot of time together while Melissa was growing up, and they love each other so much and exchange ideas very well together. Again, I was pleasantly surprised to have Melissa on board and really have enjoyed working with Rhonda and Melissa on our second children’s book.
Rhonda has been at Kit Carson Elementary School in Richmond, Kentucky, for most of her adult life. She earned her master’s degree in English from the Bread Loaf School of English, a summer graduate program at Middlebury College in Vermont and her master’s in elementary education from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. Rhonda has served in writing-leadership positions at the local, regional, and state levels. She has also presented at writing conferences at the local, state, national, and international levels. Rhonda is anxiously awaiting the birth of her second grandson in 2016 while enjoying her first grandson, Aiden.
Melissa also graduated from Eastern Kentucky University and earned her master’s degree in elementary education from EKU. Melissa teaches at Athens-Chilesburg Elementary School on the outskirts of Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. Melissa is the proud mother of two children, Abby and Levi. Our family is proud of Melissa and Rhonda.
I always tell folks that I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I enjoyed working for my father, Randall, at a local newspaper for twelve years, including high school and college. Dad taught me the “common sense” approach to running a business, and I am thankful. I became a certified public accountant to stay close to my family, who lived in central Kentucky after leaving the newspaper business in 1982. I have assisted friends and business associates develop small businesses for the last thirty-five years and have enjoyed life to the fullest. With the release of Midway Barrel Racing Champion our labor of love will continue Midway’s journey of encouraging young girls and boys to read for a lifetime and dream big dreams. Roll Tide!