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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhether in the arena or out, Leanne has always loved to compete. At Tullahoma High School, she set records in the long jump category in 1984 and the high jump category in 1986. Leanne ran track and cross-country and was an avid basketball player for four years. She earned the Bob Hammers Award for Girl Athlete of the Year in 1985 and 1986.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2016, Leanne and her quarter horse, Jigsaw, were invited to compete in the prestigious Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada, which attracts millions of visitors each July. For the last 100 years, the Calgary Stampede has been known as the \u201cgreatest outdoor show on Earth.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thrill seekers and rough riders enjoy 10 full days of the world\u2019s largest outdoor rodeo, with a delightful festival and an assortment of exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Calgary Stampede Cowboy Up Challenge is by invitation only for the top 10 riders from all over\u00a0the world. So far, I\u2019ve placed third twice, and we\u2019ll see how I do when I return this year,\u201d she speculated.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leanne faced challenges during her first journey across the country. The water pump on her truck gave out in South Dakota, and on the way home to Tennessee, the transmission did the same in Wyoming. Even this couldn\u2019t squelch her determination and the genuine love she holds for mustangs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2023, Leanne competed in the Extreme Cowboy Race World Show in Glen Rose, Texas, and won first place. Countries from all over the globe attended, including Canada, Belgium, Israel, Australia, France, Italy, and Sweden. Incredibly, she\u2019s also won several national titles, including the Reserve World Champion, which she has won five times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a timed obstacle course in which time is very important. There are 13 obstacles that are judged, and they factor time into the total score. Every course is different, and you don\u2019t know what the obstacles will be until just before the race. They could be jumping, crossing raised bridges, roping, working cows, pole bending, crossing narrow bridges, turns, stops, reining maneuvers, lunging, riding bareback, and even water obstacles. Almost anything goes. We\u2019ve even had a fire jump at one of our world shows!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n To help find homes for the free-roaming horses, Leanne has also competed in the 100-Day Mustang Challenge. Participants in this competition choose an untouched wild mustang and have 100 days to train the horse before competing. Leanne placed fourth and took first place in the Lead Line Trail Challenge. The newly-trained horses are auctioned off to pre-approved bidders, guaranteeing each mustang will move on to greener pastures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always want to share my knowledge about how I put a particular emphasis on the groundwork aspect of training a horse. I believe it\u2019s the most important part, as it keeps the rider and the horse safer.\u201d GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" EIGHT-YEAR-OLD LEANNE Hale and her sister, Gina, dreamed of owning horses. Little did Leanne know that this dream would win her championships as a horsewoman and ignite a philanthropic journey. She lives according to this John Wayne quote: \u201cCourage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.\u201d Her love of the sport and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":21600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/2-1024x683.png\")
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