Texas-based barrel racer Jessica Holmberg Morris is a self-starter who’s making her mark in the rodeo world. Jessica moved to Texas in 2011 to advance her career and has never looked back. She runs a 30-acre farm with husband Jarrod Morris and competes, trains and sells barrel horses for the rodeo circuit. For Jessica, SUCCEED is a necessary ingredient for her performance horses—and she’s seen top results from it for more than ten years!
Becoming a Professional Barrel Racer
Jessica’s pursuit of barrel racing traces back to her earliest years in the saddle. Her parents had horses while she was growing up, so naturally Jessica started riding at two years old. She tried multiple disciplines over the years, but it was barrel racing that captured her attention.
“When I was nine years old, I knew I wanted to run barrels. I fell in love with it—the adrenaline rush, the horses, the energy of the crowd, the whole premise of the sport. Once I experienced it, I knew that barrel racing was my passion.”
By the time Jessica turned 14, she was fully immersed in the sport. She entered every competition that she could, while also riding and training horses for other people. Jessica competed on her high school’s rodeo team and became a National High School Rodeo qualifier, where she ranked in the top 15 as a barrel racer.
Barrel Racing in the Heart of Texas
As Jessica moved into adulthood, college rodeo was a natural next step, but her heart wasn’t in it. Jessica’s heart was in Texas, in pro rodeo, so she made the leap. She packed up everything from her home state of Washington and moved to Texas in 2011.
The 1,800-mile trek to Texas kick-started Jessica’s rodeo career. She landed a role on a television reality show: A&E’s “Rodeo Girls,” which aired in 2013 and followed five pro rodeo barrel racers. Jessica was in her early twenties at the time and had the opportunity to travel across the U.S. while filming for the show.
After “Rodeo Girls” wrapped up, Jessica’s equestrian career continued to expand. She focused on training clients’ horses, competing professionally, and offering riding lessons. Her knack for turning around problem horses, and patterning, finishing and seasoning horses paved the way for her.
“I’ve met a lot of great people—trainers and clients—since moving to Texas. Many of them have become lifetime clients and friends who are still sending horses to me today,” Jessica says.
Jessica Searches for the Perfect Barrel Horse
After a decade, Jessica’s passion for the industry is stronger than ever. She and Jarrod, a farrier and singer-songwriter, keep a tight schedule that’s dedicated to the horses they love. Their 30-acre farm outside of Fort Worth is home to 27 horses and a host of boarders and barrel racing clients.
“I love our location. We are super close to the barrel races and have lots of places within an hour where we can compete. I have quite a few young horses and haul them a lot,” Jessica says.
Her most promising horse this year is four-year-old bay gelding, HR Heavens Haze (barn name, “Vinny”). Jessica, along with close friend Kendall Pearse, set out to find the “perfect futurity horse” for 2021—and found Vinny!
“We looked at a bunch of three-year-olds who were turning four. Vinny was a little behind in his training, but we felt like he had what it took to be successful,” Jessica says.
Kendall purchased Vinny just before the New Year and his performance looked great. But it was not long after Vinny started training with Jessica that she noticed some concerning ground behaviors.
Up-And-Coming Barrel Horse “Vinny” Starts SUCCEED
Vinny came to Jessica’s facility on the leaner side, but she wasn’t concerned due to his age and expected growth. But when Vinny started having adverse reactions to grooming, Jessica realized an underlying issue may be at hand.
“He was extremely fussy about brushes. If I didn’t use a soft brush, he’d dance around and try to bite me. He acted like it was painful. When I saddled him, he did the same thing.”
Jessica also observed that Vinny’s eating habits were off. Vinny took all day to eat his food as if he wasn’t interested in it. That’s when Jessica knew she had to do something and turned to SUCCEED for help.
As a long-time user of SUCCEED, she knew that Vinny’s digestive health may be the source of his discomfort. Jessica first discovered SUCCEED more than 10 years ago when one of her mares needed to put on some weight, and she’s used it ever since.
SUCCEED Propels Vinny Forward
Within a month of starting SUCCEED, Jessica says Vinny was a completely different horse and his anxiety dissipated. Vinny began consistently eating all of his food and was no longer “cinchy” while tacking up.
Vinny’s barrel racing performance took off, too. In the last four months, his lifetime earnings jumped by $14,000, and he’s claimed multiple championship titles.
SUCCEED has really worked for Vinny. He has always been an athlete, but he has proven that he’s a winner. I think SUCCEED has been the magic ticket that’s made him feel more comfortable, healthy and ready to do his job.
SUCCEED for a Healthy Management Program
Jessica says that SUCCEED is an integral part of her management program, especially while traveling with barrel horses. She appreciates that it doesn’t have a bunch of additives and prioritizes a clean feeding program for all of her horses.
“My top priority for my horses is their happiness and their health, which are intertwined. To keep them happy I feed alfalfa, coconut meal, free choice salt, fresh water twice a day, and follow a strict turnout schedule,” Jessica says.
And when she notices that a horse is in need of SUCCEED, Jessica gets them started on it right away. She says that her horses maintain their weight, and she attributes this to her feed program and SUCCEED.
Jessica’s support of SUCCEED has gone to greater levels as of late, too. She recently started working part-time for Freedom Health as a customer service specialist.
I’ve learned so much in the short two months I’ve worked for Freedom Health. The ingredients in SUCCEED and the proof that it works from veterinarians is incredible. To see the science behind SUCCEED is impressive.
Why Jessica Recommends SUCCEED for Barrel Horses
For Jessica, she can’t imagine leaving how without SUCCEED and the answer is clear:
I’d recommend SUCCEED to clients, peers or anybody who cares about their horse’s health. SUCCEED promotes healthy gut function and helps horses to absorb nutrients. Once they have a healthy gut, everything else falls into place. If you’re a person who is unhappy with how your horse is performing or looking, I’d try SUCCEED. I can honestly say that I love SUCCEED and have had a lot of success with it.
Keep up with Jessica’s rodeoing successes and her SUCCEED story by following her on Facebook at @Jessica Holmberg Morris.
