The last barrel race of July at Grizzle Ridge Arena was the kind of event that tests more than just your gear—it tests your endurance, your mental focus, and your willingness to keep going when your body begs you to quit. It was hot—maybe the second hottest show I’ve shot all summer—but it felt like the worst. The kind of heat that doesn’t just burn, it suffocates. Heavy and unmoving, like a weight pressing down on your lungs. The kind that smothers your soul and makes every step feel like a chore.