Courtesy of Joanna Gaines/Instagram
Chip Gaines ‘Never Understood’ Why Joanna Gaines Delayed Her Dream of Becoming a Barrel Racer
Joanna Gaines is following her delayed dream of becoming a barrel racer, something her husband, Chip Gaines, has never really understood. The Fixer Upper star opened up about her newfound passion in a deeply personal note.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve daydreamed about barrel racing,” Joanna, 46, wrote in the Summer 2024 issue of Magnolia Journal, on newsstands on Friday, May 17. “I’ve imagined myself on the back of a quarter horse running a cloverleaf pattern at record-breaking speed. No, I’ve never actually barrel raced before … but I’ve mentioned this to Chip a few times over the years and tried to explain my make-believe amateur-to-expert rise.”
Joanna went on to say that Chip, 49, didn’t necessarily share the same mindset about having a delayed dream.
“Chip has never understood why I’d stall a curiosity that was still clearly in my subconscious,” the home improvement expert explained. “Why I’d delay a dream that I could, somewhat easily, wake up and try tomorrow. But if you’ve ever felt the way fear can creep in and shadow curiosity or how insecurity can quiet a desire, then you understand. You get why I concluded that life wasn’t safe enough for the daring-hearted and why I settled comfortably with the idea that ‘one day’ was when I’d choose to live bravely.”
The couple share kids Drake, Ella Rose, Duke, Emmie Kay and Crew. It was an interaction with Crew, 5, that finally pushed Joanna to start riding horses.
“My chance came last fall when our youngest son, Crew, announced he wanted to be a cowboy, which we interpreted to mean he wanted to take horseback riding lessons,” she shared. “A few weeks into watching him trot around on a pony named Violet, I asked his coach if she might have room for one more student. As I write this, I’m only a couple of months into lessons — and trust me, you’ve never seen a horse move slower. There’s been absolutely no indication that I’ll be riding at record-breaking speed in any version of the future.”
The mom of five had a “breakthrough” during her fourth riding lesson, “riding quicker and smoother than ever before.”
“There was a time when I would have convinced myself it would be wise to play it safe,” Joanna concluded. “But today, I’m surer than ever that the best thing for me looks like getting on a horse that might scare me — and yet — still letting instinct tell us both where to go.”
