TAKING LIFE BY THE REINS: Barrel racer works to get back in the saddle after injury

KILGORE, Texas (KETK) – In this FOX51 News special report, we share the story of an East Texan whose life has taken many twists and turns following a serious injury while competing at the rodeo.

The barrel racer from Kilgore is taking life by the reins, using her strength and determination to get back in the saddle.

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“This is my first time back here and all the feels,” said Brittany Baton. “It’s weird being back.”

Filled with emotion, Baton returned to the arena in Athens for the first time since the accident, which changed everything in an instant in October 2023.

“I truly thought that I was paralyzed and going to be paralyzed forever,” Baton said.

As she rode to the third barrel, the horse started to buck, and Brittany hit the dirt head-first.

“When I went to get up, and I couldn’t, I was just praying to God, I was praying out loud,” Baton said.

She was racing her new horse one second, then being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance the next. The doctors did not take long to confirm what she had already feared.

“Immediately, you broke your neck, and you broke your back,” Baton said. “If you move, it will cut off oxygen, and you will die.”

Frozen in fear, Baton lay there, afraid to move.

“I’m just sitting there in a neck brace, you know, scared to move,” Baton said. “I can’t even cry because I’m scared.”

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It was the day life forever changed for Brittany.

“When I hit, my heart stopped, and so when they brought me back, it came back off rhythm,” Baton said.

Everything she thought she knew, her plans for the future, all changed quickly.

“The horse was a known bucker and I asked the person that I bought it from because I hurt my back in the past,” Baton said. “I said, jokingly, I was like, ‘This horse doesn’t buck, does she?’ He said, ‘No, she’s never bucked.’ Well, that’s not the truth.”

Baton had to learn that truth the hard way because, at the time, she did not know the horse was acting out because the mare was also in pain.

“If she was mean, that was one thing,” said Baton. “But it turns out she has a fractured back also.”

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Baton thought she was going to a barrel race like any other, but little did she know that arena would be where her entire life would change. While most people would let that get them down, each time, Baton got back up again. Now, she is trying to turn it into something positive and has even opened three businesses.

“I’ve tried to not be bitter and just let it go, but it’s just hard,” Baton said. “When someone does this to you, you know this day didn’t have to happen.”

The doctors told Brittany she could no longer race but said she tried to ride anyway. Her doctors responded with a harsh dose of reality.

“If you keep going like you are, the pressure on your heart from your heart rate, it’s going to explode, and you’re going to stroke out,” Baton said.

Now, Brittany is channeling her energy toward something she has always wanted to do. The 29-year-old opened a western tack store and started a used car lot in Kilgore, and she has a third business venture in the works using stem cells for wound care in horses.

“I know God has a plan,” Baton said. “God’s like, you don’t need to be a broke barrel racer for forever. So it’s kind of turned me into a businesswoman, and if I can’t run again, it was fun. So it’s all in God’s hands.”

Brittany is unsure what is next but said she learned she can make it through whatever comes her way, dusting off her boots and getting up stronger each time.

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“I’m going to think positive and know that it may not be anytime soon, but I’ll be able to run again,” said Baton. “If I have to have a pacemaker, then if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. I’ll be back.”

She is determined to make a comeback and one day compete in the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

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