I barrel race with the National Barrel Race Association. And I rodeo. Barrel racing is a clover leaf pattern, so you come around. You go through one barrel, another barrel, a third barrel and the back. You’re on a horse, and you’re going as fast as the horse can go and the tightest turns you can make, and you stay on. [Laughs] I’m actually state champion this year and won the state year end also for high points. So, I’m looking forward for this season. I’ve got three horses to ride so we’ll see.
Melissa Gibson was born in 1972. She was raised in Stow, Massachusetts, by her mother and father. From the ages eight to fourteen Melissa lived on a farm where she developed a deep passion for animals. After high school, Melissa married Bob Gibson, Jr. During the twenty-two years of their marriage she gave birth to three children. While pregnant with her third child she began attending night classes at Fisher College where she received her Associate Degree in Business and Accounting. Ten years ago she opened her first pet store in Grafton and then just last September she opened her most recent store in Worcester. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys participating in rodeo events. This past year she was named the Massachusetts state champion in the rodeo event called barrel racing. Melissa is able to juggle all of these commitments while dealing with a dangerous condition called Cavernous Angioma. Throughout all of these experiences Melissa has learned to do what she wants and not take no for an answer.