At first it felt strange and a bit wacky
To write about a squirrel named Cracky
So I thought it would be fun to take time
To study the squirrel who rhymes
He spends most of his life in a truck
Going to shows and bringing good luck
Some might say he’s plastic and not real
So tell me Farris, What‘s the big deal?

Disclaimer:

I have been following Cracky’s career since Jessica Johnson won the All Around Amateur at the AQHA World Show in 2009. I have never interviewed him, nor have I even seen him in person, but this is the perspective from someone who brought a lucky troll doll to their very first Quarter Horse Congress. My trainer, Jim Searles couldn’t stand the purple haired Don King look alike and thought he was useless. Toward the end of the show I was horrified to find ‘Nick’ hanging by a rope in middle of the barn aisle. However, I won three classes that year. The question is, “Was it me, or the troll that did the winning? I never gave it much thought, so I decided to dig a little deeper and find out more about the Cracky Effect.

Are squirrels lucky?

My first Google search on lucky squirrels revealed that yes, in fact, certain squirrels could be considered lucky, especially in Canada. They even have a Lucky Squirrel Coin that is used to scratch lottery tickets. I discovered there are a few parks that have only white or black squirrels, and genetically speaking it is pretty amazing that this occurs. So it does seem that a white or black squirrel sighting would be rare and lucky, similar to finding a four- leaf clover. After close examination of pictures of Cracky, he could indeed be a black squirrel, however, his acorn looks a bit black too and some of his paint is peeling and he looks silver underneath. At this point I am not convinced that he is one of the Lucky Canadian Squirrels.

What do squirrels represent?

After striking out on the first logical choice, I thought maybe squirrels may have some huge symbolic meaning, perhaps they are part of the Chinese Zodiac or something like that. Well, the squirrel did not make the top 12 in the Chinese calendar, but after searching a bit deeper I discovered character traits for squirrels include:

• Resourcefulness

• Ability to solve puzzles

• Quick change of direction

• Storing for the future

• Balance in gathering and getting rid of useless things/habits/people

• Discovery

• Preparation for change

• Avoiding danger by climbing to a higher place

Hmmm…pretty nice traits for people who show horses on a regular basis. Perhaps I am on to something here, but luck was not listed as a quality, so I am still mystified with Cracky’s success. Getting frustrated with my searching for Squirrel = Lucky and having a need to produce an article, I ventured off to Google- Land one more time. If my search came up empty, I was going to have to dust off my unfinished article on confidence and start over, but Luckily, I hit pay dirt! (Thanks Cracky)

Mascots

I had to wonder if Cracky is more than a squirrel. So I did a bit of research on Mascots, and found what I was looking for. According to various sources, Mascot is defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck, and includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Aha!! Cracky is the barn mascot!! He was rescued from Lowes by the barn members, and started traveling with them, and the rest is history, right? Well, kind of. If all people need is a mascot to win, then shouldn’t everyone run out and get one?

Cracky is more than a Mascot

Some people define luck as where opportunity and preparation meet. Opportunity occurs every time you step foot in the show ring and if you are truly prepared for your class, you have just created a ‘Lucky’ moment. The great thing about the way Lainie DeBoer and the riders from DreamField Farms prepare is that Cracky is part of the preparation. Before they show, they spend time reciting a poem and rubbing Cracky for good luck. Having pre-competition rituals (things you do before you do things) is a common practice for most athletes, and having a ritual that is light, playful and fun is a great strategy for preparing to compete.

What if something (God Forbid) would happen to Cracky?

I don’t even like the thought of this, and I hope I am not offending anyone or Cracky by bringing it up, but if Cracky brings good luck, would bad luck occur in his absence? I believe the answer is no, and here’s why. Most people would say Cracky isn’t real. That is a bunch of hogwash. Cracky is a real plastic squirrel. He physically exists, unlike an imaginary friend or a voice in your head. What are also real are the feelings people get when they are around him. Cracky’s magic is that he creates an association to a belief that luck is on their side, but the belief comes from the person, not from Cracky. He is just a happy reminder for his team members to believe in themselves and know that anything is possible, and no one knows this more than Cracky. After all, how many plastic squirrels do you know who travel the world, have a Facebook page, and their own bodyguard?

What does this mean to me?

You may recall Olympic ice skater Michelle Kwan always wore a gold dragon necklace with a red string tied around her neck that her grandmother gave her. She felt it brought her luck, and she had an amazing career. But apparently that was not her only good luck charm. When she was younger, she had a pet squirrel with a big bushy tail and evil eyes.

Most athletes, much like Michelle Kwan, tend to be a bit superstitious in some way. If you have anything around you that gives you a feeling of confidence or strength, you may want to consider having it with you at a horse show, since after all, it is just a way to remember to believe in yourself and know that anything is possible.

_{^{Kirsten Farris is a monthly contributor to GoHorseShow.com and a Certified Sport Consultant, Certified Equestrian Fitness Trainer, and the Author of The Workbook for the Equestrian Athlete - A Guide to Showring Success. For more information contact her at: kirsten@equestrianathlete.com © 2010}}