By Chelsea Laskowski

PHOTOS: One Arrow Equestrian invites youth to its first rodeo

Sep 1, 2013 | 8:52 AM

A 12-year-old kicks her horse into action as she hears her name over the loud speaker. She races towards a goat while her family yells out advice.

“Ride hard, kick him! Ride, ride hard!”

She has no trouble slowing down her horse and hopping off the side while it’s going slow enough. The competitor before her wasn’t so lucky. She had fallen off while sliding off the side of her horse and spent valuable time climbing off her knees.

But eventually, this competitor grabs her targeted goat and pulls its legs out from underneath.

“Tie him like you tie your brother!” her father yells out.

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She ties three of the goat’s legs together, but not before she gets disqualified for taking too long. Nothing to be ashamed of, considering it was only the second time she'd ever done it.

High School rodeos act as a place to learn

There's a lot of learning going on for the Grade 6 to 12 competitors at One Arrow First Nation, near Bellevue.

Some are new to the Junior High division events. The events are intended to give them experience for the competitions they’ll take part in once they get older.
Goat-tying is a less-challenging way to prepare for tie-down roping on calves.

Another example is boys competing in chute-dogging. A steer and the competitor start in a chute together, and once the chute gate is open they go into the arena. The competitor then tries to turn the steer over.

“That’s kind of the training ground to get them to become steer-wrestlers someday. So they’re still using the same techniques to wrestle a steer down, we just remove the element of them having to get off a horse,” said Howard Floyd, the National Director with the Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association (SHSRA).

The junior bull-riding prepares younger kids for something the older competitors know well.

In his late teens, Kyle Eberle has been bull riding for a few years. He recalled being nervous for his first time on the back of a bull and trying to hold on with one hand. But he grew to love it.

“The adrenaline rush it gives you. It gets pretty competitive and it's something different every time. It’s not the same bull you get on. It makes you work at it,” he said.

While many are still learning and certainly enjoying their teenaged rodeo experience, it’s something many take seriously.

“About 10 per cent of the contestants that compete at the Canadian Cowboy’s finals at Agiribition in Regina have been current members of Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association. So this is certainly the growing field, you might say, for kids to get their star in rodeo. And from there they branch up. They go into semi-pro, some go into pro,” said Floyd.

The SHSRA doesn't just produce equine athletes, it also demands academic success of its members. The association keeps tabs on students' report cards. Not only do they ensure their members are getting good grades, they also make sure they're doing well socially.

The association provides thousands of dollars in scholarships for members between grade 6 and 12. Last year they gave out $22,000 to the top five finishers in the provincial championships. The money is put into a trust until the members graduate.

Older competitor Makayla Moen anticipates continuing in rodeo once she goes to college and someday passing on her passion to her kids.

She participates in a variety of events. In many of them, it’s not just about directing an animal onto the ground. It’s also about connecting and working with your horse.

Barrel racing is focused on maneuvering your horse as fast as you can around three barrels without knocking them over.

Another activity, pole bending, requires a little more fine maneuvering. Moen prefers the pole bending because of the connection she has with her horse to follow the pattern between each pole.

“I’ve been working with a barrel horse for a while now and we’re just starting to kind of get better. We’re still having our difficulties. But in pole bending I’ve really connected with my horse and I’ve been using him for a few years now. We’re really starting to be able to feel each other in what we’re doing together.”

Bringing more rodeos to Northern Saskatchewan

The connection Moen feels is something One Arrow Equestrian Centre is based on.

The centre is focused on equine-assisted learning, explained Koralie Gaudry, program director at One Arrow.

“We create an environment and learning opportunities, through using horses, that address mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of the self. And doing that by partnering with a horse and having a relationship with a horse as a way to learn about yourself.”

This equine learning does not include riding horses. About 300 students from Almighty Voice Education Centre on One Arrow Reserve go through the program each year.

Recently, the equestrian centre has been branching out and teaching riding lessons, roping and barrel racing.

That’s why they decided to host their first rodeo through the SHSRA.

“We chose the high school rodeo because it goes with our mission of wanting to build skills and youth,” said Gaudry. ““It gets kids out and mingling with other kids. They really learn that sense of responsibility here as well as on the road. They can build some really great friendships and have some really great friendships. “

On top expanding One Arrow’s horizons, hosting rodeos has drawn more local youth to the SHSRA.

About six new youth have joined the SHSRA so they could take part in One Arrow’s rodeo, said Gaudry.

She added that hosting more rodeos in the northern region of the province will mean less travel time for local competitors.

Following the Friday and Saturday rodeos, the SHSRA moved onto Rosthern for Sept. 1 to 2.

claskowski@panow.com

Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk