An Unusual Pole Bending Run

By Kyle Partain, NHSRA Media Coordinator

When Lacy Sinks hit the arena for her first-round pole bending run at the Texas Junior High Rodeo state finals earlier this week in Gonzales, Texas, it looked like she had forgotten something. Take a look at the video above and see what’s missing.

Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Okay, so what did you not see that should have been there? That’s right, Lacy was riding Skys Lucky Titan without a saddle. Like most cowgirls, she’s always loved to ride her horse sans saddle around the house. A year or so ago, she decided to ditch the saddle in competition — at least those competitions which will allow her to ride bareback — in barrel racing. She felt her horse ran faster without the saddle, and she had no problems staying on without it.

Heading into the junior high state finals, Lacy decided to ride bareback in the poles, as well. While her dad, Chuck, wasn’t a fan of the idea, he let Lacy make the final decision.

“I thought it might hurt her times,” admitted Chuck, who has no safety concerns about his daughter riding without a saddle. “With a saddle, there’s a chance she could get hung up in the stirrup. This way, if she falls off, she’s just going to hit the ground.”

As currently written, NHSRA rules don’t require the use of a saddle in either pole bending or barrel racing. If tack is used, it must be Western tack.

In the first round of action, Lacy turned in a 21.003-second run to finish sixth in the round in pole bending. She stopped the clock at 17.029 seconds in the first round of barrel racing and finished back in the pack.

Despite how she finishes in Gonzales this week, the Rockwall, Texas, cowgirl is already making a name for herself. She’s made exhibition runs at the famed Mesquite Rodeo, where the crowd went nuts for her bareback barrel runs. She’s also picked up an endorsement deal from Charlie 1 Horse hats, owned by the same parent company as NHSRA sponsor Resistol. She’s also won multiple youth world championships in the American Paint Horse Association.

That’s pretty impressive stuff for a cowgirl who will be just a high school freshman this coming fall.

My Horse & Me

Colorado’s Kenzie Huffman stars in the first of a series of videos that promote not only NHSRA, but the Western way of life.

Take a look.

All-Around Cowgirl

Louisiana’s Mia Manzanares talks about the ups and downs of winning the 2012 National High School Finals Rodeo All-Around Cowgirl title as a freshman.

Manzanares will have a chance to become the first cowgirl since Utah’s Kara Hadley in 1998-99 to repeat as the all-around cowgirl.

Garrett Smith Says Thanks

 

As we work to get two-time defending NHSFR All-Around Cowboy Garrett Smith voted into the Rodeo All-Star event in Denver, he takes a moment from his travels on the pro rodeo circuit to say thanks for all the support.

In addition to professional rodeos this spring, Garrett will return to action for his senior season in the Idaho High School Rodeo Association. He plans to make one final appearance at the NHSFR in 2013 and hopes to walk away as the first three-time all-around champ in high school rodeo history.

To vote for Garrett, go to www.rodeoallstar.com/voting/bullriding.html.

On the Set

 

Tyler Forsberg is used to handing over his bulldogging horse, Tommy, to his parents. It’s not a form of punishment, just a way of life for the family as they reside in two separate worlds: rodeo and Hollywood.

Todd and Tonia Forsberg have filled a variety of roles in the movie industry, handling stunt work and serving as livestock coordinators on countless films, television shows and commercials. In the video above, Todd and Tonia talk about Tommy and their work on Our Wild Hearts — previously titled Wild Hearts — that airs March 9 at 8 p.m. eastern time on the Hallmark Movie Channel.

If you’re in California, look for Tyler and Tommy at the next high school rodeo.

Two Generations, One Passion

By Kyle Partain, NHSRA Times Editor/Media Coordinator

Cambrie Schroder might be a newcomer to the small screen, but she’s got acting in her blood.

The daughter of veteran actor and director Ricky Schroder, Cambrie spent years dreaming about the day when she could follow her father into the business. She finally got her chance in 2011, when the family spent a month filming Wild Hearts, which will finally premiere on the Hallmark Movie Channel this month.

Ricky Schroder and his daughter, Cambrie, on the set of Wild Hearts.

Cambrie plays Willow, a teenage girl who goes in search of the father she never knew. Naturally, Ricky plays the father, a cowboy who spends his time breaking and training wild mustangs. The two face-off over the father’s latest project, a mustang stallion named Bravo.

“Cambrie came to us with the idea,” says Ricky, who then went to work on the script with his wife, Andrea. The couple’s other children also make appearances in the movie. “My daughter has wanted to be an actress since she was 6 years old. When she came to us with this idea, I liked it a lot.”

Ricky grew up appearing on television and in the movies, but he never pushed his children into the business.

“He didn’t really encourage me, but he didn’t discourage it either,” says 16-year-old Cambrie. “My parents saw that this was a true passion of mine. I had gotten close to getting some other roles, but it just hadn’t worked out. I think my dad liked the idea of working with me on my first film.

“He got to really teach me the ropes and make me feel comfortable on screen. He didn’t have to put me in the hands of strangers my first time out, so he was more comfortable with that.”

Of course, the two butted heads a few times during filming, but that’s to be expected when parents and teenagers find themselves working together in extreme conditions.

“We filmed the whole movie in about a month,” Cambrie says. “We really worked our butts off to get it done. People think it’s easy to make movies, but there’s a lot of work that goes into it. Just knowing all of my lines was a challenge.”

Cambrie appears in nearly every scene in the movie, which made for long, grueling days. But it also allowed her the chance to see her father in a different light.

“I knew he was talented,” she says. “But working with him gave me the chance to see what a natural he is on the set. We’re also very honest with each other, so he could encourage and critique me in a way that I was comfortable with.”

Having ridden since she was 8 years old, Cambrie has spent time riding dressage and show jumping, but also enjoys a good trail ride with the family, as well. That experience paid off when it came time to climb in the saddle. Already comfortable around horses, Cambrie also got to spend time with Tommy – who plays the wild mustang Bravo in the movie and is Tyler Forsberg’s regular bulldogging mount in NHSRA events – before shooting began.

“He’s just such an amazing horse,” Cambrie says. “The first time I rode him, we went to the Forsberg ranch. I rode him a lot before filming started, so that we could have that chemistry we needed on screen. When I got on him, it was like the camera wasn’t even there. I just really got in the moment with him. He is the best horse I’ve ever ridden.”

While Cambrie had been auditioning for a few years, her experience was limited to theater class productions before Wild Hearts came along. To go from that to a staring role could have been a disaster in the making.

“I never really felt any pressure,” she says. “Having the whole family involved made it very comfortable for me. We all really liked the concept of the movie, so that made it fun for us. And having horses around really lightened the mood on the set.”

More than just the typical girl falls for a horse movie, Wild Hearts takes a look at both sides of the mustang issue which has plagued western states for more than 100 years.

“Mustangs are a symbol of American history,” Ricky says. “They are magnificent creatures, but they create some difficult issues for ranchers. We wanted to tell their story, but show both sides of the issue.”

With Wild Hearts in the rear-view mirror, Cambrie has been looking for new roles, going on auditions and even working on new script ideas. In her spare time, she’s also enjoying a new hobby: driving.

“I just got my license and it’s the best thing ever,” she says, proving that there are some similarities between her Hollywood lifestyle and that of the average American teenager.

Tucker on the Mic

Tennessee’s Tucker Kail took the microphone and handled some of the auctioneering duties at the annual NHSRA Banquet during the 2013 Mid-Winter Meetings in Fort Worth, Texas.

Read more about this aspiring auctioneer in the March issue of the NHSRA Times.

A Camel in the Stockyards

Cattle and horses aren’t the only stock in the Stockyards.

NHSRA student officers from all across the United States and Canada were surprised to find a camel hanging around outside the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame while touring the world-famous Fort Worth Stockyards on Friday, Jan. 25.

The NHSRA would like to thank former Miss Rodeo America Pam Minick for serving as tour guide for the morning.

A Different Kind of Stock Contractor

Alaska High School Rodeo Student President Jesse Kitson talks about the fact that his family’s saddle and pack horses double as bucking horses for the small association.

One of the toughest horses to ride on the roughstock side is his mom’s barrel horse. Jesse’s also drawn his own rope horse in the bucking events.

Jesse is on hand this week in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Mid-Winter Meetings to represent Alaska, along with his mom, Kathleen, the Alaska National Director, and student secretary Kylee Iveson.

Goat Tying Fan

By Darrell Nesbitt, Special to the NHSRA Blog

Meeting a lady by the name of Lindsey Sears was truly a most amazing experience for a young Manitoba cowgirl who also unleashes her talents on a rodeo trail.

Danielle Moran

Danielle Moran of Russell, Manitoba, is just one of many who looks up to the Canadian All-Star for all the hard work she puts in throughout the year. The Major Pratt sophomore shares Sears’ passion of barrel racing as a member of the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association.

“As a competitor, I look up to her so much,” shared Danielle. “I met the super star in 2011 at the National Finals Rodeo and truly it was the most amazing experience to talk with her.”

Calling Nanton, Alberta, home, Sears is a five-time Canadian Finals Rodeo and six-time NFR qualifier. Her greatest achievement is becoming the Barrel Racing World Champion, the first Canadian to do so, in both 2008 and 2011.

Although Danielle fancies Sears from the limelight of a competitive cowgirl, she pencils in goat tying as being her favorite event versus barrel racing. Like her favorite rodeo competitor, Danielle has always loved the speed of fast horses, and since joining the MHSRA has found the avenue to be the perfect place for it.

Danielle said she enjoys goat tying the best because she excels the most in this event, and in her words, “there’s something about running down to a goat and tying the crazy thing up that really gets your adrenaline going, lol.”

Joining the MHSRA in sixth grade, the daughter of Jamie and Debbie Moran has five competitive years under her belt. However the cowgirl lifestyle and the passion for horses became an intricate part of her life at 18 months of age.

Strong work ethic

Thanks to drive and determination over the years, the Russell teenager found the 2010 Canadian High School Rodeo Finals on Manitoba soil to be a great learning experience.

“I received second in Canada in Junior Girls Goat Tying that year,” Danielle said. “In the 2010-11 year I won the finals champion title, and third overall from a year-end standpoint.”

Thus far, the MHSRA has given Danielle and many more students like her the opportunity to compete at a faster level, to receive scholarships for future schooling, and the opportunity to make great friends.

Living on a bison farm outside of Russell, she carries a strong work ethic taking care of many animals at home and sharing the workload with her dad in terms of the bison upkeep. She also knows the importance of education, and keeps her grades up while also competing on the varsity basketball squad. Although plans for the future aren’t carved in stone as of yet, she is looking to a career in the medical field, as a nurse or physiotherapist.

Knowing full well that adults — not only from a MHSRA standpoint — but also hosting committees, play an intricate roll in the organization of a rodeo, Danielle feels obligated to lend a hand when the chance arises.

“I feel it’s my job as a contestant to also serve as a student event director and provide assistance when needed in whatever capacity,” said Danielle, who is now joined by her sister Tara on the MHSRA trail. “We have the responsibility to help make the tasks that adults who organize the weekend rodeo for us easier, and keep the event running smoothly for our captive audience.”

Support is a blessing

And the lives of a pair of young cowgirls have been enriched thanks to a couple of busy but very supportive parents, as rodeo can be a very expensive sport factoring in the horses, equipment required, feed and entry fees.

“My mom has helped me lots. She’s the one who drives me and my best friend, Jake, a registered 9-year-old Paint Quarter Horse to various rodeos across the province,” said Danielle. “She helps me immensely in the practice arena, and always encourages me to do my best in the competitive arena. Definitely, I couldn’t do it without her.”

Family bonding comes to the forefront when traveling to and from high school rodeos. Traveling great distances is not always a bad thing, as it allows the rural landscapes of Manitoba to be enjoyed, and the closeness of family to be enriched.

And for Danielle, she has found the MHSRA to be one great association, where everyone is very friendly and helpful. She stated that her rodeo friends are for sure her best friends, adding when she’s leaving one rodeo, she’s looking towards the next.

Underlining the importance of respect, rodeo is fun in this Manitoba cowgirl’s eyes, by solely remembering to brush off one’s mistakes, chalk it up to experience and enjoy the moment with a special group of comrades.

Darrell Nesbitt writes from Shoal Lake, Manitoba.