Cowgirl brings the crazy to rodeo fans
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Posted By Reagen Sulewski
Posted 1 month ago
In the rodeo arena, staying upright on your horse is usually what you want, unless you're Water Valley's Shelby Cummings.
The 18-year-old is one-half of the Crazy Cowgirls trick riding duo, along with Cassie Horner of Pollockville, and travels around the province performing daring stunts on horseback, often just inches from the ground, gripping her horse with just one foot.
Amazingly, Cummings started working her way up to these death-defying tricks at the age of nine.
Cummings' mother used to be a flag rider for the Stampede, introducing her to the world of rodeo, and getting her started in the sport.
"She knew some of the girls that did trick riding, and she got me some lessons, and that's how I got started," said Cummings.
Although she didn't jump right into some of the more complicated tricks, it didn't take long before she was finding herself performing what she calls "gymnastics on horseback."
"You stand still getting in and out of your tricks, then you go from a walk, getting in and out of your tricks, then you go once you've figured it out," she said, although she notes it can take some time to build up a rapport with her animal.
Some animals are special, though.
"It depends on the horse. The horse that I'm using now, he was in the rodeo the weekend after I got him," she said.
Two of her favourite tricks to perform are the stroud, which has her upside down off the side of her horse, with just one foot in her saddle, and the shoulder stand, with her head by her horse's chest and her feet in the air.
Her safety factor is just a set of ribbons placed around the ring, indicating to her horse where he's supposed to run. Sometimes this isn't enough, and she's suffered a couple of injuries as a result.
"My horse has fallen on me, and [another time] my horse didn't stop in a corner, he just kept going when I was trying to get out of a trick," said Cummings, although the biggest injury she's suffered has been to her knees and only required some physiotherapy to get back in riding shape.
After 11 years of riding, Cummings knows she can't perform tricks forever, but she's in no hurry to give it up. When asked why, she has a simple answer.
"Just the crowd, I love it when the crowd cheers. It gets me pumped, and makes my horse go faster," she said.
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