The Broken Spur Rodeo - Molly's First Rodeo!

Molly participated in her first TRUE rodeo this past weekend! She was a little familiar with some gaming events as her riding instructor, Judi, had had a fun event back in August where she got to run some poles and barrels. But that was just at Judi's barn, and with just her small riding group. This was at an actual rodeo grounds with kids of all ages, with different skill levels, from all over Goldendale! 

It was an all day event, with poles, figure 8's, barrels, and other games I don't know the name of, haha. Since Molly had only done a few game runs the month before, she isn't very experienced. A true beginner compared to some of the talent that showed up. Thankfully, The Broken Spur Rodeo is very beginner friendly, and they actually delight in taking in newcomers and teaching them the ropes.  All the other kids, parents, and staff were so kind and supportive to everyone there! If someone had a run issue, there was always a helpful voice from the sidelines or someone running out into the arena to coach them through it. This happened with Molly for her first two events - the poles and figure 8's. She knew what she needed to do, but getting Rain, the horse she was riding, to listen was a whole other story. He was being a bit of a turd, and she was getting frustrated, but with a little motivation from the sidelines and a helping hand on foot in the arena, she pushed through and finished the first two events without quitting. We were very proud of her! 

She did amazing on her last two events, which were "key hole" and a barrel run. By this time Rain had had all morning to warm up and realize Molly meant business and wasn't going to let him not listen to her. So she was feeling a ton more confident and it definitely showed. She rode the last two events wonderfully without the helping hand of someone on the ground coaching her through. After she finished her barrel run, you could tell she was so pleased and proud of herself. 

These photos were taken by the photographer at the event. I am thankful for these photos as they are so much better than mine from the far sidelines! She was doing her figure 8 game run here. 

At the end of the long day, after all the times and scores of all the events were tallied up for the different age groups, Molly came in 9th for her age group. For it being her first real rodeo, with hardly any training in gaming, she didn't care about her placement, and was very excited just to be there having fun with friends and to have been given the opportunity to try something new that she likes and is interested in. I love that attitude! She finished the day with a smile and was proud of herself for persevering and not giving up, even when she ran into moments of frustration when missing a pole or taking a wrong turn, etc. 

In the end, it only matters that you tried your best and had fun in the process. 

We loved seeing her out there having fun and hope that there will be future events she will be able to attend. For now, rodeo season is winding down. So we will see what next year has in store. 

Proud of you, Molly!

With love,

Mama Hauck