Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Weber has already amassed a long list of awards and accomplishments during her rodeo career, whch began when she was just 11. Weber, who balances her grade nine studies at Manor School with a busy training and competition schedule, recently won the breakaway and pole bending events during her first year of senior competition at Agribition in Regina, making her the only competitor in her class this year to win two events.
At the Canadian Finals in Nanton, Alberta, Weber won the Junior All Around Cowgirl title. And in the Saskatchewan High School Rodeo standings, she made the top four in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway and goat tying. This propelled her into national competition, where she was crowned Canadian Junior All Around Champion.
“Before this, I did figure skating,” says Weber. “I was top in the province when I was 10, but it got to be too extreme. I didn't like it anymore and my mom used to rodeo, so I tried that instead.”
“Both sports require mental focus and competitiveness, so in that way, it was a pretty smooth transition,” she says.
“I've actually ridden since I was about four years old,” says Weber. “We had old horses that my mom grew up with and I always went to one local jackpot a year. I think I rode at Manor Rodeo when I was about four.”
“After I finished skating, I competed in jackpots and local stuff and I found roping and barrels came really naturally to me. After jackpots, my first big non-local rodeo was the Manitoba High School Rodeo in Pierson, Manitoba.”
“I won the barrel racing there and it was kind of a surprise - especially to me - because I won against the hometown favourite,” says Weber. “I was only 11 years-old and it was my first big win. I was really surprised and excited and after that, I knew rodeo was for me.”
“Then I started roping. I went to every clinic and rope school I could and I learned the techniques and the finer points. I loved it.”
Now Weber competes in breakaway, barrels, team-roping, goat tying and pole bending events and in just three years, has won numerous awards on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
Along with her national title, Weber has earned awards throughout Canada as well as in the United States, travelling to Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming.
“It's my whole summer,” she says. “In the off-season in the winter, I get up, do chores, go to school and then after school, I ride from about 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.”
“I have two horses,” she says. “Hickory is my main one and she does barrels, poles and goats. Scarface is awesome - he's my rope horse and I ride him for breakaway and team roping. So many people have offered to buy him, but he's not for sale.”
At Regina's Agribition SHSRA (Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association) rodeo, Weber moved from junior competition to competing at the senior level with high school students up to age 18.
“This year, I was a rookie again,” she says. “It was my third Agribition, but my first year as a senior. I was a 14-year-old competing against 18-year-olds, but it worked out really well for me.”
“I won first this year in pole bending and breakaway at Agribition. I was the only one in my category to win two events and that's huge, so I'm really happy that it went so well.”
Weber is also a four-time Junior All Around Champion and Junior Team Roping Champion, Junior Barrel Racing Champion, and Junior Trail Course Champion in the Northern Plains Little Britches Spring Series. She is the National Junior High School Rodeo Association's World Finals qualifier in breakaway, roping, ribbon roping, barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying.
In addition, she is the 2017 National Little Britches Rodeo Association World Finals qualifier in barrel racing, pole bending, trail course, team roping, ribbon roping and breakaway roping.
While this is not a full list of her many accomplishments witin the rodeo arena, Weber says the sport has also taught her a lot out of the ring.
“Rodeo has taught me that life is not perfect or even perfect every time I compete, but I've learned to keep going and to get back up and try harder the next time.”
“I've been at rodeos when I've been so sick that I make my run, throw up, make my run and come back again.” says Weber. “Those times, I've been so sick, but if I didn't go and at least try and compete, I'd hate myself.'
“So I go and I'm always glad I did.”
Weber says this year's performance at Agribition was especially sweet, because she overcame injuries and surgery in the run-up to this year's rodeo in Regina.
“Last year was not my best year,” she says. “So to come back this year was awesome.”
Her goals for 2018 include competing in the Junior National Finals rodeo in Las Vegas and Oklahoma's Little Britches Rodeo and the World High School Finals Rodeo, in which riders from Australia, the U.S. and Canada compete.
“My family and Manor School are so supportive of me and I'm really grateful to them,” she says. “My sister Ashley is 11 and she's always there when I compete. She's my biggest supporter but she always pushes me to go forward, so she's my toughest competition, too.”
“Rodeo is part of who I am. My whole life is my horses and I love it.”
