It was a special season for rodeo star Isabelle Klassen, a 16-year-old sensation out of the Boissevain/Killarney area and she's looking to build on it heading into the future.
Competition wise, Klassen says she does a couple different ones. "I am in Manitoba High School Rodeo. I compete in pole bending, barrel racing and breakaway roping."
Klassen says she got into the rodeo scene pretty naturally. "I really got into it three rodeo seasons ago, my friend said it was a really great association. They told me I should join and so I started practicing different events. I started with pole bending and barrel racing, and I actually just got into breakaway this spring, toward the end of the season, so I just got a look at that, and I really enjoy it.
Developing those incredible skillsets has been both a challenge and a joy for the teenager. "Well, there's been difficult times and there's been really good times," Klassen says with a chuckle. "I started off only bringing one horse to the rodeo, doing pole bending and barrel racing. My first rodeo, he went into the arena for barrels and he stopped at the barrel. So, I was a little hisitant, wasn't sure I was going to like it. Then we went in for poles and he did really well, he really likes poles. Normally, it's a two or three day rodeo, so that second day he did really well, that's where I really started to enjoy it. I was doing fast paced event where you just run your horse and try and steer him in the right direction. There's more technical stuff to it, but I won't get into that," she says with a laugh. "The breakaway roping, there's a lot more technique to it. You're standing in a box, waiting for your horse and yourself to be ready, you nod your head and the calf runs out of the shoot, and you have to be able to put your horse in the right direction. Eventually, your hose kind of figures it out and they'll just put themselves there. You then have to swing your rope properly, and catch your calf. Once you catch, you have to pull the slack and stop your horse. There's a lot more to breakaway roping than pole bending or barrel racing, but each has their own things you have to kind of live and learn."
Building that skill set is one thing, but Klassen says one of her favourite parts is building her trust and relationship with her horse. "I started on a horse that, he was very skidish about a lot of things. He still doesn't like random people coming up to him, he'll still shy away. Doing rodeo with him has been a great experience because it showed me as a hopefully a future horse trainer and now just starting some yearlings, it showed me that building that connection with your horse is something you absolutely need. It's crazy how I ride him and I can feel that he trusts me, yet when my dad rides him, he just looks more tense. I've had friends ride him, too and he looks tense. But, it's crazy that when we run into the arena now, it feels like he fully trusts me and that feels great. I love riding that horse and it's special every time we go into the arena."
When it comes to career highlights so far, Klassen says a few things jump out for her. "My first breakaway catch. I was not thinking I was going to catch that day, because I just didn't feel very great in the morning. Yet, when I got there and caught, I was just loving the sport and I knew I was going to continue doing that event. Also, a big part of it is the people. Hanging out with friends in the evening and cheering them on during the day, those are the things I'll always remember. I really love that part of it."
Klassen says living out her rodeo dreams wouldn't be possible if not for her family and she couldn't be more thankful. "My mom and dad have been so supportive of me and they take me to each rodeo, they've always been behind me. I know they'll always be in the stands cheering me on. It means the world to me."
While mom and dad may be the loudest, Isabelle Klassen will have a lot of people cheering for her as she continues to do great things in rodeo.