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Calamity Cowgirls amaze Estevan CCA Rodeo crowds

The Calamity Cowgirls trick riding team defied the basics of horse riding in front of an awestruck hometown crowd at the Estevan Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) Rodeo last weekend.
Calamity Cowgirls
Calamity Cowgirl Cashlyn Krecklau performs a Superman trick during the girls' trick-riding show on Saturday. Photo by Jamie Harkins.

The Calamity Cowgirls trick riding team defied the basics of horse riding in front of an awestruck hometown crowd at the Estevan Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) Rodeo last weekend.

“What trick riding is is pretty much just hanging off horses, doing stunts off them, jumping off the side and jumping back on,” said Calamity Cowgirl Cassidy Ross, 16. “You get an amazing rush of adrenalin when you’re in that arena and it’s so fulfilling to see all the little girls coming up to us at the end. Even the little guys who want to have our autograph and want to see us again.”

The Cowgirls performance at the Estevan CCA Rodeo marked their one-year anniversary of entertaining visibly amazed crowds, if the fans at the Estevan Exhibition Grounds are any indication, with their exciting and death-defying riding skills. Since that night the girls have been in high demand performing at about 10 rodeos and competitions across Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

“We’ve done actually more performances than we’ve planned on, so that’s good,” said Cowgirl Cashlyn Krecklau, 13, noting after a show in Blaisdell, North Dakota, earlier this summer a number of people approached the team asking if they’d also perform at their town’s rodeos. “It’s gone a long way since the beginning.”

Cashlyn said the Cowgirls got their start about three years ago when she, Cassidy and her sister Carlee began training with trick riding coach Laura Melle, with their fourth member Marci LeBlanc joining the team about six months later. She said the desire to do the high-energy stunts simply came from not being able to sit still on their horses.

“I love vaulting,” said Marci, 14. “That’s when you jump past and back on (your horse) and all that kind of stuff. That’s what I like to do.”

Marci said trusting their horses is the main reason why the team is able to complete these tricks. She said apart from that completing a trick-riding show comes down to overcoming nerves, breathing and practising as hard as you can.

“Usually we practise once a week for about two or three hours,” said Carlee Ross, 14, “but we practise about three times a week or two times a week before a show to get ready.”

Carlee said their show includes four tricks for each rider culminating in a hippodrome lap for the finale, which involves the Cowgirls standing and hanging off their horses on a last circuit around the arena. She said it’s not like any other sport and that’s why they do it, but there really isn’t any final goal in mind.

“I want to do it for a while yet,” said Cashlyn, noting a Cowgirls’ trip to Calgary for a show is something she’d like experience. “The Stampede would be nice.”