Rayna DePaul isn’t sure that a rider can ever fully master control of their horse.
“My horse now, Frenchie, is very sassy,” said DePaul, 15, of Penn Township. “She likes to do things her way, but she does listen to me.”
And she listens well.
DePaul, along with three other riders from Round Top Stables in Penn Township, recently returned from the International Barrel Racing Association’s 2021 National Finals, held in Cloverdale, Ind. DePaul brought home the 2021 championship in the IBRA’s Youth 2nd Division.
Division winners in barrel racing, where riders guide their horses through a slalom-style barrel course, are ranked in order of best time.
“I’m always trying to get better without forming bad habits,” DePaul said.
Fellow barrel racer Natalie Cynkar, 19, agreed.
“My biggest challenge is figuring out how the horse moves,” she said. “Sometimes they want to do things differently than you do.”
In the IBRA competition, that translated to Cynkar’s horse Duke dropping his hip a little too far, and consequently dropping her to the ground during her first turn.
“He ‘sat down,’ and I didn’t, and down I went,” she said.
For rider Hailey Ford, 17, patience is the key to long-term success.
“Seeing your hard work not pay off all the time can be frustrating,” Ford said. “It really can be a game of luck sometimes.”
Cynkar’s mother Darla said she loves seeing how working with horses, including the behind-the-scenes dirty work like mucking stalls, has built their character.
“We’re here at the stable all the time,” she said. “We’re taking care of the horses, getting ready for shows, the girls make sure they have all their gear together for competition. And then you ride for a few seconds and then do it all over again to come home.”
Riding also comes with additional fringe benefits, in some cases. Cynkar earned two scholarships that will help her in nursing school by way of her local 4-H Club. She placed in the Top 10 at IBRA 2021 in both the youth and open classes.
Rounding out the quartet is Laura Katinsky Miller, 38, of Mt. Pleasant, who not only rides but is the trainer at Round Top Stables. She teaches about 40 lessons a week at the stables, which boards 15 horses and houses 22 total.
“I like seeing all of my clients becoming better,” Miller said. “You always want to match people with the right horse. They’ll do anything for you, once that bond forms.”
And while the relationship between horse and rider is important, all of the riders emphasized the kinship they’ve formed with one another.
“I really love the atmosphere and the friendships we’ve grown here,” Cynkar said. “Everyone is included as much as possible and we’re all friends.”