Keeping Stories Alive
If you’ve ever wondered what 14-year-old cowboys do in their free time, it may be shooting armadillos to keep the horse pastures hole free or chasing after the ranch goat “Baaatman” on foot while swinging a rope.
At least, if you’re Dugan Caldwell this might be true. This fun-loving young man is a team roper and budding horse trainer in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
Canadian-born cowgirl Shelby Boisjoli has made her mark on the foundation of the breakaway roping industry, gaining acclaim with quick catches, hard stops, and fast times.
Growing up in a rodeo family, Shelby was riding alongside her sisters at a young age. No stranger to hard work, her father never bought her and her siblings’ expensive finished horses, but instead taught them the value of making their quality mounts through lots of wet saddle blankets. Perhaps the most impactful of these childhood horses was Flop, who carried Shelby and each of her sisters to provincial titles from grades six to twelve. This amazing gelding taught her what a good breakaway horse should feel like and provides the standard for what she looks for in horses today.
I learned about Katie through seeing her kind offer to help a mutual friend getting started in the world of breakaway roping. I was later able to chat with her some, and discovered the many talents and passions of this Colorado cowgirl.
The ranch and the lifestyle have trickled down through the generations in the Jolly family, but Katie has made another name for herself while competing in barrel racing, team roping, and breakaway roping competitions. In addition to competing, she trains horses and manages her own herd of cattle.
There have been several well-known cowboys and cowgirls in the western horse world that have made a statement by doing things with their own unique approach. From purple clad Saddle Bronc star Casey Tibbs to brightly adorned helmet wearing Fallon Taylor, these folks’ pair their personal style and charisma with honest talent and hard work.
I first met Tenaya at a ranch rodeo when we were both helping our friends at Cavvietta Quarter Horse and Cattle Co. She exuded a quiet confidence and as we chatted in between welcoming guests I began to learn bits and pieces of her story. She had worked with horses in Australia and throughout the US, and it became clear she both knew horses and that she loved them. Her time inside the show barn world of hunter jumpers was as impressive as the ease with which she could switch to talking about working cattle. I’ve since had the pleasure of visiting Rough Diamond Ranch and learning more of her story.
