Sister-Stormy -Half siblings Sister and Stormy greet each other warmly at the gate .
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Her goal is to have a full rotation of horses available . This group of carefully selected and trained horses could last an entire career in rodeo .
Cheyenne channels a horse ’ s quirks into its work or sport of choice . If a horse shows a proclivity for a certain type of exercise , she encourages it , but only at the horse ’ s behest .
This is how she recently discovered her newest charge , a client horse named Mad About the Moon , or Moonie for short , enjoys poles .
Cheyenne and her horses compete in barrel racing , pole bending ( poles ), and goat tying . They also have the option of working on the family ’ s cattle ranch .
While practicing barrels with Moonie , Cheyenne gave him the opportunity to try the poles . After one practice run , they sailed effortlessly through . She now plans to see how far he wants to go with that , in addition to barrels .
She has a lot to prove with Moonie . This powerful former racehorse twitches with potential . In their first three weeks together they competed , and “ Moonie pulled a check ,” Cheyenne says .
But it ’ s not just about the wins . Competing offers a sustainable way for Cheyenne to pursue the art of horsemanship , a lifestyle pushing her to always learn about herself just as much as horses .
“ I go to pilot error first , every time there ’ s a problem ,” she notes .
The tenets of good horsemanship , according to Cheyenne , sound a lot like would-be tenets for good self-care : Don ’ t neglect good progress by overly focusing on the bad , don ’ t overdo it , and most importantly , always end on a good note . It ’ s how Cheyenne works with all her horses . “ I want them to love their job , not dread it ,” she says .
Part of Cheyenne ’ s competition prep includes honoring her Native heritage ; she ’ s enrolled Crow . “ I ’ d love to represent my tribe and make an impact in the world of rodeo by being myself . You can do this too . Go have fun , be yourself ,” she says .
Her competition attire includes a beaded hat band tied in the back with buckskin and a ceremonial eagle feather passed down from her grandmother , also enrolled Crow .
Last year , with setbacks due to the pandemic , Cheyenne still managed to compete in over 55 rodeos , jackpots and ropings . Her goal for 2021 is to make the Pro Rodeo circuit for her first time , for the chance to compete in the Pro Rodeo National Finals as well as the Indian National Finals Rodeo . She ’ s prepared to travel far and wide to win the qualifying rounds that it takes to get to the next level .
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