Nevada Dynneson, 16, and her mom Deona are leaving this week for Wyoming, where Nevada will be competing in the North American High School Rodeo Championships in barrel racing. She hopes to pursue a career in professional rodeo in the future. (Keith Lacey photo)
An Osoyoos teenager who has proven she’s one of the very best in her chosen sport in British Columbia will be testing her skills against the best young cowgirls in the United States over the next few days.
Nevada Dynneson, 16, has excelled in the sport of rodeo over the past couple of years. Her specialty is barrel racing.
After winning the barrel racing event at this year’s British Columbia High School Provincial Rodeo in Quesnel several weeks ago, Nevada and her mom Deona will be travelling to Gillette, Wyoming to compete in the North American High School Rodeo Championships.
Nevada, her mother and Nevada’s 12-year-old quarter horse called Savannah left Wednesday from Osoyoos for the 15-hour drive to Wyoming.
In Gillette, Nevada will be competing this weekend in Wyoming against hundreds of young cowboys and cowgirls.
“There will be about 1,650 competitors from Canada and all over the United States and approximately 200 girls competing in the girls barrel racing event,” said Nevada’s proud mother. “We have to travel 15 hours to get to Wyoming and you only get two races that last only a matter of seconds to show off your skills.
“Only the top 20 girls will advance to the third round, where they get one final run to determine the champion.”
Nevada was raised in Rock Creek, but she and her mother recently moved to Osoyoos just over one year ago and she has been training at the Little Mountain Boarding Stables.
Nevada and her brother Colby, 14, grew up on a farm surrounded by horses. Nevada said she can’t remember a day without horses in her entire life.
“I’ve been around horses for as long as I can remember,” she said “I can honestly say that I knew since age four that I wanted to compete in the rodeo and I’ve been working on getting better ever since.”
By Grade 6, Nevada was enrolled in the junior program on the National High School Rodeo society in the United States and by Grade 7 she had qualified for the junior national rodeo in New Mexico.
In Grade 8, she qualified for the North American high school rodeo competition in Iowa, where she finished 52nd overall in barrel racing.
Last year was a breakthrough for Nevada as she qualified for the Canadian High School Rodeo championships in Nanton, Alberta and was declared the girls champion in her age bracket.
“I was obviously very happy to win the Canadian championship,” she said. “There are a lot of girls from Alberta who are incredible racers and to beat them all and become a national champion was a big thrill.”
Nevada’s mother was looking for a great horse for some time and purchased Savannah from an owner in Vernon about eight years ago.
“It took about two years of hard work for the two of them to really come together,” said her mom. “Since then, they’ve truly become a team and they keep getting better and better.”
Nevada’s success hasn’t been a fluke as she trains six days a week trying to perfect the technique that sees rider and horse travel at high speeds around three barrels in an enclosed dirt obstacle course.
“You just try and go as fast as you can,” said Nevada. “But you have to have your horse under complete control to try and shave hundredths of a second because that’s the difference between winning and losing.’
Nevada has no doubt that her best days lie ahead.
“I would love to get a scholarship to the United States because rodeo is a full scholarship sport in many states,” she said. “No matter what happens with school, my long-term goal is to join the pro rodeo circuit.
“You can make a really good living on the pro rodeo circuit and there are a lot more women involved in the sport now, so that’s my goal.”
Nevada’s goal heading to Wyoming is pretty simple.
“Only the top 20 girls get into the finals after two runs, so my goal is to be in the Top 20 and hopefully get that third ride,” she said. “Once you’re in the finals, anything can happen.”
Deona said she couldn’t be prouder of her daughter and says she’s earned all of the recent success that has come her way.
“I’m extremely proud of her,” she said. “She’s extremely dedicated and works very hard.
“To compete on the high school circuit, you have to keep your marks up or you’re not allowed to compete. She has the support of her teachers (at Osoyoos Secondary School) and they’ve made it very clear she’s continued to excel in school. She also has a part-time job, so she’s a very busy girl.”
Nevada’s father Gord is very supportive of her career as well, she said.
Deona, who has competed on the professional rodeo circuit in B.C. and Alberta, said she and Nevada are very close, but remain competitive.
“We love to race each other,” she said. “We both hate to lose and it’s very competitive, but that all goes out the window once the race is over.”
The family is looking for local business and corporate sponsors to help pay some of the costs of the trip to Wyoming.
If anyone is interested, they can contact Deona Dynneson at 250-689-2448. Nevada also has her own Facebook page, where donations can be made. That can be accessed at Nevada Dynneson Athlete Page on Facebook.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
