S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. Today we're talking about the history and culture rodeos are built on , plus the ongoing debate between a years long tradition and alleged animal cruelty. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. First , we'll explore the Kumeyaay history of rodeos.
S2: That's where it started. Was in ranching , then the rodeo. The contest came after that.
S1: Plus , how a proposed ban threatens the local rodeo scene. Then hear from a professional rodeo rider and barrel racer. That's ahead on midday Edition. The Padres announced they'll host the San Diego Rodeo at Petco Park in January. The news comes as the city council mulls over a potential ban on local rodeos , debating between their cultural significance and allegations of animal cruelty. Well , today on midday , we're exploring it all , starting with the long history of rodeos and the cultural significance to communities across San Diego. I'm here with John Chrisman. He's chairman of the VA House Band of Kumeyaay Indians and part of the San Diego Rodeo Alliance. John , it's good to have you on the show.
S2: Thank you. I'm glad to be here.
S1: So when some people think of a rodeo , they might picture a western like a John Wayne movie or something. And those don't always represent the origins of rodeos.
S2: Um , so we were growing up in my childhood , we were always cattle ranchers here. We weren't always in businesses like we have now. So part of the agreement of even us moving to Viejas had an association with a certain number of cattle per person who came here. So we were all of us at one point ranchers. Ranching is a cornerstone of rodeo. That's the history of it. That's where it started. Was in ranching , then the rodeo. The contest came after that. Um , I myself , generationally , I think I'm the fourth generation rancher here. I was raised that way. My grandfather just live for ranching. His brand I inherited after he passed. And it goes back to the 1800s. And the Captain Grandy Reservation , where the reservoir is , El Capitan reservoir is right now. So the original owner was one of Diego de la Choppa , which is my grandfather's grandfather. So the history of that Ranching goes back in my family generations. I , uh , went ahead and ranched my whole life , but then turned around and went into the rodeo arena in my 20s and decided that I wanted to compete. And I did personally throughout the state and the circuit , uh , some bigger rodeos out in Texas and Oklahoma. I was at one point on the Western States Indian Rodeo Association. So I rodeo in the circuit , in the Indian circuit , also within the tour and also within the region of the western states. So personally , that's been my story. My , my daughter's also junior rodeo and I still have one that does now and then. My wife consequently trains the horses for my daughters. So it's a family affair basically with rodeo. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. So , you know , rodeo is this family tradition.
S2: Everybody chipped in. You know , between the , the some of the families , the , the ladies cooked and everything and the men did most of the gathering and then all the hard work and branding and all of that. So that kind of was its own rodeo. If you've ever been to one of those , and it's because it's you're handling the animals and everything , of course , got modernized. These days you have different equipment for safety. But in the old days and even in my time , you had to actually rope these things and , and stretch them in order to brand them and all of that too. So all of those things can be done tending to them. And , you know , that in turn was the the vaccinations and everything too , that went with that also. So it was more than just that. It had to do with the overall health of the animal.
S1: And the relationship with the animal.
S2: It's a lifestyle for us. We , those of us that live this , it is a daily thing with the horses and the cattle and they they tend to know you if you're feeding them every day. Mhm. They know exactly who you are and everything in it. And it is quite a bond and it is , it's a , it's a choice for me. And so and I still live that today. Very much so. Yeah.
S3: Yeah.
S1: You know I'm curious you know because we're talking about , you know , the indigenous history of rodeos and particularly for the Kumeyaay.
S2: Here , of course , because the Spanish were here first. And so the ranching and all of that was basically through the mission period here , because we are considered mission Indians based on that , the first records of us were through the mission itself , and in this case , San Diego mission to Alcala. And so the records go back there , even down to the naming of us. But then in addition to that right there , all of the different livestock and everything was around centered around that mission , too. So that's where it began.
S1:
S2: It's just not all of these are in the mainstream. And so of course , Lakeside , Ramona , uh , Poway just ended and then sometimes and then Valley Center also they have an actual sanctioned pro rodeo there. There's not much in the amateur levels , but there is some little backyard things going on for ranch rodeos and other things that happen in the back country. To those , four are named off , though not counting the the the San Diego Rodeo would be the fifth. And so and there were more going back 25 years ago. It's just some of them , some of the committees , because there was one in Julian. I mean , they were all over the place and they had won back probably And six at the sports arena , and I roped in that.
S3: Oh , wow.
S2: Okay , so that that's not too far away now. They only had it for one year , but we there still was an actual sanctioned rodeo there in the sports arena inside.
S1: You mentioned the San Diego Rodeo , which is coming up. You know , last year drew more than 45,000 people.
S2: I think it carries over between music , clothes , clothing , a lot of other things. I think it has a little more support than people realize. I think that throughout the history of California , I've circuit rodeo in California for probably almost 30 years , and up and down the state there are rodeos , for instance. Salinas is one of my favorite rodeos , and it showcases the event that I compete in. And it is of the of the toughest conditions that you'll ever face. Team roping. Well , that rodeo is 113 years old. But I would like to protect that rodeo. I hate to see that sort of rodeo that has that long of a history be banned within the state. So I really personally would like to protect that if at all possible. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S2: We've spoken to to Councilman Lee. He was very gracious and giving us the meeting , and he heard us out and everything too. But he was also gentlemanly about it and saying that he would still be talking about this. So there was no no real progress other than the conversation. We haven't had one. Again , he was , uh , notified by our group that we were going ahead and having a second one or , you know , I'm just part of that. I'm not putting on the rodeo. So he was notified of that. So there has not been any other dialogue between Councilman Lee and this coalition or myself personally.
S1: And speaking of Council member Kent Lee , he proposed the ban on rodeos. We reached out to his office for a statement on the San Diego Rodeo , as well as the status of that ordinance , and this is part of his response , quote , the city should not be in the business of profiting from inhumane animal practices , and I was disappointed to learn that this event has been scheduled. His statement goes on to say , we continue to work collaboratively with the San Diego Humane Society , animal welfare advocates , and other civic leaders to bring forward an animal welfare ordinance this year. End quote. We also reached out to the San Diego Humane Society , who echoed Councilmember Lee's sentiments , noting that , quote , rodeos often involve calf roping , steer wrestling , and bull riding practices that can cause unnecessary physical and psychological harm to the animals involved. Additionally , animals are often forced to perform in rodeos through the use of inhumane tools like electric prods and bucking straps.
S2: Now , this particular rodeo , which some ordinances throughout the state prohibit the use of cattle prods , so they're not using them. I know that for a fact. With regards to the straps , well , they're a fleece lined strap. So what's happened over the last probably , I don't know , 50 years is that they have this rough stock , the bulls and the horses that are athletes , they are genetically sort of bred just to do that and they enjoy it. Having trained horses myself , I specifically look for the type of breeding and the type of horse that likes the event , because when you have an animal like that , they you don't train them , they train themselves. really. So that statement just tells me that they don't really know the process. Now , the fact that they're they're so genetically refined to do that event , the advantage goes to the animal. And in most cases , there is a 80 to 90% buck off ratio where the animal basically doesn't doesn't even the person can't stay on them for more than three seconds because they're so athletic now. Now everybody has their opinion about that. They , uh , the people with C5 and other stock contractors that I've known through the years treat them with. They treat them as if they are just like the the star athlete. They work for that the few seconds and they they feed them really , really good feed and everything and they handle them and they're real. They're real particular about that , about how how they're being treated and everything. So I think if they were exposed to that , they would they would maybe have the same opinion about a bucking animal. But to see , to have seen personally how they're treated. I know that they are treated better than a lot of farm animals. They are. They are their pride and joy and it shows.
S1: Well , and talk a bit more about that bond , you know , culturally.
S2: They call it horse medicine , where being able to communicate with your horse. I have some friends from the from the Plains that have told me that they said , you have good horse medicine. I go , oh , thank you. What they mean by that , though , is that your ability to communicate with the animal , basically to show them through different things in different , you know , different practices and things of that nature. A lot of it's just putting them to work and letting. Them.
S3: Them.
S2: Feel the joy in that. And sometimes you have to go slow with them. Sometimes you have to show them slowly , a little bit what you want , and then you work your way up and speed and that's that's my experience with that.
S3: All right.
S1: Well , you know , while this proposed ban wouldn't apply to local tribes outside the city limits , you are fighting against the ban and any potential legislation.
S2: That's why I , I would stand in opposition of a ban like that and it be anywhere within the state. I would I personally feel that that I would like to protect that as long as I can.
S1: What do you really want people to know about rodeo and its place in Kumeyaay culture ? And here in San Diego.
S3: It's a.
S2: Family affair. We we really view it as that. Here we have an arena. Um , we have a few people that ride. We are trying to we have had requests of people wanting to do little , not just rodeo things , but just riding in general and to to learn all of those things that we talked about , about caring for the animal and everything and starting out from the ground up. So we've we've been kicking that around here , but it goes back and it's very , very deep rooted within our culture to have animals. We have had that for many years. Some families don't anymore. But now that we are looking towards that again , I'm elated that that the younger generation wants to do that here within Voss and we have some already , but more want to follow.
S3: All right.
S1: I've been speaking with John Chrisman , chairman of the VA House Band of Kumeyaay Indians. John , thank you so very much.
S2: Thank you. Thank you for taking the time with me.
S1: Coming up , how a proposed rodeo ban could impact the local area scene.
S4: You could be in the arena with your dad , your cousin , your uncle , your daughter , your son , all at the same time. It makes it just it just makes it an atmosphere that you want to be part of.
S1: Hear more when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. We're talking about the cultural importance of rodeos. That's also true for churros or Mexican cowboys. Across the country , dozens of chariots offer spectators a glimpse into the living history of Mexico's proud ranching culture. These competitions allow riders to hone their skills while giving members of the Mexican-American community a gathering place to really celebrate a centuries old tradition. San Diego also has a vibrant career scene , but local heroes say a proposed ban on rodeos could threaten all that. I'm here with Ramon Hatta , chairman of the San Diego Charro Coalition. He also founded the shadow team Rancho La Laguna , which is based out of San Isidro. Ramon , welcome. Great.
S3: Great.
S4: Thank you for having me. Really appreciate. It.
S3: It. Hey.
S1: Really glad you had the time. So you once described Sharia as a way of life. Tell me about. That.
S3: That. Yeah , it's.
S4: Just a way that we're able to connect not only to our roots , but our family. Our friends connect with , you know , with our animals. It's just the way that we've , you know , something that my parents. But my grandparents passed on generation from generation to be able to do such a , you know , such a great sport to not only , you know , showcase our ability to actually do something we enjoy , but also give back to the community. I think that idea has been part of my life for the last 40 years , and it's something that was given to me , passed on from generation to generation. And now I'm doing the same thing with my kids. So it's just a great opportunity for us to be together as a family , um , spend time together and also be part of a just a great community of Chattanooga. Wow.
S3: Wow.
S1: Well , what are the different events and what do you specialize in ? Yeah.
S4: You know , there's there's there's actually ten events that there isn't. Charity and I specialize more around the rope tricks , like doing rope tricks on a horse or on foot. You know , back in the days when I was a little bit younger , you know , I would do a lot of bull riding. Bronc riding. Um , and then there is something called the path of death , where you jump from one horse to another. Um , that I haven't done in a while because , uh , you know , it's it's as as you grow , um , of age , uh , you got to do things. Events that are just more for your experience. So , um , so , yeah , that's what that's what I do. But there's ten events and it's just like , you know , charity is just like any other sport where you got to practice , you got to have discipline. You know , you got to be part of a team. Um , it's a team atmosphere. But in this particular sport , I think what makes it different and unique compared to any other sport ? I used to play baseball , um , growing up , and I played college baseball. What makes it unique and different is and there's no sport that I'm aware of , where you could be in the arena with your dad , your cousin , your uncle , your daughter your son all at the same time. It makes it just. It just makes it an atmosphere that you want to be part of. Wow.
S3: Wow.
S1: I understand this was a tradition born from Mexican rancheros who competed while herding livestock. Can you talk more about that history ? Yeah.
S3:
S4: You know what ? All these events that came out of that , we currently practice more in a traditional setting. Right now , it's all events. The things that are ancestors would do out at the ranches when they're hurting cattle , when they're bringing in cattle , when a cattle got hurt , what would you have to do ? You would have to lasso it , bring it in. When you had a brand , the cattle , you have to , you know , lasso it , put them inside a stable or a stall or a chute so you could brand it. So all these events came from what our ancestors would do a hundred years ago , but now it's more specialized in an arena with judges , and it's a little bit more structured. But it's it's something that , again , was done 100 years ago. Now it's just more specialized. Yeah.
S3: Yeah.
S1: Do family memories come to mind when you think about when you first started writing ? Absolutely.
S4: Like my first pictures of me growing up , um , were on top of a horse. Like , that's what I remember. I would say 90% of the pictures that I have is either me on a horse , me with my ropes , me with my dad in a competition , me with my brothers , me with my sister , you know , wearing our traditional Qatari outfit. So , um , so , yeah , it brings a lot of memories. And I think it not only brings memories for me , but it means memories for my parents , for my brothers , for my siblings , for sure.
S1: Tell me about the outfit you were just talking about ? I mean , I know clothing is really important in shadow culture , so. So what are you wearing out there ? Describe it for us. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. So ? So look , I think when we take in the community , we take , um , wearing your shadow outfit very seriously. Not only because it's it's a reflection of who you are , the culture , the tradition , but you're representing a community. You're representing a country to. But also now here in the United States , you're representing a community of immigrants to as well , that they want to feel back. Like , you know what ? I remember when my dad would take me to the US , you know , when I was growing up. So , you know , it consists of you got boots , you got your pants , you got about , you know , you got your shirt , you got what it's called your mono. That's like your tie. And then you have your , your sombrero that you put on. Um , and again , and it's what's interesting is when you're wearing these particular , um , outfits again , it gives you the identity that , you know , from your ancestors , but also a lot of these things that we wear , it's also used for protection. For example , a lot of people don't know the sombrero that we wear is for protection. If you fall that you don't hit your if you hit your head , you have somewhat of a helmet , right ? The chaps that we wear whenever you get close to a fence or if a bull tries to kick you or , you know , or you get next to a fence or the bull tries to kick you , you have some type of protection. So not only the outfit is designed to showcase the tradition that your heritage , but also it's used from a protection standpoint just to minimize you getting hurt.
S1: Yeah , well , you're also captain of the Rancho La Laguna. What has it really been like to lead that team over the past five years and and work towards preserving charro culture ? You know.
S4: What ? I think it's great. And I'll tell you again , I've been around the charity environment for 40 years , and I've been the privilege to to be the founder and creator of Rancho La Laguna. We're able to buy a property five years ago where we've done a lot of great things , um , not only in the sport , but outside the sport. I think that's what makes us the the proudest or makes me the proudest is that we invited back in 2021 , uh , right before Covid , we invited 100 underprivileged kids from the Boys and Girls Club , from the local area where we we just showed them a little bit about the culture of Korea and more about animals. How do we take care of our animals ? How do we feed them ? How do we shower them ? How do we how to write them , how to brush them. So I thought that was great , that there's kids that I grew up around horses. So for me that wasn't as impactful because I'm always around horses. But for kids , it just really got me thinking. For kids that have never been around , animals that have never been around horses , for them to see them for the first time or touch a horse for a first time , it was super impactful. And and I thought that was really good. Um , and the other thing too is there's since we created our nonprofit , uh , Rancho La Laguna and our team , what's been great is not only now people in the community know us like the city council member that supports us as well , um , know who we are , but I think we've been able to bring in other kids to away from being in drugs , away from being in gangs , away from being in trouble. We actually have a school of children , from kids that are as young as six years old. All the way to there. 1415 and we have a Scaramouche. That's the female writers that when we started on Laguna , there's only two teams in San Diego. Now there's six teams of Chargers in San Diego. Um , and now there's there was only one escape. Now there's five is kind of in San Diego. And I'm excited to say that Rancho La Laguna is their home. We do all major tournaments , you know , from Southern California. We bring people all the way down from San Fernando Valley , LA , come down to San Diego to compete. So I think what makes me really excited is that not only we've done some great things , but we've actually created an environment for people to be able to go and not only see each other to play , but to practice it all over the county of San Diego.
S1: Well , there there is this new proposal to ban local rodeos.
S4: It would impact significantly. It would really. It would be devastating. You know , I'm just thinking of the things that that I did growing up , that unfortunately , there would be kids that wouldn't be able to have that experience , that I had this. This would be bad for on a on multiple fronts. I think culturally people would be like they would lose their identity , feeling that they belong to something that has been passed on from generation to generation. I think that's one. The second piece that I could think of is , again , I mentioned the kids. There's so many kids that are practicing the sport right now with multiple schools that we have down in San Ysidro for males or for kids , for boys and girls , that they wouldn't be able to do that no more. And I think the third piece that we're forgetting , and I think animal activists forget too , is the animals ? What would happen to these animals ? They wouldn't be any use for these animals. What would happen to them ? And if we really cared about our animals , I think that's the question we should be asking ourselves. You know , if if there was a band.
S1:
S4: I think that's a very fair question. But I think it's all about education. And that's what we've been trying to do with city council members is really educating them about. And there's misconceptions that there is misconceptions around how we take care of our animals. And for me , I think owning horses that I've been I've been around horses , my whole entire life. One thing that I learned early on on growing up from my dad was , you need to take care of your animals. These animals are the ones that , when you're competing , help you make sure you don't get hurt. They help you win. They help you , um. Stay disciplined. But without the animals , you can't do none of that. So the last thing we want to do is hurt our animals. The last thing you want to do is not take care of your animals. That's the last thing you want to do. I think and I think that what I would challenge the critics , especially animal activists , is if you really care about the animals that I know , we do. Why don't you make a purchase and buy an animal ? Why don't. Because that's that's what I've always asked myself. The people that are challenging us are people that don't have animals. And how do you you know , and I take it offense. It's pretty offensive to me where people say that we don't take care of our animals because that's far from the truth. If I didn't take care of my animals , I wouldn't have animals. Why would I ? I just wouldn't have them. That's that. That's like that to me. I think that's that just doesn't , you know , I it's hard for me to understand that point of view because the individuals and the folks in the communities that are are pushing this issue. It's not people that own animals to begin with. To me , that's , that's that's uh , uh , it's something that I just want to be able to close the gap. And I and I really do believe for my first statement that I mentioned , it's all about lack of education. And that's really what we've been trying to do , is really with the San Diego Rodeo with , um , the coalition is trying to educate people about the sport , about the tradition and how we really care , the animal welfare. For me , I think it's super important and that's always been from day one. That's another memory that I have with my with my dad is you have to respect the animals. And that's always been day one. That's been his something that he's instilled in us and my brothers and my community. And that's what we do at Rancho La Laguna. That's always been our number one priority , is making sure that the welfare of our animals is is safety first ? Yeah.
S3:
S1: I'm is any bit of what activists say true ? I mean , maybe at fringe rodeos.
S4: Look , I would be also naive to think or say that there isn't any malpractices out there. I'm sure there's people that , you know , I've seen some videos they've shared with with the city council members , but in some cases these videos are videos of things that are happening. They're not even in our state. They're out in Chicago now that it makes it. Not that it justifies it. It doesn't justify. It shouldn't have happened to begin with. But they're not things that are happening here locally or things that we are aware of. Right. And like , like like in everything , you know , there's bad operators. I'm sure there's bad operators out there. But under our federation of Terraria , there's some very strict guidelines that we have to follow. And and if you don't follow them , you get fined. If you don't follow them , um , you get suspended for a whole entire year. So there's guardrails for us to ensure that if there is bad operators , that we actually align them towards a common goal. And the common goal is the welfare of our animals.
S1: Well , let's talk about the San Diego Rodeo. How important are events like these in bringing awareness to the sport and its cultural ties ? Absolutely.
S4: I think that this gives us , you know , when when you have a rodeo of this magnitude in a venue like Petco Park , it brings a lot of attention. And in some cases , I would say 95% of the attention is really good attention for the Western lifestyle and what we do. And there's going to be some critics like there everything in life , there's going to be people that agree or , and or agree to disagree in certain topics. And I think that's what's happening right now. Um , but I think to answer your question , I think it gives us the opportunity to showcase the Western style culture , to showcase how we , you know , how this particular rodeo is very professional. I was there last year , and I felt like the way they manage the rodeo , the way they the logistics , um , the way they make sure to minimize any incidents or accidents , not only with the Cowboys , but also with , um , with the animals. I thought that was they did a really nice job. So I think it's I think it really showcases the Western lifestyle , and it's something that everybody , you know , that we want to continue to keep it alive. You know , so I think that this again , this event will do that. It really puts it puts the Western lifestyle on the map. Yeah.
S3: Yeah.
S1:
S4: Look , we got to have a united front. These are the things that we want to. This is the the strategy we want to go after. The second piece is making sure that we're , you know , connecting with our city council members , right. And educating them because the last thing we want to do is do things that are against the law. That's the last thing we want to do. We want to make sure we're following the law that we're doing things that are ethical , that are correct , and that are not against the law. And I think one of the things that I realized just meeting with majority of the city council members is that there was just a lack of awareness , lack of education. And and hopefully we can help close the gap and , and come up with a somewhere in the middle where we could actually be able to , you know , continue our traditions. But at the same token , try to ensure that we minimize any type of of animal cruelty out there.
S1: I've been speaking with Ramon Jara , chairman of the San Diego Charro Coalition. Ramon. Thank you so much for joining us.
S4: Thank you. And you have a good one. Take care.
S1: Still ahead. Hear from a professional rodeo rider and barrel racer who's been at it since the age of seven.
S5: From starting at seven , barely knowing how to ride to competing at a professional level is was definitely a dream come true.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition returns after the break. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. We've been talking about the cultural significance of rodeos , and competition is a big part of that. Our next guest has actually been competing across the country since she was seven years old. Mason Powers is a professional barrel racer. Born in Encinitas and raised in Escondido. She competed in the Poway Rodeo , which took place this past weekend. And she joins me now to talk about her journey through the sport. Mason , welcome to midday. Hello.
S5: Hello. Hello.
S1: Hello. It's , uh , great to have you here.
S5: Uh , was it my best run ? But the horses are safe , and we made clean runs all weekend and stayed consistent all year. So that's as good as it's gonna get , I guess. And , um , just there for the ride.
S1: Yeah , yeah , well , we'll get him next time. Um , for listeners who don't know what exactly is barrel racing.
S5: So barrel racing is a professional event that is done at mostly rodeos. Um , there are jackpots. It's a cloverleaf pattern , um , with three cans or barrels. Um , and you can choose to go left first and make two right turns , or vice versa. You can go right first to make two left pattern or left turns. And it's the fastest time wins , but they place up to 1015 people after that. So it's all within like a 10th of a second. Um , it's up to basically the milliseconds. I mean , it's super competitive. Wow.
S1: Wow. And you know , as I mentioned earlier , you've been doing this since you were seven years old.
S5: Um , so I've been doing it for quite some time. It's been quite the journey though. Growing up , I never my parents weren't raised around horses. So we got to learn this all together as a family. And it's been pretty neat seeing all the progress that I've made since I was seven.
S1: Yeah , yeah.
S5: Um , at seven , I mean , I was just starting and little junior rodeos. I had an old horse took care of me. Um , the older I got , obviously , the faster the horses , the calibre of them , um , has changed significantly. I mean , now it's an incredible amount of power under me. I just have some lucky horses that I've been just blessed to ride. Um , but it's been quite the change. I mean , from starting at seven , barely knowing how to ride to competing at a professional level is definitely a dream come true.
S1: Well , lucky horses , but there's some skill that goes into this too. And your accomplishments are are nothing to just blink at. So tell us more about how you got into the sport.
S5: I made a bet with my parents. Um , it started at the Poway Rodeo. Actually , I entered the mutton busting , which is riding the sheep. Mhm. Um , and they made a bet. If I could stay on , they'd get me horse riding lessons. Um , horse riding lessons. Then turned into rodeo at seven. So , um , I've just carried it along and have put all of my hours after school and everything , all the hours of life into these horses.
S3: Well , that's. Excellent.
S1: Excellent.
S5: Um , just stay focused. I mean , I gotta make sure my horse feels okay. All the pieces are coming together. Uh , when I'm warming up just to get ready for the rodeo. I tried to keep my mind as , like , a practice mind of what I need to do and practice that while warming up. So I can keep that fresh in my mind when I start going towards the gate. I definitely start thinking and reminding myself like main points that I need to hit. The rodeo definitely gets some nerves going through my body , so trying just to look past my nerves and all of that has been a little bit of a struggle. But we get through it and I just try to stay super correct and ride my horse. How I ride her at home.
S3: Yeah , well.
S1: One of the first things you mentioned when talking about what's going through your head when you're about to race is checking to make sure that your horse is okay. The relationship between the horse and the rider sounds like it's pretty important.
S5: Her name's BW little Sister donkey. Um , her barn name is doodles. I got her , um , when I was in high school , I had a horse get hurt. Um , we ended up buying this one , and I've bonded with her pretty well. Um , we've been very consistent , which is a huge goal , and she's just the easiest horse. I mean , I don't have any problems with her. I try to keep her as comfortable as possible. She's a little older. She's 15. Um , so I just try to treat her as good as I can and give her everything I can. I mean , I owe her everything. She's done so much for me these past few years. It's been a blessing. Yeah.
S3: Yeah.
S1: And talk to me a bit about how rodeo has helped you in your personal life and what it's meant to you.
S5: Rodeo has definitely helped me , um , overcome some big things. I mean , emotions and your dedication to a sport just like any other sport. You have to be super dedicated. I mean , you have to put all of the hours into it. You have to be frustrated. You have to go through the lows and the highs. But it's taught me so much on just how to keep my priorities straight. Try hard. When things get rough , you have to keep going , otherwise you'll never get through it. And learning about having a teammate is just so hard to , especially one that doesn't talk. Trying to figure out how they're feeling and all of that has just it's such a hard bond to get to know. And then once you know it , it's crazy what you can do with that.
S3: You know , what.
S1:
S5: I mean , you guys see what happens in the arena , and a lot of people don't understand how well these animals are taken care of outside of the arena. I mean , there are pride and joy. We our life revolves around them. You know , we've spent hours and hours at the vet making sure everything's okay. They get chiropractic and their teeth done. I mean , sometimes they get treated better than us. So , you know , I think a lot of people misunderstand that and see the how hard we use them and don't get to see the rehab and the outside of it. Yeah.
S1:
S5: I try to show that a little more. So people from the outside looking in or noticing that the horses are taking care of when you go to rodeos. I make sure everything looks great , even when I'm talking to people who've never been to , um , the rodeos and stuff at work , I try to explain both sides of it , and then that just trickles down , and I'm hoping it gets the word out and we can rodeo some more here in California.
S1: Yeah , well , you know , rodeo has really , um , it's got some really important historical and cultural significance , particularly in indigenous and charro cultures. That's something we covered earlier in the show.
S5: Um , it's really cool to travel because each rodeo does something different. I mean , it's all the Western way of life. But for example , you go to Pendleton , Oregon. I mean , they do cultural tribe stuff there. And that's super cool to see you get to learn. So much about , um , these different cities and states that I travel to. I get to experience so much of their cultural background. And when they come to California , they get to see what ours is like. It's just so cool. I mean , you get to learn so much about all these places that I would have never known if I didn't. Rodeo. Yeah.
S3: Yeah.
S1:
S5: Then the winter will slow down a little bit for me. Um , beginning of the year , I'll pick up and I'll start going to Arizona a little bit more and start traveling out of state. I just kind of follow the rodeos wherever they go and hoping to place next year.
S1: I've been speaking with Mason powers , professional rodeo rider and barrel racer. Mason , thank you so much for joining me.
S5: Thank you for having me.
S1: That's our show for today. If you missed anything , you can download KPBS Midday Edition on all podcast apps. Don't forget to watch Evening Edition tonight at five for in-depth reporting on San Diego issues. Also , we want to hear from you. Rents are high here and for the moment , slightly cheaper in Tijuana. So have you moved across the border for a lower cost of living ? Or if you live in TJ ? Are you finding things to be more expensive nowadays ? Share your experience with us at (619) 452-0228. Or you can email us at midday at KPBS. Org. We just might ask you to join our upcoming conversation about the cost of living. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. I hope you'll join me here again tomorrow for a conversation about plastics and corporate responsibility. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.
