FELLSMERE — Mud slung from beneath horse hooves on Saturday during the Fellsmere Riding Club’s Steven Mauldin Memorial Youth Rodeo Buckle Series as riders powered through the rain to compete at the annual event.
Going on its ninth year, this particular youth rodeo is close to the riding club’s heart as it serves to remember one of their own whose life was unexpectedly cut short in a 2006 traffic accident.
Steven Mauldin was “one of our family,” said Karen Ledford as she helped take down barrel race times from the announcer booth. “After his accident, our rodeo family got together and held a fundraiser to help his family.”
The first rodeo raised more than $15,000 Ledford said. Each year since, the money raised from the rodeo is put right back into the riding club’s youth programs.
Tragedy struck the club again in 2013 when 6-year-old Madison Smith passed away from injuries incurred from an ATV accident. Still fresh in some of the young riders’ minds, the club took a moment to remember Smith before activities got underway on Saturday.
At first, the idea of having a youth rodeo was to allow Mauldin’s friends to compete in his memory. Though many of his friends are now into their mid or late 20s, new young riders continue to carry on the club’s spirit of family even in the heat of competition.
Marina Arnold,11, was by far the loudest in the crowd of onlookers as the gate opened for her 8-year-old sister Sierra who rode her first barrel race of the afternoon in just under 19 seconds.
“Let’s go Sierra!” Marina yelled as her sister went whizzing by on their shared horse, Prince Ella. “Keep your hands low! Hustle!”
After the race, Sierra said she heard her sister’s instructions and encouragement loud and clear from the sidelines. After taking first place in her division for barrel racing, Sierra plans on taking her trophy to her third grade classroom for show and tell.
The girls’ father, Steve Arnold, said Sierra and Marina were inspired by his mother’s lifelong love for horses and riding. They picked up the sport together four years ago and now spend about half of their weekends participating in rodeos.
“Sierra won her division the last two years, and Marina won the year before last,” Arnold said. Marina was unable to participate at full strength last year due to healing from a broken arm, but was ready to make up for lost time this year.
Despite the consistent rain and the slick mud, competitors toughed it out for a full afternoon and evening of events including poles, team roping, mutton busting, steer and bull riding.
The buckle series will continue at the Fellsmere Riding Club on Sept. 13 and finals will be held on Oct. 11.
