Barrel racing provides adrenalin rush for Virden’s Bear

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This article was published 01/09/2018 (2667 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Westman barrel racer is joining approximately 200 competitors by kicking up dirt during this weekend’s Northern Lights Futurity & Derby barrel racing competition at the Keystone Centre.

“It’s just so addicting, it’s so fun flying through the arena,” said Shayanne Bear of Virden. “It’s an adrenaline sport, and you get to meet so many people and make new friends.”

The 20-year-old is competing in the event atop five-year-old Bam, who is owned by acclaimed barrel racer and Manitoba Rodeo Cowboy Association champion Cathy Gerrand, who served as Bear’s coach when she was in high school.

Bear grew up immersed in rodeo culture and is following in the footsteps of her father Charlie Bear, a professional bull rider.

She began barrel at the age of 10 and has been at it ever since, riding competitively for the past five years.

Despite her deep roots in the sport, she didn’t always see herself as a competitive barrel racer, and had originally pursued a career in figure skating. She remained serious about figure skating for years, living with a number of billet families in pursuit of a career.

Bear worked hard to find a balance between her skating and an ongoing interest in high school rodeo, which she considered a side effort to her greater figure skating aspirations.

That was until her figure skating dream was put on ice when she was involved in a serious motor vehicle incident three years ago.

On her way to skating practice, she was making her way through dense fog during the early morning hours and fell asleep while driving. The young athlete wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and flew more than 100 feet off an embankment, suffering a head injury and compression break in her back.

After three months of recovery, Bear was able to begin skating again, but believed she couldn’t preform at the same level as she was previously able, which led her to shift her focus onto competitive barrel racing and team roping.

“I had horses to fall back on, and it was actually pretty good,” she said.

To maintain her competitive edge, Bear said she rides every day during the summer and competes in a race every weekend.

When training for competition, Bear said she focuses on her horses, working hard to ensure they are happy, healthy and ready for the arena.

She has traversed much of Western Canada competing in rodeo and jackpots. Her farthest afield competition was at a small rodeo at the Tsuu T’ina powwow, 50 kilometres southwest of Calgary.

She said most competitors don’t enter the races to win, and that most lose more than they take home by winning championships.

Instead, Bear said she remains addicted to the adrenalin, thrilling rush and fun that comes with the sport.

Bear said each race offers a new and exciting experience, with each ride triggering a unique combination of nerves and adrenaline.

“Sometimes you’ll pay 150 bucks to make one run, sometimes you’ll pay $10. This is a bigger one (Northern Lights), so you’ll probably get a little more nervous or excited,” Bear said.

One of the hardest parts of competition can be the doubts that can creep in during the leadup to each race, Bear said.

“Your biggest enemy can sometimes be yourself,” she said. “Your horse can maybe do it and you have all the ability in the world to do it. But whether or not you’re mentally prepared for it … you can sometimes be your own enemy.”

While she enjoys the thrill of competition, Bear said that the best part of competitive riding is the camaraderie she shares with her fellow riders, along with the horsemanship opportunity it provides.

“If you come to a barrel race and you see someone you know is really good, you just want to be as good as them,” Bear said. “But you can’t take things too seriously.”

Rodeos offer the opportunity for Bear to see some of her best friends, some of whom often live several hours away and love the sport and working with animals as much as she does.

The Northern Lights competition is a favourite of Bear’s because it offers a chance to test out some of her younger horses that wouldn’t typically compete.

Bear is making a name for herself in the barrel racing world based on her precision as a rider.

“She’s a quiet rider. She doesnt get jerking and pulling on them, she lets her horses work,” said fellow competitor Rae Lyng, who has been riding with Bear for the last two years. “She focuses on getting them in correct shape and position to work well.”

This weekend’s barrel racing competition will continue throughout the weekend, with both days’ events beginning at 9 a.m. Admission to view the competition is free of charge.

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