Mix a need for speed with a love for horses and the result is a recipe for success in the world of rodeo.
Grade 10 student Raquel Marchiel of Silver Creek has been riding in the rodeo ring since she was a youngster, building up the skills which landed her a spot in the upcoming Canadian High School Finals Rodeo in Merritt and the national finals in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Following in the footsteps of her mother, Diana, Marchiel competed in Little Britches rodeos for several years, riding in barrel racing and pole bending events across the province.
“I’ve been pretty much riding horses my entire life; I started with doing small barrel races and stuff because my mom did rodeos when she was younger too,” she says.
As far as the question of what got her hooked and kept her competing for so long is concerned, Marchiel’s answer is a simple one and showcases a thrill-seeking attitude that has kept her constantly improving her riding.
“I don’t know, I just really like riding my horse really fast,” she begins with a laugh. “Pole bending is my favourite event. My horse really loves doing poles, she really picks it up, weaving in between the poles really fast is super fun.”
As any rodeo rider will know, a good horse is almost as important as a rider’s skills. According to Marchiel, she has quite a special one.
“Her name is Galaxy, she is 11, I’ve had her since she was five or six I think. We started in Little Britches together, I learned how to become a better rider with her,” she says. “I had to teach her things, and she helped me become a better rider too. Basically I trained her, she is pretty special to me.”
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Over the past season, her first year of high school, Marchiel moved into the high school rodeo bracket. While a step up from the junior rodeos she was used to, the tougher competition doesn’t seem to have fazed the young rider.
“It’s really fun, it’s like a totally different atmosphere from Little Britches rodeos,” she says. “It’s a little more competitive, there’s a lot more people I don’t know so I got to make some new friends, but I find it is a lot more fun.”
In the 2018 season she placed third overall in barrel racing, trailing second place by only four points and a full 25 ahead of fourth. She also leads the pack in the pole bending competition with 89 points, a comfortable 29 points ahead of second place.
For her efforts she won herself a buckle and earned a scholarship which she will receive after graduating high school.
“It’s super exciting,” she begins enthusiastically. “I didn’t think I would get a scholarship for doing that but it was pretty cool. Hopefully I can earn more scholarships before I graduate.”
Marchiel says she plans on doing some research on colleges and universities while she is in Wyoming for the upcoming National High School Finals Rodeo July 15. Post-secondary schools with varsity rodeo teams attend the national finals to showcase their schools to the young competitors and she plans on checking out the opportunities available for her.
Ahead of the trip to Rock Springs, the Marchiel family is hosting two fundraising events to help cover costs for the trip. On July 4 at 6:30 p.m. there will be a barrel racing competition in Silver Creek at the Silver Creek Park Arena and a portion of the entry fees collected will go towards their trip to Wyoming. A second barrel racing fundraiser will be held in Kamloops July 5.
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