Official Kids Mag

By Suzanne Rhodes Official Kids Mag "How about basketball?" Hayden's mom and dad suggested when they were helping their son choose a sport he would enjoy. "No thank you." "Well, then, how about baseball? Lots of boys your age like baseball." "No, not that." "Volleyball?" "No thank you. I like rodeo." Eight-year-old Hayden Knapp of Harrison has been a rodeo fan since he was a baby, Mrs. Knapp said. "When he was three, he would jump around the house, and he told me he was going to ride all the wild, bucking horses. He would ride barrels, he would ride the side of the couch, he would ride pillows. Anything within his grasp he would ride it like a bucking animal." With a chuckle she added, "I really don't remember a time that my kids were not cowboys and cowgirls." Hayden's big sister Denver, who's 10, does barrel racing. Their parents decided to take the plunge and get the family involved in rodeo, a popular and fun sport where children learn skills, responsibility and good sportsmanship. Like many little kids, Hayden started out when he was five with sheep riding, known in the rodeo as the mutton bust. But after a couple of times riding around on the back of a sheep, he knew it wasn't for him. He quickly progressed to becoming a mini bronc rider. When asked why he liked that better, he explained, "'Cause the ponies buck and the sheep just run around. Second, I'm too old to ride them. I rode my first mini bronc at age 6 and I kept on doing it to 8 years old." The rodeo season in Arkansas is April to November, though some places have a few wintertime events. One is in Mountain Home. "We're about to participate in finals next week there," said Mrs. Knapp. "They take only the top 10 riders at every event. We're pretty excited about that! When we start back up in April, Hayden will do breakaway roping, where you rope a calf, goat tying and his mini bronc riding." Mrs. Knapp said that calf roping is modified for younger wranglers by using a special breakaway device attached to the rope, making training safe and practical. Hayden has won many awards for his mini bronco riding. "He has countless ribbons hanging on his walls where he's placed in the top four—first through fourth place," his mom pointed out. "He even won some money at a rodeo one time. Right now he's sitting in the top 8 of one of the circuits we do, the Arkansas Family Rodeos." Denver has also excelled in barrel racing. "There are 50 barrel racers in competition. She's in the top 17 or 18 in the family circuit. She's won some money here and there too." Their dad puts a lot of emphasis on practice. He tells the kids, "You weren't born good at anything. You have to work at it. Whatever you want to do, you gotta put your work into it." Sportsmanship is also taught as an important value, as Mrs. Knapp explains. "We really push good sportsmanship in this family. One time, Hayden told my husband and me, "It's not about competing against my friends, it's about competing against myself.' He always wants to see his friends do well. If his friend wins first place this little rodeo star says, 'i want to see my friends win too' Photos courtesy ashley Knapp and sarah Wiggs 44 • December 2020 • OfficialKidsmag.com

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