听 听 听 听 听 听 Nineteen-year-old Cassie Eaton has made her mark in the equestrian worlds of cutting and rodeo. Most recently, the Arcola native joined the ranks of the top 15 cutting horse competitors in the world, placing 13th at the National Cutting Horse Association World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas. As a rodeo competitor- in barrel racing, pole bending and breakaway roping events- Eaton has earned numerous awards- among them, winning Canada's High School Finals Rodeo title, captaining the Saskatchewan Girls' Cinch Team and her 鈥渂iggest accomplishment in rodeo so far鈥� being named Teskey's Top Hand- a prestigious award which is awarded to an exceptional competitor within the entire Canadian High School Rodeo Association.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's mental game,鈥� says Eaton of her success. 鈥淵ou've to stay humble but you've also got to believe in yourself. It's a balance.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淵ou have to be your own worst enemy and at the same time, be your biggest support system,鈥� explains Eaton. 鈥淏y that I mean you have to be confident but you have to constantly evaluate yourself and catch your own mistakes as part of getting ready to compete.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Eaton grew up near Arcola with her parents Chad and Lisa and brothers, Zach and Tucker. She听听 started cutting as a 10-year-old and her first foray into rodeo was as a grade eight student at the Arcola High School Rodeo.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 love them both,鈥� says Eaton of her dual equestrian pursuits. 鈥淚 can't leave one behind.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Eaton had the opportunity to put her full skill set to use- both athletic and mental- when she reached the top 15 at the global cutting horse competition in Fort Worth- on a borrowed horse.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was a very quick, stressful trip,鈥� laughs Eaton. 鈥淚 learned that I qualified two weeks before I was supposed to go. My dad found out that I qualified before I did and asked me if I wanted to go and of course, I said 鈥淵es!'鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut it meant that I would have to borrow a horse,鈥� she continues. 鈥淲e had good family friends down there who started calling around. I got a qualified mare but I didn't even know her name until my mom and I got down there. We were told: 'I think she's brown.'鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淩ight away, she was kind of like my mare Spook-who I've been riding since I was 12- but different. Her name was Elsewhere, but her barn name was Lexi. We flew in late on Monday; I met her on Tuesday and we showed on Wednesday and Thursday. She was awesome, actually.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n the first round, we placed sixth and we ended up 13th 辞惫别谤补濒濒.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was an awesome experience and one I'll never forget- for a lot of reasons,鈥� says Eaton.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Eaton says that competing in both cutting and rodeo is a challenge she relishes and adds that each discipline requires a different mindset. Cutting is an equestrian event in which a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a single animal away from a herd of cattle and keep it away for a short period of time.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's kind of the ultimate showdown between a horse and rider and cows,鈥� says Eaton. 鈥淚n cutting, I almost have to calm myself down before a competition and think through the entire process,鈥� she says. 鈥淩odeo's more gritty and you're reacting to things outside of your control. Both are fast-paced, but in cutting, I slow my mind down a lot more.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Eaton says the bond between horse and rider is an intuitive one. 鈥淗orses have personalities, just like people do. Some riders can have kind of a bad vibe- and horses can sense that.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut I have to say that in the rodeo community as a whole, animals are like family members-听 and if one gets injured or dies, it's devastating to everyone.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淩ight now, my two rodeo horses- Sadie and Itchy- live at college with me. My cutting horse听 Spook is at home near Arcola, so Spook gets the winter off,鈥� laughs Eaton.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n Canada, it's hard to rodeo in winter,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚n winter, you train- but in spring, summer and fall, you go hard- both in cutting and rodeo.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 kind of grew up on the back of a horse. It's kind of a family thing,鈥� says Eaton. 鈥淚t is pretty physically demanding, for the rider and the horse.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 go to the gym and cleaning the barn can be a pretty good workout. For me, going to the chiropractor helps the horse, too. Once, my hips were out of alignment and the way I was sitting made the horses sore.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 However, Eaton adds that mental preparation is just as important to compete successfully.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n some competitions in the past, I was nervous and I kind of talked myself out of it. I was thinking that I wasn't good enough, but my mom told me that I'd put in the work, that I had the dedication and that I deserved the chance to succeed.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hat helped a lot, but along with improving the way I thought about myself, I realized that putting in the work is what builds your confidence- the training and the time spent training.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 In addition to cutting, Eaton aims to compete in the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, to continue her degree studies and to study equine chiropractic and massage therapy this summer.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淥ne of my short-term goals is qualify for the college rodeo finals in Calgary this spring,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I'd like to go pro in rodeo and cutting. It's a lot, but if you love it, you work hard and you find a way to make it work.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 When asked how she does it all, Eaton says: 鈥淭here's a saying-it's actually a Bible verse. It's Mark 9:23''With God, anything is possible.'鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭here are lots of things I want to do.鈥�
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