PAGE A8 Tuesday, July 18, 2017 S GILLETTE NEWS RECORD S GILLETTE, WYOMING

AT THE RODEO

California rider shares special bond with 22-year-old horse

By PERRIN STEIN
NEWS RECORD WRITER
pstein@gillettenewsrecord.net
Both Kathryn Varian and
her 22-year-old horse Mizzy
grew up on her grandparents
ranch in Parkfield, California, a
town of 18 people.
This is Varians third time
qualifying for the National
High School Finals Rodeo
competing in pole bending.
And at age 17, Varian has the
distinction of being one of the
few competitors at the NHSFR
younger than her mount.
Although Varian is a three-
time but competing at the
national level is even more old
hat for Mizzy. In the eighth
grade, Varian and Mizzy
attended the National Junior
High Finals Rodeo, also for
pole bending.
I think were just very in
sync with each other, Varian
said of her longtime mount.
She is the most arrogant
horse Ive ever ridden. She
knows shes good, and she
shows it, she said. Im really
just a passenger because the
best runs are whenever I let her
do her own thing.
Varian mounted her first
horse at age 3 and has been
riding ever since.
Rodeo is definitely a family
tradition, she said.
She typically competes in
about 16 rodeos a year, and
over the years has performed in
every event for girls.
On her way to Gillette from
California, Varian stopped at
the Cody Nite Rodeo, where
she competed in barrel racing
and breakaway roping.
I brought Mizzy out for
breakaway roping for the
first time in a year, she said.
When I got her in the box, she
was a little confused because
thats not something weve
done in awhile.
When Mizzy and Varians
sister Lauren were both 9 years
old, Lauren trained Mizzy in
poles, then competed with her
until she left for college.
Then, Varian took over rid-
ing Mizzy.
I ride her every day. I never
skip a day riding that horse
because shes never been out
of shape in her career, and I
have this fear that the second
she gets out of shape, shell just
stop, Varian said. I very rare-
ly skip a day, and when I do I
feel super guilty.
While at Cam-plex, Varian
takes Mizzy out a couple of
times a day to make sure she
does not get stiff. Varians first
run was Monday evening and
she goes again Friday morning.
Kathryn Varian, 17, poses with her 22-year-old horse, Mizzy, on Sunday afternoon.
I recently decided that she is
getting too old for these events,
so I should start training other
horses and getting her replace-
ment ready, Varian said.
The V6 Ranch, where Varian
lives, is a working cattle ranch
with more than 80 horses.
Varians grandparents bought
the land, and now her entire
family lives on the ranch,
running it as both a cattle and
guest ranch.
Like the rest of her family,
News Record Photo/Kelly Wenzel
Varians a rancher, helping her
grandfather with cattle and her
dad with guests.
Its really fun because I
get to meet so many people
from so many different back-
grounds, she said.
Among the 80 horses on the
ranch is her grandmother Zees
bloodline of horses. Every
horse in her bloodline has a z
in its name.
Some of them have some
really strange names, Varian
said. Weve got Ziplock, Zip
and Zooney. Mizzy I dont
know where that came from,
but its got a z.
Next year, Varian hopes to
compete with Mizzy in her
final NHSFR. After that, shell
likely retire her.
Theres no pole bending at
the college level, so well be
ending together, she said. I
think shed like to continue on,
but shes had a long, good run.
Varian hopes to rodeo in col-
lege. After that, she would like
to spend a couple of years at
the pro rodeo level.
Varian sees rodeo in her
future because she loves the
performances.
Its the coolest feeling ever,
she said. I hear the national
anthem and the prayer and
then the crowd. It gets me so
hyped up. I know its just poles
its not like Im getting on a
bull. But I never get sick of that
feeling during the performanc-
es. It makes me so appreciative
of what I get to do.

Candidates vie for officer posts

Its all about

Lining the walls outside the
National High School Rodeo
Associations office in Energy
Hall are posters, stickers and
candy advertising the 2017 stu-
steer wrestling at this weeks
National High School Finals
Rodeo.
The other 2016 officers are
president Cullen Eppright and

dent officer candidates.
There are 10 candidates
vying for the three positions:
president, vice president and
secretary.
Kelsey Cadwell, Luke
Dean, Chase Goble and Kaley
Patterson are running for pres-
ident.
Vice president candidates are
Rickey Cooper, Cassie Kayser
and MacKenzie, who did not
provide a last name.
Colter Ellis, Lauren Heck
and Dalen Smith are compet-
ing for secretary.
These three students will act
as spokesmen for the associa-
tion, can vote at the national
directors meeting and will
attend several rodeo meet-
ings and conventions around
the country, said reining vice
president Kyler Dick, who is
from Utah and will compete in
you!
secretary Grace Hasler.
Being an officer is an
amazing opportunity to see
how the Rodeo Association
works, to get to help out with
behind-the-scenes decisions
and to be the student face of
the association, Dick said. I
really learned a lot from the
experience.
The 2017 candidates intro-
duced themselves at the stu-
dent delegate meeting Sunday
at 9a.m. and the mandatory
contestants meeting Sunday at
11a.m.
Before Friday afternoons
election, the candidates will
give campaign speeches to all
the student delegates. The elec-
tion winners will be announced
at the championship perfor-
mances Saturday evening.
NEWS RECORD STAFF

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More photos from performances.
chars 2x4 More photos from rodeo life.
Come see our booth at the
NHSFR trade show. More about you!
Visit gillettenewsrecord.com/sports/nhsfr
Charlottia Noble-Rasberry 405-740-2556
charswesternshop.com charnoble1@gmail.com

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