story by Lindsay King
“I am an intense rodeo competitor. I have devoted my entire life to rodeo, it is all I do. I go through my days thinking about what I can do to better myself in my sport,” said 17-year-old Bri Suckla from Mancos, Colorado. The reigning NMHSRA breakaway champion and secretary is all business when it comes to rodeo. “I have to give it my all because other athletes are involved. I have to be in shape just as much as my horses do so we can be our very best. If I slack off or even quit rodeo it would hurt my horses more than anything else.”
Bri and Dara, her sister, 15, come home everyday after school to spend the majority of the evening outside practicing and caring for their equine partners. “We usually practice just breakaway on multiple horses for two hours and then move on to other events until we have to feed everyone and go inside.” They sit down to watch videos and figure out what they are doing well and what needs improvement. Bri started team roping with Dara this year. “Dara is a really good header but my heeling skills need some work. The first rodeo we roped at we missed the first day but the second day I caught two feet. I was so excited that I forgot to dally and we didn’t end up with a time.” Team roping is where the sisters let loose and have a good time so they are ready for breakaway.
“Breakaway is a very showy sport and it is fast.” It is also Bri’s favorite event. “Runs are two seconds long but the prep is two months. There is time in other events to make a mistake and recover from it but that is not the case here. I can always tell who puts the work in and gets the smooth run.” Pole bending comes in as a close second for Bri. “There is no feeling like running down there and weaving through the poles like it is an obstacle course. I could jump on 60 different horses and have the time of my life just running poles.”
This last year Bri started working harder on her riding to become a more quiet rider. “Last year I was kind of a wild rider but running barrels has helped that. And riding all sorts of different horses, none of them are alike.” Rowdy and Christie, her parents, were both rodeo competitors growing up, throwing their daughters on horses every chance they got. “My parents have done everything they can to make sure Dara and I have everything we need to rodeo. It is very much a family experience for us and I love that.”
The Dolores High School senior plans to rodeo in college while working towards becoming a chiropractor for both humans and horses. “I have thought long and hard about what I could do to make it easy to pro rodeo and still have a job. I hope being a chiropractor can be my traveling profession while I still rodeo.” When Bri has time off she likes to hunt and fish. “I go from high intensity to sitting on a dock waiting for a fish, it is very relaxing.” She also helps with the family’s 150 mother beef cows. “Raising cattle is a lifestyle but I find it so fun that I consider it a hobby.”
Starting in the NMHSRA five years ago, Bri fell in love with the people. “Everyone is so kind, they all made me want to rodeo even more. They welcome strong competition and push people to be their best because it makes them better too. After all, that is what rodeo is all about.”
