story by Ruth Nicolaus
Saige and Sawyer Belton are beginning their Junior Southern Rodeo Association careers.
The sister/brother duo, who live in Dobbs, N.C. have been members three years (for Saige), and one year (for Sawyer.)
Saige, who is seven, does the goat tying, barrel racing and pole bending.
Sawyer, age five, ran barrels last year. This year he will add sheep riding and goat tying.
The kids’ goat tying horse is a twelve year old gray gelding named Cream, who Saige calls a “cute and nice horse.” For the barrels and poles, they ride a paint horse who doesn’t always like to go, Saige says. “My dad says I have to kick him (to get him to go), and if it doesn’t work, I have to whoop him. And if I don’t, my dad will whoop me.”
Saige is a first grade student, and she loves to read. Junie B. Jones books are her favorites, but she knows better to talk to her parents than like Junie talks to hers. “She talks to her mom and dad the wrong way,” she said. “She gets really sassy a lot. If I talked to my mom that way, I’d be busted.”
Her favorite thing at school is to play on the playsets at recess. She loves eating pepperoni pizza, her mom’s lasagna, and candy canes.
Sawyer is in preschool two half-days each week. His favorite snacks are the Yoda-shaped crackers he has at school, from the Star Wars movie, and his momma’s macaroni and cheese.
The Beltons have five dogs. Mush, a puppy, has taught Saige and Sawyer to pick up their toys. “He chews on everything that’s on the floor,” Saige said. Mush chewed up her stuffed kitten. “He chewed the nose off and now the stuffing is coming out.” The other dogs are named Stinky Pete, Sophie, Sky and Bell. The family also has two goats and a cat.
When she grows up, Saige wants to be a horse trainer. When Sawyer grows up, he’d like to be a policeman and a horse trainer, just like his big sister.
Their parents, Tommy and Megan, both team rope and love having their kids involved in rodeo. “It teaches them loads of responsibility,” Megan said. “The association is like a big family.” Megan is president of the Junior SRA this year.
Both Saige and Sawyer competed at finals last year.
