story by Lily Weinacht
Caydence Roberts is returning to Las Vegas and the Junior World Finals for the fourth consecutive year in the barrel racing, and she’s shaking up her routine with a qualification in the pole bending for the first time. The 11-year-old from Rincon, New Mexico, rode her horse Rapid at the KK Run for Vegas qualifier in Loveland, Colorado, in May to win the junior poles. Primarily a barrel horse, it had been two years since Rapid had seen a pole, with the exception of a review run through the week before, and the pair stopped the clock at 21.0 in Loveland. “I had two horses and my main horse ended up hitting a pole—I didn’t even think I’d enter on Rapid,” Caydence explains. “When I came out I was just ecstatic that we had a clean run!” Her younger sister, Cylee Jo, also qualified for the Junior World Finals in Loveland in the barrel racing for the first time, astride Caydence’s barrel horse Sonny.
“It’s really fun walking around at Cowboy Christmas, and all my family on my mom’s side lives in Las Vegas. It’s really cool because a lot of people from the NFR are there. Jana Bean is my inspiration, and I got to meet Trevor Brazile,” says Caydence. She was the reserve world barrel racing champion at the Junior NFR in 2017 and finished eighth in the nation last year.
She’s been on horseback since she was 12 days old, introduced to the sport by her parents, Casey and Chancie Roberts, who both compete and team rope together. “I love horses and we live on a ranch, so I’ve just hung with it,” says Caydence. “My mom is out there 24/7 with all our horses and if we’re having trouble she’s always telling us how to fix it and helping us with them. Our dad drives us everywhere, and he works to make the money while Mom helps us.” Caydence and her siblings, Cylee Jo and Catch, compete in junior rodeos as well, and practice together. Between Caydence and Cylee Jo, they have nearly 30 trophy saddles in the house, and their grandpa Greg Miller has built them several buckle cases. Caydence also does 4-H rodeos, and last year she took home four of the five saddles she was eligible to win, including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, and the all-around. “I finished third in goats, so that’s a big focus right now.”
Along with goat tying, Caydence is focused on riding her horses. She’s taking her two of her horses, MPH Black Eagle “Rapid” and No Socks Frost “Sonny,” to Las Vegas this December. “My main pole horse is Dumpy (HR Rickety Dumptruck) and you have to drive him down the poles as hard as you can and I like the challenge. Rapid you really have to ride, and you can’t miss a beat with him or he’ll leave you off the back. It’s fun because it’s not easy and you have to work for it.” Caydence also rides an orphaned heifer named Penelope that she raised from just hours old, and trained her for roping, barrel racing, and carrying flags. Catch also brands off of her. “My mom buys young horses and breaks them and gets them started on barrels. She trained Rapid and he’s won a lot of open rodeos and big barrel races,” says Caydence. After chores and practice are done, Caydence and her siblings enjoy swimming, as well as playing basketball and soccer with their dad, or going fishing. “I really like working with the colts, so I think training is something I’m going to look into when I’m older,” Caydence finishes. “My future goal is to get to the NFR and go pro.”
