It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that Harley-Ann DeLeeuw has lived most of her life on the back of a horse.
The 14-year-old native of Athabasca has been riding horses since she was four. She was probably destined to be good at it, living on a farm with parents who also ride.
Her parents have also both competed in the rodeo, so perhaps she was destined to do that too.
Whether or not fate had anything to do with it, the fact is that DeLeeuw has become a prolific rodeo competitor at a young age. She currently competes in the Lakeland Rodeo Association and the Wildrose Association, as well as on the high school rodeo scene.
It’s through the latter that she qualified for the Silver State International Rodeo, currently underway in Winnemucca, Nevada. Harley-Ann and her family are there as she takes part in the invitation-only event, competing in both barrel racing and team roping.
Those are the events at which DeLeeuw has excelled since she began competing in rodeo four years ago, and each year she gets a little better.
And so does her 21-year-old horse, Salty.
“Since I was four, I’ve had a lot of good horses that have helped me get to the level where I am. They’ve taught me a lot,” said Harley-Ann, who is also raising and training a younger horse, the seven-year-old Slim.
“I love them like they’re a family member.”
The feeling is no doubt mutual, given the time she spends with her horses and the care with which she treats them. She gets at least a little bit of riding in every day, keeping her own skills sharp as well as those of the horses, so they’re always ready for the next competition.
Salty may be getting on in years, but she doesn’t seem to have lost a step.
“She’s been everywhere and done everything.”
At the rate she is going, it won’t be long before Harley-Ann can say that about herself, too.
Last winter, she spent three months in Arizona roping with Byron Wilkerson, who she calls “the best roper in the world”. She also spent a summer in Westlock with Murdock Keith, and his wife, who helped her with both her roping and barrel racing.
With training like that, it’s no surprise that she has impressed at a number of competitions. Two years ago she made it to the Wildrose finals in Barrhead. Last year she won horse of the year in high school barrel racing. And right now she is competing against some of the best rodeo competition there is in Nevada.
“It’s big. All the states go to it, and it’s worldwide. All the top kids from all over go to it,” she said of the Silver State event. “It’s a good feeling to know I’m in the top of Alberta for high school rodeo kids. To know I can compete with everyone around is nice.”
As to why she has been able to reach such heights in her rodeo career, a big factor is that she loves it.
“I really like the people in it. I like the adrenaline and that it’s fast,” she said. “Rodeo kind of came naturally.”
But she recognizes that none of it would be possible if not for those friends who have trained her, and her parents who have supported her, and Saddle Tech, who sponsors her.
With their help, her skill and the hard work of the horses she partners with, she has been making a name for herself in the world of rodeo, and that’s not likely to change.
“I’ve definitely come a long way and I’m really proud. I’m just going out and having fun.”
