Little Cowboys and Cowgirls Spend A Day With Triton Rodeo

by Emilie Jenson, Public Information Office
Posted on 4/14/2023

The Iowa Central Rodeo Team played host to two groups of curious young cowboys and cowgirls Friday.

Preschool students from St. Edmond Elementary School spent part of their morning and afternoon touring the Triton Rodeo Grounds at the Webster County Fairgrounds.

The preschoolers gathered in the indoor arena where Rodeo Team members introduced them to several horses and a trio of goats before they went with their groups for horseback riding, goat feeding and trying out their roping skills on the calf “dummies.”  

Drake Fautsch, a calf and team roper for the Triton Rodeo Team demonstrated how to swing and aim the rope to catch the cow by the horns and pull the rope tight as he assisted a group of hopeful future ropers.

“I’ve loved doing this today,” Fautsch said. “I have always enjoyed working with kids and introducing them to the western lifestyle.”

Bullrider Corbyn Vicker demonstrated his balancing skills on a bull barrel simulating the movement of a real bull and explained the art of bull riding to the students.

“We train four days on a barrel and one day a week on a real bull,” he said.

Before heading back to school, the preschoolers went to the Triton Arena where Hattie Renfrow, a Triton Rodeo member who competes in breakaway and goat tying, rode Chip, her 26-year-old horse, through a barrel racing maneuver and demonstrated goat roping.

“I loved being able to share my passion with these kids,” said Renfrow. “Rodeo has been my passion since I was younger than a lot of them.”

When asked what the best part of the day was for the preschoolers, the answer was unanimous: “Horse riding!” they all answered.