A 14-year-old from Minden Hills is turning heads on the RAM Rodeo Tour these days.
Haliburton Highlands Secondary School Grade 9 student, Isla Dobbins, was crowned the Bilby Ranch Youth Barrel Racing year end champion recently. It capped a stellar season for she and horse, Blondy.
The daughter of Eleanor and Chris Dobbins said it all started with pony camp at the age of seven. At South Algonquin Trails, she learned how to ride and got into jumping. She then moved to another barn, the family purchased her first pony, and she continued with jumping.
However, she realized that the thing she loved most with the fast pony was racing across the fields with her mom and her mom’s horse.
“I thought that was the most fun thing ever. I realized the speed and adrenaline is what I’d been craving.”
Isla said they have family out west that were into barrel racing. When she decided to give it a try, she needed a different sort of horse, and Blondy arrived on the scene.
However, Isla said it was not a case of instant success. She said they had a horrible 2022 season.
“It was awful. We were knocking every barrel. It wasn’t really either of our fault. I wasn’t big enough to handle her. So, I wasn’t big enough to push her over and move her to the spot she needed to be in. But, this year, over the winter, I grew a lot so when I brought her back into work, something had immediately changed. Also, my confidence has gotten a lot better than last year. So, she needed that confidence and me to be bigger.”
They had never won a rodeo before and won the whole thing at their first rodeo in the spring. They’ve been regularly winning ever since. Isla competes in the 16 and under, junior, category. She also competes in the National Barrel Horse Association.
“Something had just clicked and we figured everything out,” Isla said.
Looking to the future, she wants to continue with the RAM rodeo circuit to be with friends.
“And then the plan is probably to go out to Alberta for the summers.”
She’s watched the Calgary Stampede, and National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada in November and December, and dreams of competing on those stages one day.
Isla said she has become “a true horse girl…” She doesn’t care if peers think it’s lame. “It’s going to happen whether they like it or not.”
She said she’s grateful for the support of her parents, coach Diane Smullen from Uxbridge, as well as her rodeo friends. “Those girls have really got me to where I am… all the support they give me.”
Dad Chris says, “it’s pretty impressive… we’re happy.”
