Reese Chaffin, 12, of Kinder, is now third in the pole bender competition in the world in her age division after participating in the National High School Rodeo Association in Des Moines, Iowa, in June.
Reese, who participated in the association for the first time this year captured the first place title in pole bending for Louisiana, qualifying her for the national competition.
In Iowa, she competed against 194 pole benders during the junior high rodeo finals. She placed seventh in her first round with 20.484. Her second round came with her best time and won her a performance award for placing fifth with 20.180 on the clock. In the short round, she placed seventh with 20.415. Her average time was 61.079 giving her the third place honors in her competition.
Reese’s horse, “Baylee” was named Cowgirl’s AQHA Reserve Horse of the Year. Now if you don’t know Reese’s story, then you don’t know how much this award means to her. At the end of 2020, the Chaffins purchased Baylee. Immediately, Reese asked her parents if she could train the horse for competition. The horse was bought so her mother could ride with the girls, but Reese saw something
“I’m really proud of her,” Reese said of her horse.
Reese has taught herself the skills to train her horse for competition. However, this sport takes the entire family’s cooperation for the success young Reese has experienced. Her parents, Laura and Chad Chaffin, and younger sister, Harper, are always lending a hand.
Reese said it has not always been easy. She said in the beginning her horse and the poles were “a hot mess.” She took a break, and when they returned to the poles, she said Baylee was fine.
Laura swears Reese and Baylee have a silent communication which helps Reese know how Baylee is feeling. Lots of practice and the family working together has helped Baylee become a better horse.
Laura said the family’s farrier (blacksmith) came to do Baylee’s shoes before they left for competition. She said he gave Reese a mental pep talk which helped her to come more mentally prepared for the competition.
Reese said mental preparation is half the battle in the pole competition.
The family also learned a lot at the national level of competition. Laura said many participants can’t afford to bring their horses, so they rent equipment and horses once they arrived.
At the campgrounds, participants were able to witness different cultures. After speaking to other participants, Laura said it would cost about $20,000 for participants from Australia to ship their horses. Reese added they met people from Hawaii, New Zealand, Mexico, etc. Their trip to Iowa from Kinder was 19 hours.
“Without my parents, I couldn’t do this,” Reese said. “My mom helps me with Baylee. We got up at 4 a.m. to go ride one morning before the competition to get my horse ready.”
Reese said mom is always assisting her with practice and preparing for a run. Her dad is there to walk her down the alley, and they are always at the gate cheering her on.
When they are not completing, there’s stall cleaning, taking care of the horse… just a lot of work,” Reese adds. That’s where Laura says Reese has a second sense when it comes to Baylee. At state finals, Baylee was having a tough time. They changed her bit and she was fine.
“If she could just talk to us,” Laura said.
“It’s a trial and error thing,” Reese adds.
Reese is home-schooled. She is the granddaughter of Billy and Sherry Chaffin, Anna and Ralph McRae and Danny Smith, all of Kinder. Before this past year, she participated for four years in the Little Britches Rodeo Circuit.