HONOKA‘A — Over the Weekend weekend, the Hawai’i Youth Rodeo ‘Ohana (HYRO) joined the National Little Britches Rodeo Association.
The launch of this local branch made Hawai‘i the 34th state to have a Little Britches chapter.
The weekend began with girls vying for the titles of ‘Little Wrangler Queen,’ ‘Junior Queen,’ and ‘Senior Queen’ in the royalty contest. Four were crowned as the ambassadors of rodeo royalty, with Talyn Cardoza earning the title of Little Wrangler Queen, Chloe Kidani claiming the Junior Queen crown, Emily Fernandez securing the Senior Queen title, and Anuhea Oliva being named ‘Princess.’
Youth from ages five to 18 from across the isle took part in a wide range of rodeo events, showcasing their skills in barrel racing, pole bending, tie-down roping, team roping, bull riding, to name a few, and two new events to Hawai’i — flag racing and trail course.
The excitement continued with the presentation of all-around prizes on Saturday, as winners had an opportunity to select their prizes from a treasure chest.
The winners included Kana’i Pieper (Little Wrangler), Tyton Cardoza (Junior Boy), Lena Meyer (Junior Girl), Hayden Onaka (Senior Girl), and Holden Onaka (Senior Boy).
Sunday saw another set of young rodeo enthusiasts clinching the all-around titles.
Among Sunday’s winners were included Grace Brown (Little Wrangler), Luke Joaquin Freitas (Junior Boy), Kassidy Ercanbrack (Junior Girl), and Ku’umanu Briethaupt (Senior Girl).
Hawaii Youth Rodeo ‘Ohana – Little Britches is gearing up for its next rodeo event, scheduled for Nov. 18 and 19 at the Honoka’a rodeo arena — with free admission.
For those interested in becoming a vendor at upcoming events, please reach out to Courtney Sabater Hart at 808-960-0760.
If you’d like to support HYRO Little Britches as a sponsor, contact Amber Bannister at 808-433-3394.
To learn more about Hawaii’s youth rodeo scene and HYRO-Little Britches, feel free to text Lynn Higa at 808-938-1496.