When Hailey Onaka travels to Wyoming in July, she’ll be prepared to answer two questions.
“The first thing people always ask is if I know how to surf and if I know how to do hula,” she said.
Onaka can’t do either – but she’s handy with a horse and rope. She’s a cowgirl, and twice the best high-schooler in the state.
“People (on the mainland) are surprised rodeo is a thing in Hawaii,” Onaka said.
Even closer to home, that’s a surprise to some. Like many students at Makua Lani, Onaka is on the soccer team, but that’s a mere hobby for the junior.
“Besides me and my brother (Chase), they don’t know what I do,” she said.
It just came naturally. Her parents are both from ranching families, and they have their own horse facility. Onaka took up rodeo in kindergarten, and she started competing in events as a sixth-grader.
She repeated as All-Around Cowgirl at the Hawaii High School Rodeo Association finals Saturday at Parker Ranch. In addition to winning goat tying, she took second in breakaway roping and fourth in barrel racing. But her most impressive accomplishment came when she teamed with Ty Shintaku, a recent Kahuku (Oahu) graduate, to win team roping.
“I’m a big fan of roping, but (team roping) is mostly a guy event,” Onaka said. “For sure, that was my favorite event to show the guys that I could do it.
Onaka advanced to the National High School Finals Rodeo from July 12-18 in Rock Springs, Wyo., where she will compete in breakaway roping, barrel racing and team roping with Shintaku.
Shintaku, who competed in the Big Island district during a season that started in October, earned All-Around Cowboy in a finals in which the host island was a cut above the rest:
• Makua Lani graduate Chase Kahiau Onaka prevailed in reining cow horse and light rifle shooting.
• Kamehameha-Hawaii graduate Kaili Brenneman captured poo wai u.
• Honokaa graduate Mia Nakachi won barrel racing.
• Honokaa senior Patricia Rincon took breakaway roping.
• Kamehameha-Hawaii junior Kepa Awai was the top bull rider.
• Hawaii Academy of Arts & Sciences graduate Julian Mautz won boys cutting, while Kamehameha-Hawaii junior Ikena Nakoa won girls cutting.
• Ka‘u senior Evan Manoha and Kamehameha-Hawaii senior Lexis Andrade shared the crown in double mugging.
• Rookie Cowboy and Cowgirl went to Honokaa’s Levi Higa and Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Sierra Gleason.
“We’re competitive here,” Onaka said. “It’s not way more advanced, but we do hold ourselves to a certain standard.”
Chase Kahiau Onaka (Cal Poly) and Shintaku (West Hills Community College, Calif.) will continue to compete in college, something Hailey Onaka has her eye on someday.
Aesthetics and athletics
Kamehameha-Hawaii senior Gabbie Gleason was crowned the queen, a title won not only based on the strength of a written test, interview and her personal appearance, but also a fourth-place finish in reining cow horse.
“It’s more than just about glamour,” said Gleason, who has been riding since she was 3. “We get dirty, too.”
Though she was the only competitor up for the award this year, Gleason said that only added to the pressure.
“I know that I’m going to nationals, so I had to be at my best so I can represent Hawaii well,” she said. “I speak for the state.”
In Wyoming, she’ll compete against queens from across the United States, as well as Canada and Australia.
“I don’t have as much experience as others in public speaking, but my rodeo experience gives me an advantage,” she said. “I also think it’s an advantage that I’m coming from so far away. It shows how far rodeo has come.”
Wyoming-bound
Joining Gleason, Hailey Onaka and Chase Kahiau Onaka at nationals from the Big Island will be Kohala senior Railen Ching, Kealakehe junior Cassidy Serion, Kealakehe senior Kepa Boteilho-Benevides, Konawaena senior Ethan Awa, Sierra Gleason, Brenneman, Mautz, Andrade, Nakachi, Nakoa and Rincon.
At Parker Ranch
Note: BIIF paniolo noted when applicable
Hawaii All-Around Cowgirl: Hailey Onaka, Makua Lani
Hawaii State All-Around Cowboy: Ty Shintaku, Kahuku
Hawaii’s Own All-Around Cowboy: Kaili Brenneman, Kamehameha-Hawaii
HHSRA Rodeo Queen: Gabbie Gleason, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Rookie Cowgirl: Sierra Gleason, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Rookie Cowboy: Levi Higa, Honokaa
Reserve All-Around Cowgirl: Pua Kauhaihao, Kamehameha-Kapalama
Reserve All-Around Cowboy: Kanoa Awai-Dickson, King Kekaulike
Hawaii’s Own Reserve All-Around Cowboy: Kaena Poouahi, King Kekaulike
Barrel racing
1. Mia Nakachi, Honokaa
2. Cheyenne Tannery, Kauai District
3. Victoria Albiar-Kunishi, Maui District
4. Hailey Onaka, Makua Lani
Steer wrestling
1. Ty Shintaku, Hawaii District
2. Kanoa Awai-Dickson, Maui District
Team roping
1. Hailey Onaka and Ty Shintaku, Hawaii District
2. Kaili Brenneman, Kamehameha-Hawaii, and Railen Ching, Kohala
3. Chase Kahiau Onaka, Makua Lani, Ethan Awa, Konawaena
4. Kepa Boteilho-Benevides, Kealakehe, and Ryan Sanborn, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Tie down roping
1. Ty Shintaku, Hawaii District
2. Kanoa Awai-Dickson, Maui District
3. Jayden Tabilangan, Kauai District
4. Chase Kahiau Onaka, Makua Lani
Goat tying
1. Hailey Onaka, Makua Lani
2. Pua Kauhaihao, Hawaii District
3. Lorrie Ann Smith, Oahu District
4. Monica Porter, Oahu District
Pole bending
1. Cheyenne Tannery, Kauai District
2. Devon Richmond, Parker
3. Mia Nakachi, Honokaa
4. Pua Kauhaihao, Hawaii District
Breakaway roping
1. Patricia Rincon, Honokaa
2. Hailey Onaka, Makua Lani
3. Lorrie Ann Smith, Oahu District
4. Pua Kauhaihao, Hawaii District
Bull riding
1. Kepa Awai, Kamehameha-Hawaii
2. Ty Shintaku, Hawaii District
3. Keahgan Gomes, Maui District
Reining cow horse
1. Chase Kahiau Onaka, Makua Lani
2. Patricia Rincon, Honokaa
3. Ikena Nakoa, Kamehameha-Hawaii
4. Gabbie Gleason, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Boys cutting
1. Julian Mautz, HAAS
2. Chase Kahiau Onaka, Makua Lani
3. Levi Higa, Honokaa
4. Ryan Sanborn, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Girls cutting
1. Ikena Nakoa, Kamehameha-Hawaii
2. Mia Nakachi, Honokaa
3. Sierra Gleason, Kamehameha-Hawaii
4. Patricia Rincon, Honokaa
Po’o wai u
1. Kaili Brenneman, Kamehameha-Hawaii
2. Kaena Poouahi, Maui District
3. Kepa Boteilho-Benevides, Kealakehe
4. Lexis Andrade, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Double mugging
1. Lexis Andrade, Kamehameha-Hawaii and Evan Manoha, Ka’u
2. Chase Kahiau Onaka, Makua Lani, and Ethan Awa, Konawaena
3. Kaena Poouahi and Kanoa Awai-Dickson, Maui District
4. Kepa Boteilho-Benevides, Kealakehe, Ryan Sanborn, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Light rifle shooting event
1. Chase Kahiau Onaka, Makua Lani
2. Pua Kauhaihao, Hawaii District
3. Cassidy Serion, Kealakehe
4. Levi Higa, Honokaa
