The Lil’wat Lake Rodeo, which happens every May long weekend in my hometown of Mount Currie, has every fun activity you can imagine, for both youth and adults. Picture everyone you know in one place, except there’s also horses, cows and, sometimes, even pigs. 

Some people travel from far away to compete in this yearly event and to show off their talent and skills, meet new people and learn from each other. The rodeo is the biggest annual event for the Lil’wat Nation. At the same time, there is also a powwow within easy walking distance, a celebration featuring traditional drumming and dancing. This powwow, combined with the rodeo, means extra money, more people, and more fun. 

The powwow and the rodeo are fundraisers the Lil’wat Nation community. People compete to see who will be the fastest or the most skilled. Whenever a competitor wins a prize, they ride their horse around the arena for a celebratory lap. First, second and third place in each category win prize money or a new saddle or belt buckle. 

Barrel racing is one popular sport featured at the rodeo. Competitors gallop their horses as fast as they can around three barrels, set in a triangular pattern. In 2019, Katrina Williams clocked in the fastest barrel run, at 16.4 seconds. 

I also competed in barrel racing that year, but in a different division. Williams is the only woman in the whole rodeo that can beat everyone in barrel racing. She grew up competing and is very skilled. 

One year, however, she came second place to a woman from out of town who was a professional barrel racer and travels everywhere to compete in different rodeos.  

I was only 11 years old when I first entered the Lil’wat Rodeo. As I grew up, each year I competed against other girls my age. When I was 14 years old, my whole family surprised me with two new female horses. One was a light brown dun named Lily. She was well trained and behaved well. The other horse was named Honey, and she was still young and stubborn at times. 

I learned to take care of the horses. Each day, I would feed them, clean them. Family members showed me how to train a horse, and my dream was to become a professional barrel racer one day. Slowly, however, that dream died down.  

Gradually, I lost my competitive drive and my dream of becoming a barrel racer. I gave up on my horses, and over time, they became less motivated. We didn’t have the same bond we did before. 

As I grew older, I stopped thinking about barrel racing and became more involved in other sports, like soccer and baseball. One day, I called a horse rescue farm, and they picked up my horses. Now they have a beautiful home in Squamish, living their best life with other horses, young and old.   

There are local bull riders who went on to become world champions, after first climbing the podium as champions at the Lil’wat Rodeo. From age 16 to 21, Kevin Wallace was Lil’wat Rodeo champion, and to this day, he continues as a bull rider, with many local families showing love and supporting him in his bull-riding career. 

This year, I did not compete in the rodeo. I miss my horses. They were such a big part of my life. It was hard to watch them go, but I know it was the right choice. I didn’t have the time to watch or feed them. These days, I go to the rodeo without them.

While my barrel-racing days are over, I still watch and cheer for my friends and family who compete in the rodeo. 

This article was written by Nelly Joe, and was first published in the Pique newsmagazine issue 30.24 on June 16, 2023.