the tight turns around the objects. “Our horse is pretty good at turning really tight around the poles, so that’s always nice because it sets you up really good for the rest of the run. Those are speed events, so a fast horse is nice and one that can rate,” Donnelly said. And for the team roping event, where Donnelly competes as the header, Harvard is the go-to horse. “Usually the header horse is kind of bigger because they have to pull the steer and they have to be able to go into the left lead and then once the healer catches the feet you have to face, so they have to turn around and you stretch the steer,” she said. Donnelly practices with her horses every day during the summer with her sister and cousins at the barn they built near their house in Elk Point. The barn also had two outdoor arenas they can use to practice. They will give each other tips to help with any problems someone might be having with the horse or with the event. She says there is not a lot of arguing between family members — for the most part. “We all get a long really well and it’s really nice to be able to work with people and in the summers we don’t get to see our friends, so it’s nice to hang out. It brings us really close together because we spend all summer together,” she said. “Sometimes when someone gets a little upset, and sisters usually, they start to go at each other and it’s a little awkward for the rest of the day, but it’s not too bad. It’s actually a lot of fun.” Their dads and grandpa are usually around too to help run shoots, hold the goats and act as coach. “(Our dads) make sure we rope the dummy and if we’re not catching it or something then they’ll sit there and tell us what we’re doing wrong and what we need to work on,” Donnelly said. “They always help us try and find something else that works better for us because nobody ropes the same way.” Her family isn’t her only friends while traveling around for rodeos. Donnelly says she has met many others while at the competitions and it’s one of the reasons she likes participating in the rodeos. “You meet a lot of really good people out there,” she said. “I love rodeos for that reason because I have some very close friends. You do see the same people a lot because everybody is trying to go to as many as they can.” Though the rodeos are competitions, the competitors still give each other tips or lend out equipment and horses if another rider is in need. The families even share meals together at the end of the day. “We kind of call it a rodeo family because we have the vRODEO continued on page 22 Trust Your Family... To Our Family Guiding and serving families with compassion and trust. Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton Memorial Resource Center, Tyndall Memorial Chapels, Tabor, Menno & Tyndall 665-9679 | 1-800-495-9679 www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com HERVOICEvJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016v21