Could you hang off the side of a horse by one leg as it’s running full speed? Well two twelve year old girls can do that and much more. Maddy Gatrel and Liberty Cunningham are the Pegasus Riders and compete in trick riding competitions across the U.S.
Trick riding is the act of performing stunts while horseback riding. Gatrel has been riding since she was three years old while Cunningham began when she was eight.
“Every trick rider learns the same first four tricks,” explains Gatrel. “We call them the foundation of trick riding. These are what help you to achieve the many tricks we are able to do.”
One trick that Gatrel performs entails hanging off her horse by one foot and her head being inches from the ground. Cunningham says one she does a lot is where she stands on her horse with one foot in the air at a needle pose.
It’s not just the girls that need to practice to make this possible. Gatrel and Cunningham have a few different horses that they perform with and spend countless hours creating a bond so the horses will trust them.
The pair have competed both individually and as a duo. Some of their accomplishments include winning the 2021 3-C Arena Showcase and the top scoring trick riding act at the International Finals Rodeo Contract Act Showcase. Gatrel was also the 2019 International Liberty Horse Association Freestyle Youth Division Champion and was invited to compete in the International Liberty Horse Association Freestyle Competition. Cunningham was the 2021 3-C Arena Trick Riding Competition Youth Division Champion.
Their advice for those who may be interested in trick riding is to not be afraid. “You can’t be afraid because your dream isn’t ever going to chase you back,” says Gatrel.
Cunningham added that, “trick reading is really hard mentally and physically. You have to be ready to throw your body and your mind in anything. It can be really hard and it’s really mentally draining but it’s also really mentally rewarding.”
The pair are working on perfecting their tricks as well as adding other acts to their performances as well. You can learn more about them and see their upcoming shows on Facebook and their website.
Leave a Reply