NORTH COUNTRY RIDER |
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Steer-pushers keep ’em rolling
MIKE IRWIN/North Country Rider
Ropers at Appleatchee Riders’ annual Labor Day weekend event would’ve been fit to be tied if hadn’t been for steer-pushers like 14-year-old Kara Rockstad of Wenatchee. Working against the clock themselves, the youngsters had to have steers ready as roping events continued throughout the weekend.
“Hup! Hup! Hup!” That’s roping talk for “get along, little dogies.”
And it worked. Monday’s all-girl crew for Appleatchee Riders’ Labor Day Weekend Roping Competition repeatedly pushed 40 steers through the chute, cycling them from holding pen to line-up, getting them ready to run and get lassoed.
“Yeah, it’s sort of fun,” said Kara Rockstad, 14, of Wenatchee, after shooing the protesting herd into a dusty catch pen. She wielded a low-voltage cattle prod to convince them to crowd through a gate. She was helped with the herding by Lisa Cunning, 13, of Cashmere, who had the shooing, prodding, and sorting down pat.
Dozens of roping teams counted on these young women to do the job and do it right. Teams raced from the gates — about a team every two minutes — to keep demand high for fresh steers that were ready to go.
Look for more photos and roping competition results (as available) later this week at NorthCountryRider.com.
