Ainslee Meise, 9, of Prince George, is ranked No. 1 in the BC Rodeo Association’s barrel racing category.
She is nine years old and rides a palomino so fast she could give barrel racing ladies a run for their money.
Ainslee Meise competes in the peewee rodeo barrel racing category and is ranked No. 1 on the BC Rodeo Association competitor list.
Ainslee’s last race was held June 17-19 at an event hosted by The Prince George Western Heritage Society at the Fairgrounds, where she won her event with a time of 16.242 seconds.
“At first I just started riding, and mom was barrel racing,” Ainsley said of how she got started.
Her mother is Kim Maze and she raced Ainsley’s palomino, Speedle, but switched horses when it became clear that Ainsley and Speedle were the perfect match.
“They take care of each other,” Kim said.
Kim said Ainsley has been in the saddle since she could hold on to the horns, and that was at one year old. Ainslie rode her first solo barrel race at age three.
Speedle came into the family when he was five years old through Kim’s mother, but it quickly became clear that he was too big a horse, Kim said.
“They just weren’t the right fit,” Kim said. “So I rode him for a year and fell in love with him and knew he was meant to be ours so I bought him from my mum when Ainsley was six weeks old and he’s been with us ever since and will be with us” until the day he dies.”
Speedle is now 16 years old, and Kim said he is still in his prime, as evidenced by the success Ainsley and Speedle have enjoyed this racing season.
Ainsley has earned about $2,000 as a result of her races so far this year, and the money mostly goes toward entry fees and vet bills, she said.
“Ainsley has a bank account and we put some of it into her account and when she gets older she can decide what she wants to do with it,” Kim said. “She then puts some back in the entry fee envelope because it costs money to enter and it costs money to look after a horse really well. We are taking Speedle to a vet in Alberta who is probably one of the top performing vets in Western Canada named Chad Hewlett.”
Ainslie rides the Speedle five or six times a week to keep him in shape. Pre- and post-ride care is also extremely important, Kim said.
“Every rodeo animal is treated like an athlete — they eat better than me most days,” Kim laughed.
So what’s next for Ainsley?
“I’m just going to keep rodeoing,” she said.
The next races are at Pritchard and Williams Lake.
“Ainslee is aiming for the BC Rodeo Association finals,” Kim said. This event takes place in Barriere over Labor Day weekend.
For Ainslee, it’s not just about the competition.
“It’s mostly about hanging out with my friends, watching other riders and spending time with my horse,” Ainsley said.
“They’re just a bunch of crazy kids,” Kim laughed.
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