It seems all the stars are aligning for 21-year-old Jessie Reynolds this month – after returning from the 2015 Gascoyne Junction Races and Gymkhana $3,000
richer. At the event, held over the weekend of 22-23 August, the apprentice hairdresser also received an industry award.
The thirteen-hour drive to Landor, in the Gascoyne region proved to be worth the effort when the Gingin rider took out the fastest time of the day in the Open
Barrel Race – and received one of the more lucrative cash prizes of the Western Australian circuit, along with a sash and trophy.
Jessie, who describes the barrel race as the ‘biggest adrenalin rush of your life’ has been riding for as long as she can remember and hails from a family busting with rodeo riders. She has only recently returned to the sport she is passionate about after a four-year spell without a horse.
As a teenager she competed with West Coast Rodeo Circuit, also spending a year riding the Queensland rodeo circuit with her uncle, another one of the renowned
rodeo competitors in her family. However, after returning to WA without a horse to ride, she was forced to the sidelines and concentrated on her hairdressing apprenticeship.
Then two years ago Jessie was lucky enough to be bequeathed a very special horse. Owned and ridden by her late Pop, Kevin Reynolds, the trusty quarter horse
won him many titles including the Senior Calf Roping at the prestigious Mt Isa rodeo just months before Kevin passed away. Although ‘Stumpy’ is now 18 Jessie
says the speedy steed is just reaching his prime and she’s hoping that under the tutelage of experienced dad Brett Reynolds together they can attain her goal of riding the professional circuit in the next few years.
Jessie fits in training around her full-time job hairdressing in Midland for which she was just placed 13th ‘most improved’ Australia-wide in her workplace, Price
Attack’s annual hairdressing awards. She saves most of the money she earns for competing. “I’m looking forward to going hard this year. I’ve just got a new car so I
can get to all the rodeos, and now nothing is stopping me,” she says.
Jessie will compete next against the many talented riders in our region at the Bindoon Show Rodeo to be held on the 17th October. Best of luck Jess – we’ll be
there to watch the action!
