TORRINGTON – It was definitely a case of love at first sight for young Hattie Haeffelin.
“I saw a horse,” the diminutive rider said. “I thought I wanted to ride one.”
Hattie competes in barrel riding and pole-bending events around the state of Wyoming and around the Tri-State region. As of July, she was at the top of the leader board in the Wyoming Junior Rodeo Association for her age group. And, in August, she earned the title of Top Peewee for 2018 at the Wyoming Youth Rodeo Association finals in Glenrock.
What’s really amazing about this tiny titan is she’s just 7-years-old and has been rodeoing only three years.
But Hattie comes from good rodeo stock. Her mom, Cassie Haeffelin, competed in break-away roping and goat tying as a youth and on into high school in Torrington and with the Wyoming State Rodeo team.
“I did do barrels,” Cassie said. “But I didn’t really care for it. My whole side of the family did rodeo.”
But Hattie’s true inspiration was her cousin, Kaylie Haun. Kaylie rode through high school, including representing the state of Nebraska at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo and National High School Finals Rodeo numerous times, and with the Eastern Wyoming College rodeo team. She boarded her horse at her aunt, Cassie’s, ranch south of Torrington and Hattie was always excited when Kaylie came to ride.
“Hattie was just fascinated with that,” Cassie said. “She met (Kaylie) in the yard with her boots on.”
Kaylie was just 19 when she was killed in a car accident near Lyman, Neb.
Hattie followed in her cousin’s footsteps in a couple of ways. Barrel racing and pole bending – two of Kaylie’s top events – are what Hattie loves most about rodeo today. And Hattie competes in the poles on a horse named Wiggy – the same horse Kaylie rode as a high school freshman rodeo competitor in the same event.
“I always think of (Kaylie) when I’m going through the poles,” Hattie said.
Kaylie “was really good at it,” Cassie said. “She won a lot of saddles.”
Hattie believes Kaylie is watching her as she competes and is cheering her on.
In just three short years, Hattie has ridden in dozens of rodeos – so many, the family has almost lost count. In addition to the WJRA circuit she can be found, close to home, with the Torrington Youth Series Rodeo events at the Goshen County Fairgrounds in Torrington.
“We enjoy watching all of the young cowboys and cowgirls compete at the Torrington Youth Series Rodeos each year,” said organizers Jake and Kerin Clark. “It is always rewarding to see all the young athletes continue to grow in the sport of rodeo.”
Hattie has the support of her family – Cassie, dad T.J. and brothers Ty, 9, and Coy, 4. They’ve never pushed her into riding competitively but, since Cassie competed when she was younger, “it was sort of expected on my part.
“But I guess she just liked it from the beginning,” Cassie said. “It came so naturally to her.”
Hattie doesn’t even get too upset if she doesn’t win
“I’m okay with it,” she said. “But when I break the pattern (in barrel racing), I get kind of sad.”
In the long-term, Hattie hopes to continue competing in rodeo, possibly even riding professionally, she said. For now, though, she just wants to continue to ride in youth series events and have fun.
Oh, and win belt buckles, she said.
“I want to win belt buckles and saddles,” Hattie said. “I’ve made a lot of friends doing rodeo.”
