His left boot fits into the stirrup as his hand reaches for the horn. He swings himself up and settles himself deep in his saddle. Reaching down, he pets his horse’s slick neck and grabs onto his reins. With a small kick, he proceeds to control the 1200 pound animal underneath him. With simple cues from his spurs and the rein light in his hand, he maneuvers his horse through a pattern and moves a cow to a desired position. Only hard work and dedication has brought him to this point, and the only thing on his mind is the money and the belt buckle up for grabs.

                Junior Tanner Tyk has been riding horses since he was six years old. Some of his horse-related hobbies include trail rides and giving kids with muscular dystrophy pony rides on occasion, but his most competitive hobby is reined cow horse. Reined cow horse is an American Quarter Horse show event that includes working a horse with a rein, displaying sliding stops and smooth maneuvers, and working cattle. The event requires some of the most highly trained cow horses and a rider with experience. The event is judged by a certified AQHA judge and the winner is based off a point scale.

                “I love doing reined cow horse,” Tyk said. “It really relieves my stress.”

                Tyk said getting bucked up out of the saddle when the horse stops on a dime is one of the most physically rough parts of reined cow horse. Although he loves the sport, Tyk said his least favorite part is letting a cow get away from him. 

                “I love working cows because it is a challenge,” Tyk said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

                Tyk said the hardest part in preparing a horse for reined cow horse competitions is learning and performing reining stops because it requires being in sync with the horses forward motion. Despite these difficulties and physically demanding moves, Tyk said there are many benefits that come with competing in reined cow horse.

                “You get to get out of your everyday life and feel free,” Tyk said. “When something bad happens, you can kind of get out and remove your frustration.”

                Tyk said another benefit is winning money, but only for those who are good enough. Although this is his first year of competing in reined cow horse, Tyk has many years of horse experience and hopes to win a buckle and some money in the coming years of competing.

                “I plan to [compete] for as long as I can,” Tyk said. “I plan on doing my best and going for the gold.”

                Tyk said not only is the competition and the practice a great stress reliever, but it also keeps his mind off of difficult things in life.

                “It keeps my head on straight because it keeps me active,” Tyk said. “[Working with horses] helps me by making me more persistent in my work and keeping my priorities straight.”

                Tyk said with the responsibility of taking care and practicing with horses comes learning how to plan ahead. When viewed from the top, Tyk said reined cow horse keeps him focused and relaxed with a great chance to advance his riding abilities and win awards.

                “[Reined cow horse] has showed me that some things aren’t as life threatening as I think they are,” Tyk said. “Someone always has life [much] worse, so live life like it’s your last day and make it the fullest.”