story by Lily Weinacht
Paityn Berklund of Anahuac, Texas, is making her first trip to Las Vegas and the Junior World Finals this December. The 13-year-old barrel racer made her first run at qualifying during the KK Run for Vegas race held at Josey Ranch in Marshall, Texas, in May, and stopped the clock at 16.1 to win the senior barrels. “I was pretty excited about my run. It was one of our best runs, so I was really happy with it,” says Paityn. “My time rolled into the Junior World and put me first for that day.”
Josey Ranch holds happy memories for Paityn, who has attended several clinics there in the past and also taken lessons from Ty Mitchell, one of the instructors. “I love going up there for the Junior World. I like the atmosphere, and all the vendors up there and the rodeo,” says Paityn. She started barrel racing lessons when she was 8 and competing when she was 9, inspired by her mom, Hilari Berklund’s, work ethic. In turn, Hilari was inspired to learn barrel racing after Paityn started. “My mom’s helped me a lot, and she and my dad take the information from Ty and we work on it at home and they help me practice,” says Paityn. “Rodeo is just so much fun, and it makes all the hard work and practice at home pay off.”
She competes in the AQHA and AQHYA, and qualified for the 2019 AQHYA World Championship Show in barrel racing. She also competed there in 2017 in pole bending. “This was my first year doing junior high rodeos, and at first I had my new horse and I was super nervous, but we started improving,” says Paityn. “I was third going into state finals in barrels, and I finished eleventh in poles. Barrel racing is my favorite, but I love pole bending too. My main goal is to have a clean run. I don’t have to be fast, I just have to make sure I have a clean run.”
Paityn qualified for the Junior World Finals on her mare Spirit, whom she brought home last summer. “I love how calm she is before and after her runs. The horse I do poles on, Precious, we’ve had quite a few years, and you can ride her and Spirit bareback, and she’s super calm. Izzy is going to be my new pole horse, and we’ll let my sister ride Precious.” Her 10-year-old sister, Sloane, barrel races, and the sisters help with horse chores and ride together often. They also have a 7-year-old brother, Steele. “We live right by our county arena, so we usually go there, but sometimes we just want to ride at home, and it’s all pasture,” Paityn explains.
She and her family enjoy riding horses all together, and Paityn also likes playing volleyball, or organizing a game of baseball with her siblings in the backyard. Their dad, Aaron Berklund, coaches a T-Ball team in town, and teaches math and science at an elementary school. Hilari is a physician assistant, while Paityn will be starting seventh grade at Gentry Junior High this fall. “I’m thinking about joining the team this year and doing volleyball and track.”
Keeping Spirit legged up and well-loved in preparation for the Junior World Finals is her main focus in the next few months. “I always want to improve on my times and always have clean runs,” says Paityn, who loves to go fast but also works on perfecting her technique. “Hopefully I’ll make it to the Junior NFR again next year. I’m just happy I can be there this year, and I hope I do well.”
