story by Holly Wilson
Cache Burnside is a recent graduate of Virgin Valley High School in Mesquite, Nevada.
He was a member of the rodeo team, and competed in the team roping and steer wrestling. Cache has been riding ever since he could stay on a horse, and has his parents to thank for getting him started in the sport.
“If it wasn’t for my parents, I probably wouldn’t have what I do right now,” Cache said. “They started me roping the dummy when I was little, and then I got started on cattle.”
His parents have always been his biggest supporters, and travel with him down the rodeo road. “My dad drives us, and is like our personal chauffeur,” he said with a laugh.
Cache prepares for time on the road by mentally preparing, and practicing his form. “I usually prepare the week before,” he said. “I always prepare myself to compete the best. Then, when I get to the rodeo, I’m ready and I know what to do.”
This sort of preparation has helped Cache throughout his rodeo career, and has landed him a place at the Utah High School Finals Rodeo on several occasions.
“My freshman year, my brother and I got third in the team roping at the High School Finals,” Cache said. “This year, I won the finals in the all-around and team roping.”
Cache also placed third in the steer wrestling with a time of 21.760 on three head. Cache finished the year with a grand total of 539 points, nearly 90 points ahead of the closest competitor.
Although he’s nowhere short of young talent, Cache also has some talented equine athletes that help him get the job done.
“I’ve got four horses that I use. My bulldogging horse is five years old, and his name is Ricky Bobby because he likes to go fast. My haze horse is just a young horse that we started, and he’s awesome. My heel horse’s name is Denny, and he makes it hard for you to miss.”
“We’ve trained them and worked with them a lot, we treat them right and they treat us right.”
Cache trains horses in his spare time, and enjoys camping and fishing. Basically, anything that you can do on horseback. “We ride in on horses and we ride out on horses, it’s a part of our lifestyle,” he said.
Cache also competed on the high school wrestling team all four years.
“While I was competing on the wrestling team, I took third in state my junior and senior year, and just had a lot of fun!”
Although wrestling will stay in his high school memories, rodeo will remain in Cache’s future.
“I got accepted to Central Arizona College, and hopefully we make the college finals,” he said. “I plan on team roping and steer wrestling for sure, unless the coach has other plans.”
Rodeo is a part of the Burnside family way, and Cache upholds the family tradition.
“Rodeo is what we do,” he said.
“My family helped me learn and become who I am today. We have to go do our best and whatever happens, happens. If we have a bad one, there’s always another rodeo.”
Cache looks forward to continuing his rodeo career, and will hit some PRCA rodeos until he begins his college career in the fall.
“Do what you love to do, no matter what happens,” Cache said. “If you love it, try to be the best you can be and try to perfect it. Don’t let anyone change what you want to do, it’s your choice.”
