Taylor and Rickie Engesser learned how to ride without a saddle – bareback. “They ran barrels with bucking riggings,” said their dad, Shorty. They started riding when they were two and competed at the Belle Jackpot, the starting place for other rodeo greats like Nikki and Kristi Steffes. Taylor finished her first year in college as the 2014 CNFR Barrel Racing Champion as well as Rookie of the Year. Rickie won the South Dakota State High School Barrel Racing Championship and is headed to Rock Springs, Wyo., to try for the National High School Barrel Racing Championship.
Both girls run barrels on the same horse, a 19-year-old gelding named Rowdy. “I just bought him because I liked him,” said Shorty, who bought the gelding when he was four from a friend in Gillette. “We tried to sell him two or three times – he was strong and couldn’t keep the barrels clean.” It took several years for the horse to start clicking with the girls. The family credits younger brother, Jace, with helping to make Rowdy a champion. “When Jace started running flags on Rowdy, it seemed to free him up to run barrels.”
Shorty is always looking for horses. The family currently has around 20 horses on the place in various stages of training. “I either fix them and sell them, or we keep them. Rowdy is the real deal.” With Dee Bar, Leo Bars, and Cool Deep bloodlines, Cool Rowdy has taken all three Engesser kids to the pay window on many occasions. “He set an arena record in Shawnee, he’s made it to the high school finals three years and won the short go there last year. He also took Jace to the World Champion in Flags in the National Little Britches Finals Rodeo last year.”
Full story available in the July 15th edition.
