Warden’s Aubree Skone discusses dealing with time away from rodeo competition this summer

WARDEN — With rodeo events few and far between this summer, participants like Warden’s Aubree Skone have been biding their time until they get a chance to return.

Skone, a soon-to-be sophomore at Walla Walla Community College, is a member of the college’s rodeo and soccer teams. With Walla Walla’s rodeo team, she competes in barrel racing, goat tying, and breakaway roping events.

The night before competition was set to begin this spring, the season was canceled.

With added free time, Skone said, she’s spent most of that time working one of her two jobs. At night she’s been out on her horse training.

“I feel like I haven’t lost too much contact just because I rope every night,” she said. “I’m super excited for when rodeos do come back just because I haven’t been to one in so long.”

Less competition and events means the additional hard work and time being put in won’t really be seen, Skone said.

“It kind of sucks because we’re working really hard, keeping our horses in shape, feeding them, making sure they have all the vitamins they need and such,” she said. “But, there’s nowhere to go, nowhere to show what we’ve been doing, I guess.”

Skone said she started showing horses at a young age, but got pretty bored with it after a while. After being introduced to barrel racing by a friend, Skone decided to give it a shot on her way to getting started with junior high rodeo.

From there, things just kept rolling, she said.

“You get to know more people, and they start showing you more things,” Skone said. “Soon enough, you’re doing all the events that people are showing you and stuff, so I sort of picked up more events as I learned more about it.”

Though her mother was involved in 4-H when she was younger, Skone said she’s the only one in her family who competes in rodeos.

While rodeo events are being held in places like Idaho and Montana, she said, it’s tough to find time to drive three to five hours for an event when she’s working two jobs. Having more money is a nice bonus, she added.

Skone said she has tried to make it to as many “jackpot” events as she could.

“There’s not many anymore, but when there is one, we try to get to it,” she said.

Riders like herself are not alone in missing the rodeo circuits this summer, Skone said.

“The community is a big part of it too,” she said. “Yeah, we don’t get to rodeo, but the community also doesn’t get to go to rodeo. So, we’re kind of all in this together.”