Teagan rides to young sportsperson title
She’s won multiple national titles, been named sportsperson of the year and is also proving to be an advocate for a sport facing mounting opposition.
Kaitaia teen, 17-year-old Teagan O’Callaghan was recognised for her achievements in the national and international rodeo arenas, named Fonterra Young Rural Sportsperson of the Year title earlier this month.
O’Callaghan had been drawn to rodeo at the age of eight while in pony club, and has since gone on to be NZRCA junior barrel racing champion in 2016 before stepping up to the adult ranks in 2017. She won two national rookie titles in the all-round and barrel racing divisions, becoming the first female to win an all-round title open to both genders.
Having also represented Northland in age grade football while completing NCEA Level 2 last year, O’Callaghan was named to captain the New Zealand high school rodeo team for the upcoming annual trans Tasman challenge.
Having set her sights on winning the NZRCA open barrel racing title, a long-term goal to compete on the high-profile North American circuit just came a lot closer following selection into an Australasian team for the World Rodeo Youth Championships in Shawnee, Oklahoma this July.
“I think it’s just the speed and the amount of control you have to have over your horse,” O’Callaghan said of the sport’s attraction.
She is also regarded as the modern and exciting face of New Zealand rodeo at a time when the sport is being put under increasingly uncomfortable scrutiny by animal welfare activists. She believed that both anti-rodeo protesters and those sitting on the fence should see first-hand what the sport is about before criticising it.
“A lot of people need to come to a rodeo and make up their minds for themselves because they hear what people are saying and they don’t actually know what goes on at a rodeo.
“I’ve never seen any harsh treatment towards animals at a rodeo.”
“One of the things that have come along with the animal welfare issues is that it’s created a lot of advertisement for the sport. So now there’s quite a few young people coming into it and giving it a go, which I think is a good thing.” ■ The Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards is promoted as New Zealand’s premier celebration of rural sporting achievement. This year’s event was held at Awapuni Racecourse, Palmerston North on Friday, March 9. The judging panel was chaired by rugby legend, Sir Brian Lochore.
Other major winners on the night, others were, Norwood Rural Sportsman of the Year: John Kirkpatrick of Napier (shearing), Skellerup New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year: Chrissy Spence of Morrinsville (tree climbing), Federated Farmers Contribution to the New Zealand Rural Sports Industry: Jude McNabb of Owaka (shearing), and the inaugural Toyota Lifetime Legacy Award: Paul van Beers from Porangahau (fencing).