Colt Starting Challenge USA comes to 4 Rocks Arena, Delavan, starting tonight

[September 29, 2017] 

Starting this evening at 6 p.m. 4 Rocks Arena, located just off Interstate 155 at the Delavan exit 15 will host the Colt Starting Challenge USA with six trainers showing their horse breaking skills.

The challenge will run across two days. Trainers will have two 45-minute sessions tonight and one session tomorrow evening. At the end of the three training session, trainers will ride their newly broken horses through an obstacle course, under the careful scrutiny of expert judges. The trainer with the best broken horse will be awarded a Grand Prize Buckle.

During the evening, six “round pens” will be set up inside the arena at 4 Rocks. The trainers will be assigned a young unbroken or untrained horse. This will be a horse that has never been ridden or trained to work. The object will be to prepare the horse for riding, and working as a “cutting horse” used in herding cattle.

The trainers are to use “Natural Horsemanship Methods” and during the course of the evening will have an opportunity to speak to the audience about their experience and history as well as the training methods employed.

Among the six competing will be Creek Mahaffey from Friendswood, Texas. Located in the southern part of the state, the area was devastated by Hurricane Harvey, and Mahaffey lost everything he owned, including one horse. Mahaffey said it was a hard pill to swallow, especially losing his horse. “Your horse is your best friend,” he said recently. He went on to explain that losing everything was hard, but he wasn’t the only one who suffered such a loss. He has friends and knows people in the area of Friendswood and Alvin who also lost everything.

Mahaffey said it was hard for him because when the storm hit he was on the road, 13 hours from home. His father called him and told him what had happened, but there was nothing he could do. Consequently, everything Mahaffey carries with him in his pick-up truck is everything he owns.

Mahaffey said that he will go back home soon, and will begin “picking up the pieces” and trying to put his life in Friendswood back together. He also said that he is dedicating this weekend’s competition to all his family and friends in Southern Texas. He said it was a small thing, but he’s hoping to take home that Championship buckle in honor of all those in southern Texas who lost everything. He said the win would be a simple reminder that life goes on after disasters, and good things will happen again.

The 4 Rocks Arena, also known as Rawlings 4R Arena is owned by Roger Rawlings, the same family that owns Rawlings Trailer Sales on the other side of the Delavan exit. The facility is set up to handle up to 450 spectators, offers multiple amenities for horse competitors including indoor and outdoor stalls, cattle run and roping boxes, and hookups for up to 60 RV’s or campers. It also offers concessions for spectators, and plenty of parking.

Throughout the year, the arena offers a wide variety of training and competition events including many youth rodeo events.

For the events this weekend, the community is invited to come out and watch as the trainers work their magic. There is suggestion that spectators bring their lawn chairs. A nightly admission fee will be charged at the door.

[Nila Smith]