Kapa’a freshman will represent Kaua’i in Illinois At first, they hardly had a choice. Their father, Robert, has been into horses since he was little. And their brother, Bronson, was a national finalist just three years ago. In other words,
Kapa’a freshman will represent Kaua’i in Illinois
At first, they hardly had a choice.
Their father, Robert, has been into horses since he was little. And their brother, Bronson, was a national finalist just three years ago.
In other words, rodeo has been part of Dustin and Austin Mendes’ life for as long as either can remember. They took up the sport at the age of seven.
Now, seven years later, the two are nearing the upper echelon. On July 19, the identical twins, 14, will head to Springfield, Ill., to compete in the 2001 National High School Finals Rodeo.
It is one of the world’s largest rodeos, bringing together over 1,500 contestants from 39 states, four Canadian Provinces and Australia. Over $100,000 in prizes will be on the line, as well as $150,000 in college scholarship money.
“It’s a great honor,” Dustin said. “We’re looking forward to winning.”
An expensive honor.
Pam Mendes, the twins’ mother – and chaperone to Illinois – estimated the cost for her boys to participate in the national event, which will run until July 29, to be “about $10,000.”
“It’s an expensive thing,” Pam said, “because we have to get there, pay for food and lodging and rent horses.”
Mainland competitors may be more likely to truck their own horses to the competition. Flying or barging in their own animals, Pam said, was not an option for her sons.
“With all the quarantine concerns and possible sickness in the horses, it’d be impossible,” she said. “You’ve got to have healthy horses.”
So, at a $1,500 price tag, the Mendes twins will have horses for the Team Roping event for which they qualified at the Hawai’i State High School Rodeo Finals held on the Big Island from June 8-11. The boys finished second in Team Roping at the competition.
“I was thinking, because of cost, that I was going to have to tell them we couldn’t go,” Pam said. “But then I looked at their faces, and heard people urge me. I knew we had to do it.”
So, the Mendes family put its mind to fund-raising. With the help of Anthony Silva and his wife, Debbie, along with many others, Pam was able to organize a chicken lau lau sale. That helped them to raise $5,000, which leaves them short. The boys are still happily accepting donations, but have raised enough to off-set the cost of the trip.
“It was hard to put it together in three weeks,” Pam said. “We did it with a lot of help. But we’d like to be able to take more eligible kids to nationals.”
And there were others. Both McKenzie McCoy, a junior at Kahili Adventist School, and Levi Maeda, a Waimea High student, participated at the state competition.
McCoy won the goat-tying championship and placed fourth in the cutting event – separating one livestock from a herd. Cost, however, will prohibit McCoy’s participation at nationals.
But the Mendes twins, freshman at Kapa’a High School, will be there. And happy to have each other.
“It’s nice having Dustin around,” Austin said. “Always somebody to talk to.”
Pam said that her sons, despite their competitive nature, are not often at each other.
“They’re starting to get that way a little more,” Pam said. “But, for the most part, they are good friends who got into rodeo because this is a family event that we could all be involved in.”
And have been involved in for quite some time.
Bronson went the national finals in 1996 and 1997. The oldest Mendes boy, Robert Jr., was also involved in rodeo. Only the Mendes’ third son, Kamekona, has not pursued the sport with a passion.
As for the twins, each said their love of rodeo was driven by something different.
“I like the danger of it,” Dustin said. “Sometimes you get run over out there, but you get up and dust yourself off.”
“I just love riding the horse and feeling in control,” Austin said.
There was agreement on what they’d like to do in Springfield. The boys would like to get into the top 20 in the Team Roping competition. That will ensure them of participating in Sunday’s final rodeo.
Ascending to that spot will mean showing well during the qualifying rounds to be held Monday, July 23 through Saturday, July 28.
