Over the past two weeks, while trying to get “back in the groove” of life here, in Coquitlam, B.C., we’ve been reminiscing about our favorite memories of two months on Kauai. There are many.
But one in particular is burned in my memory.
It was Saturday, Feb. 23, the first day of the Waimea Town Celebration, a week-long event that’s getting better every year, a week that made us lengthen our stay several years ago so that we could take part in the unique, island-wide celebration.
It was the final event of the Kauai Paniolo Showdown Rodeo.
Hawaiian rodeos differ in several ways from North American rodeos. Your competitions emphasize horsemanship, skill, sportsmanship and cooperation. As well, there are as many female as male contestants.
It had been another fine rodeo with good officiating, a fine announcer, and quality food trucks. The rodeo grounds were kept in flawlessly perfect condition. The weather was perfect, too, not too hot for the horses, steers and competitors.
The final event of the rodeo. The Ladies Wahine Breakaway Roping. The last contestant of the Wahine Breakway Roping. The last contestant of the last event.
The time to beat … 4.2 seconds. That’s a very fast time!
An attractive local wahine was “in the box.” My wife and I had noticed her earlier sitting below us in the grandstand with her small keiki and her ohana. She had been part of several previous team-roping events, with some success, as I recall. She had left her family, going quietly, in plenty of time to participate, then returning quietly after putting away her horse. We could see she was a gentle, caring mother.
She had a unique hairstyle, five tight braids at the back of her head emanating from a large knot of black hair that had been pulled tightly around her face.
Five braids, thick black hair, a classic Hawaiian princess face.
She was the last contestant.
We didn’t catch her name. We did hear that she was from Anahola.
She was having trouble with her horse in the box. He was overanxious, excited and nervous. Suddenly he reared up, and at a 45-degree angle, on his back legs, came out of the box. He “broke the barrier,” causing the buzzer to sound. Horse and rider swirled into the arena.
She didn’t lose her cool.
She talked to her horse, petted his neck, they did a figure-eight. She talked to him, calmed him down. They did another figure eight. She took her time.
The crowd was getting a bit restless.
She got back in the box with her horse, causing the buzzer to sound again as they re-entered. She got her lariat coiled under her arm just the way she wanted.
Her horse was now calm, alert and focused. She was focused, too.
Now the steer was acting up in the chute, twisting and trying to turn, his head not in the right direction.
It was beginning to take a long time.
But she stayed calm, she stayed focused, she didn’t lose her cool.
Finally, exactly when she felt everything was right, almost imperceptibly, she nodded her head.
With a clang, the gate opened, and the steer shot into the arena. Her horse leaped forward close behind, but he didn’t “break the barrier.”
No time for many loops. One, maybe two and she threw her rope. It landed cleanly over the steer’s head, she jerked the noose more tightly around the galloping steer.
With one fluid motion, she threw the rope away from her now slowing horse and brought it to a stop. The rope uncoiled behind the steer and, finally, so it seemed, broke free from the saddle, the white tasseled end arcing into the air as the flagman brought down his arm.
Some of the fans had left for the music entertainment at the old sugar-mill stage. Those that were left cheered and whistled. They knew it would be a good time.
She knew it was a good time, too. She patted her horse on his neck as they trotted to the catch-pen to retrieve the lariat.
It was going to be a good time, but would it be enough to beat a 4.2?
The rodeo announcer’s voice came back loud and clear: “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, and his voice was rising, “We have a new leader in the Ladies Breakaway Roping, with a 3.9, a three-point-nine!” And that also means we have the winner of the Ladies Breakaway Roping in the arena right now!” The remnant of us left were cheering.
The announcer said her name and asked her to make a victory loop.
ANAHOLA GRANOLA! She did it! The Hawaiian princess with the five braids in her long black hair did it!
She retrieved her rope and coiled it up casually and expertly as she had done a thousand times before. Then she began to lope her horse gently and modestly in front of the grandstand and, nodded slightly, looking straight ahead, as she passed her cheering, standing ohana, other rodeo fans and my wife and me, before she rode through the open gate.
I saw her reach forward and pet her horse’s neck again as they left the arena.
The last contestant of the 2019 Kauai Paniolo Showdown Rodeo; but we didn’t get her name!
ANAHOLA GRANOLA, what a ride!
She was our heroine of the rodeo.
Mahalo Waimea Town Celebration Committee. Mahalo people of Waimea. Mahalo people of Kauai for your continuing aloha spirit.
We’ll be back next year, God willing.
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Walter and Jeanie Lutz are residents of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.
