Shaya Biever - CFR 2023

Shaya Biever had a big year winning Bonnyville, Wainwright, Bowden, Teepee Creek, Regina, and Pincher Creek, placed second at Dawson Creek, and placed at several other rodeos. She raked in $18,510.83 after 40 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association rodeo events, and heads to the Canadian Finals Rodeo in third position.

What is your background with horses? How did you get started roping?
I’ve been around horses since I was born. My Dad and Mom used to run 120 mares with a PMU barn, along with that my Dad also roped and trained horses. I’ve been roping and riding since I was young, and I’ve always had a passion for it. I learned how to rope and train horses from my Dad. I grew up mostly team roping, but my parents took me to Joe Lucas’s calf roping schools for years, eventually in my grade 6 year of Junior High School Rodeo I started breakaway roping.

What is your main mounts reg name, bloodlines and does he/she have any quirks?
CQ Badgers Thor, he goes back to Peppy San Badger on top and is a Chics in Male on the bottom. He has a big personality, he knows his job and does it well. He is sixteen this year but acts like he’s three. He has to have his ears plugged is his one quirk.

What is your horses story?
My Dad found and bought him when he was a 3-year-old for himself. I knew he was going to be great from when I first started roping on him, he was so fast, athletic and it was always easy for me to rope off him. My Dad and I both trained him. Dad ranched off of him a lot, then trained him as a heel horse. Right about the time he got good as a heel horse, I stole him and started making him into a head horse because I needed another one. My last year of high school rodeo my good head/breakaway horse got hurt and that’s when I started breakaway roping off him. He picked up on the event pretty fast, the only issue I’ve mainly had to deal with him was he got a little hot in the box and wouldn’t stand very good. I took him down to school with me in Texas and I was fortunate enough to have a great coach that helped me finish him in the breakaway roping.

What is your go to saddle, pad and bit on your main mount? What do you like about them?
I ride an Equitech Calf Roping Saddle. They are made in Brazil have a Billy Hog replica tree, they fit horses really nice. The main thing I like about it is that it sits your forward in a nice position and required very little break in, it felt great right out of the box. I use a Synergy fleece lined roping pad, I love the fit and fleece of the pad. For a bit I use a twisted square bar by 3R Bits and Spurs. It gives me a super good feel in the corner and keeps my horse square and sharp.

What do you do to keep a sharp mental edge in the game of rodeo? How do you stay motivated throughout the season?
I usually listen to a lot of podcasts and interviews throughout the season. I love listening to people at the top of their game talk about how they got to where they are. Motivation comes easily to me, I love the sport in it’s entirety and because of that it’s easy to stay motivated.

Did you face any challenges this season? Tell us about them.
When I started the season, winning Rookie of the Year was honestly not one of goals, due to some unfortunate circumstances I was unable to start my rookie year in the states (I actually couldn’t go down to the states until end of May) so I thought my chances of winning rookie were over. After the month of July I ended up in the lead for rookie of year.

The challenge I faced was the pressure of winning rookie of year, but knowing I didn’t set my year up to win it. I’m not used to that; when I make my goals I make sure to try and set myself up for success. Most of the girls in the rookie race this year, set their year up at the start of the season to win it, and I had eliminated it from my list. I think overcoming that pressure and coming out of it realizing sometimes all you can do is your best, and things are meant to work out how they should is a hard lesson to learn. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t trying to win it at the end of the year, who wouldn’t want to, but I think realizing I did my best with the circumstances at hand and remembering that I got so close to a goal I had already thought was gone is super cool.

Overcoming this challenge helped me to remember sometimes it is out of our control and everything truly does happen for a reason.

Tell the readers something good that happened to you this season, other than placing at, or winning a rodeo.
Something good that happened to me this season is gaining new friendships. I feel this year I really found my good circle of friends and that just added to the amazing season that I had.

What is the best advice you’d give to readers, about horses, competing or life?
After this year and season has come to an end my advice would be to just stay grateful. It’s easy to compare yourself to others and wish you were further along, but I think you have to step back and realize there are probably a lot of people that compare themselves to you. You will always hear me say, “well, I’m just grateful to compete here”, and it’s true; this past year was what I’ve wanted to do since breakaway got put into Pro Rodeo. When you are grateful, it’s easy to do your job and stay positive.

What has been your most memorable run over the years, and what made it memorable for you?
The most recent memorable run in this year’s rodeo season was my 1.9 second run in Killdeer, North Dakota. I ended up splitting the win and that was my first Pro Rodeo win in the States. It felt good to do good across the border and have hard work pay off.

Who is your travelling partner, and what do you enjoy most about travelling with them?
This year I travelled mainly with Cora Graham and her cute little 2 year old daughter, Caysen. The best thing I like about Cora is her sincerity, I know she is in my corner wanting me to do my best. You spend a lot of time with your traveling partner so making sure it is someone who is genuine and pushes you to always do better is a huge thing.

Who you are around during the rodeo season can make or break your mindset, and I think it’s so important to be around people you can thrive off of.

Which of the other CFR Qualifiers horses would you swing a leg over if given the chance and why?
I would love for the opportunity to ride Bradi Whiteside’s horse (owned by Ben Bamford). I can remember that horse from when Ben used to calf rope on him and said the same thing. He’s super flat and fast across the line and has a super big smooth stop. I think he’d be an easy horse to win on.

What products can you or your horse not live without on the road?
NeutraBac is a product I will never leave home without, not having to worry about your horse when you’re hauling all around the country is great.

We all know no one gets the top alone it takes a massive support system, and I am so grateful for mine. I can’t thank my family enough for always supporting all my dreams and doing everything they can to help me. I also want to thank my traveling partner, Cora Graham and the entire Graham family, as well as Denim Fletcher and family for everything they’ve done for me this summer.

I would also like to thank my sponsors that have supported me all year! Equ StreamZ, Alliance Equine, K-Rae Designs, and Equi-Boss Performance (NeutraBac).