Kaitlyn rodeo barrel racer

(5-minute read)

Kaitlyn DeSousa is a female rodeo barrel racer.

She competes in rodeo events in her home state of Arizona, and all over the western United States.

2023 is the year she began to believe the results before she would see them.

And for Kaitlyn, racing for saddles is something she’s done for a long time.

Growing up in the pristine Chino Valley area, just outside of Prescott, AZ- Kaitlyn grew up in the saddle and is looking to compete her way into the professional rodeo circuit.

Tango is the name of her number two steed, a 16-year-old, 17.5-hand, brown gelding who loved eating apples more than racing and with whom Kaitlyn DeSousa has spent two years training to be quicker in hopes of matching the racing instincts of Dixie, her spontaneously more competitive dark brown mare.

Known to bring home a check nearly every time she enters a barrel racing competition, Dixie was Kaitlyn’s notoriously testy partner for her entry into barrel racing.

Now, driven by an inner strong desire to train Tango- a former rope horse, she spends many more hours in the ring with the gelding.

Speaking of training, both rider and horse have to develop the skills to bring home the championships in barrel horse racing.

Here’s how she and Dixie do it… (how do they do it?) lots of patience with Dixie.

The mare’s hot-tempered nature has her so boiled and bothered that she’ll overlook turning a barrel from time to time.

Rodeo has long been a male-dominated world, and barrel racing has empowered and opened doors for so many women.

When asked about being seen as a role model, Kaitlyn responded, “Not yet anyway. I’m just a girl riding her horse.’

She did though mention she does notice women Hailey Kinsel and Fallon Taylor as a couple of the greats of the sport that she enjoys observing, and appreciates seeing how much effort they put forth.