Forestburg teen reaches Canadian finals in rodeo
Keaton Martz, of Forestburg, says that he can’t remember what first got him interested in rodeo.
He’s always had a passion for it, and he’s been competing since he was nine-years-old.
Now 13-years-old, Martz is finishing his last year of Jr. High Rodeo on a career high.
He qualified for nationals in Des Moines, Iowa, though he has chosen not to attend due to the travel and the expenses involved.
He is, however, going to attend the Canadian finals in Nanton, Alberta, this July.
Martz began his career with mutton busting at Gooseberry Lake, and now competes in nearly every event, aside from tie-down roping.
His favourite event is steer-riding, though he notes that in the Jr. High age group they actually use cows.
This year, Martz will be finishing with that age group and moving on to his first year with the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA).
He will also be competing with the Lakeland Rodeo Association (LRA), and the Wildrose Rodeo Association (WRA), over the summer.
He notes that he is one of only four riders in his age group who rides with one hand instead of two, which will give him a leg up when he reaches levels where two hands are not allowed.
His goals for this season are to make the CFR, or the LRA and WRA finals.
When asked about his career goals, Martz replied that he would like to win the NFR, CBR, and ride in the PBR.
Given his slew of accomplishments, these dreams don’t seem at all far-fetched.
He won the 4-H steer riding circuit at age 12 and made it to the finals riding mini bulls last year.
These are just a couple of examples of the successes he has achieved over his short career thus far.
Along with these accomplishments come prizes.
Martz has won six belt buckles, including one for 4-H Breakaway, a season leader buckle for bull riding, and one from Sundre for bull riding.
He has also won an assortment of other prizes, from cash to suitcases to picture frames.
Martz has gained several local sponsors, including the Forestburg Vet Clinic, Coutts Hardware, Marlit Contractors, Forestburg Agencies, and Trail’s Edge out of Monitor, Alberta.
The sponsors help with entry fees to competitions, and more sponsors are always welcome.
Martz has also attended three different rodeo schools in order to improve his skills.
He began going to the schools at age 10, and cites his time with Gary Leffew as his favourite.
Leffew hosted a bull-riding school in Forestburg a couple of years ago.
Now that the Flagstaff Riding Arena in Forestburg has purchased bucking chutes, Martz will be able to practice right at home.
He previously had to travel to Bashaw in the summer and Thorsby in the winter to practice.
Martz is also now helping to teach younger kids to ride mini bulls.
He has been a part of the Cinch Team, which is a group of young rodeo stars who are the leaders in points in their first three rodeos. He was also a student director for Jr. High rodeo.
For two years, Martz has ridden in the Calgary Stampede, once with a broken ankle. Last year, he was even featured on TV.
“It was a Wednesday, on the muddiest day. I landed right in it all,” he said as he recalled the event.
He plans to attend again this year. Calgary has no entry fees, though participants must be rodeo card holders.
Martz also took a moment to recognize his mentor, Travis Whiteside.
Whiteside is a former Canadian Bareback champion, and he has been helping Martz for the past three years.
Though rodeo keeps him pretty busy in the spring and summer, Martz has an active life the rest of the year as well.
He plays nearly every school sport and participates in 4-H. In November, he was made Athlete of the Month at Forestburg School.
He also recently bought a two-year-old horse, and is spending his spare time breaking it in. “Keaton brought rodeo to our lives,” says Hannah Martz, Keaton’s younger sister.
She has already shown an interest in the sport as well, and has competed in some barrel racing events. Hannah hopes to continue competing, just like her brother.
With both of their children taking part, parents Tara and Aaron are kept pretty busy during the rodeo season.
They don’t seem to mind, though, and are always there to cheer their kids on in whichever event they are participating in. While he is riding, Martz says that he is too focused to hear much of anything.
As soon as he is finished, however, the first thing that he notices is mom Tara cheering louder than all the rest of the gathered crowd.
When asked what his favourite part of competition was, Martz replied, “The adrenaline; and winning.”
Both of these aspects seem to be something that he will be getting used to as he continues his career in the rodeo.
Megan Lockhart
Staff Reporter
