Native Youth 

This is a brand new page added to Indian Rodeo News.  Our goal here is to recognize all Indian children and teenagers who ride horses, rodeo, ranch, and kids who participate in taking pictures at events.

Each month starting with December 2002 we will try to feature a Indian Youth who is active in riding horses, rodeo, ranching, and photography.   


Do you know a Native Indian Youth who has worked hard to achieve their goals and accomplishments?  Would you like to be featured as a Native Youth role model?  Any Native youth ages 18 and under can be featured.  

Indian Rodeo News asks for you to send in your story about yourself, who inspired you to ride, rodeo, ranch, etc.     We welcome as many pictures you have to share with our readers.  Email your questions and or story to 
Gina@indianrodeonews.com 

To Read about the featured Native Youth from the previous months click on their names below to check out their stories and pictures.

December 2002: Nicole Tsosie
January 2003:  Kayonnie Badonie
February 2003: Whitney O'Rourke
March 2003: Charles Gottfriedson
April 2003:  Jenna Johnson, Liana Tom 
May 2003: Devyn Dennison, Jarrett Monroe 
June 2003: Tess Ducheneaux, 
Wade Marchand,
 Ethan Gopher
July 2003: Chantel Williams
August 2003: Trina Bowers, Bobby Louis, 
Desiree Smartlowit
September 2003: Raven Shade, Sammy Jo Bird
October 2003:  Ashlee Strom, Hattie Emm
November 2003: Sonya Goseyn
December 2003: 
January 2004:
February 2004: Nicole Welsh-Romo
April 2004: Ashley Picard, Brett Williams
May 2004: Jesse Gonzales

This Month of June we are recognizing:  Kylie Yazzie 

KYLIE BRIANA YAZZIE

Kylie & Delaney in New River, AZ

Kylie Briana Yazzie was born October 29, 1997 at Gallup Indian Medical Center in Gallup, New Mexico. She is affiliated with the Eastern Navajo Tribe. Her clans are Tachinii (Red running into the water people clan) and born for Haltsoi (Meadow people clan). Her maternal grandfather is of the Tsinnjinii (Black streak forest people clan) and her paternal grandfather is of the Nakai Dine (Mexican people clan).

          Kylie is the daughter of Lance and Onawa Yazzie and granddaughter of Peter and Bertha Tom. Her paternal grandparents are Ivy Lou Yazzie and Emmett Bigthumb. Her maternal great-grandparents are the late Frank Yazzie Sr. and Alice P. Yazzie of Bread Springs, NM. Her paternal great-grandparents are John B. and Sarah A. Yazzie of Rock Springs, NM.

          Both Kylie’s parents compete with the Navajo Nation Cowboy Rodeo Assoc. (NNRCA) and All Indian Rodeo Cowboy Assoc. (AIRCA) throughout the Southwestern United States within the Navajo Nation Reservation. Kylie’s mother is a barrel racer and her father is a bull rider. Kylie’s father also ropes with the United States Team Roping Championship (USTRC). Kylie’s grandfathers have all had part in rodeo most of their lives, Peter has been a team roper since her mother was young and Emmett was a New Mexico high school saddle bronc champion. Her great-grandfathers have also had their roots in rodeo. The late Frank Yazzie Sr. was a horse trainer and a chuck wagon horse racer at the old Gallup Ceremonial grounds and John B. Yazzie was a bareback rider with numerous earnings and awards. Therefore, Kylie riding horses at a tender age of four was not too surprising. Rodeo and horseback riding is in her blood. She is meet to be a world champion sometime in the near future.

          Kylie’s list of accomplishments are:

v     Top 5 Indian Junior Rodeo Assoc. Midget Co-ed All Around Champion in 2003 (6 & under)

v     Four States Junior Rodeo Assoc. Barrel Racing Champion in 2004 (5 & under)

v     Four States Junior Rodeo Assoc. Pole Bending Reserve Champion in 2004 (5 & under)

v     2004-2005 Bread Spring Day School Princess

v     Many more accomplishments to come…

Words from Kylie and her achievements:

HELLO. My name is Kylie Yazzie. I am 6 years old. I live in Bread Springs, New Mexico. I am in Kindergarten at Bread Springs Day School. Ms. Kelly Ross is my teacher. My parents are Lance and Onawa Yazzie. My maternal grandparents are Peter and Bertha Tom of Bread Springs, NM. My paternal grandparents are Ivy Lou Yazzie of Rock Springs, NM and Emmett Bigthumb of Ft. Defiance, AZ. MY maternal great-grandparents are the Late Frank Yazzie Sr. and Alice P. Yazzie of Bread Springs, NM. My paternal great-grandparents are John B. and Sarah A. Yazzie of Rock Springs, NM. I have one little brother named Chance Anthony-Guy Yazzie who is 3 years old and attends Bread Springs Head Start.

I have been riding horses since I could remember. I use to ride with my dad when I was just a baby. My mom and dad have bought me many horses over the years but we sold them because I could not ride them. They just wanted to run with me, it was scary. The first horse I had was Lacy from Pinedale, NM then Shannon from Standing Rock, NM and then Mable from Dry Ridge, KY. We sold all of these horses so my mom made a deal with me she said, “if I could ride her barrel horse, I could have her”. So I worked really hard and tried to ride her and now she is my horse. My horse is named Delaney a.k.a.: Ten-Karat Rock she is 17 years old. She used to be my mom’s barrel/pole/breakaway horse but now she is all mine. I use Delaney in barrel racing and flag racing and pole bending. I still use my mom’s other barrel horse for goat tagging whose name is J.P a.k.a.: Justin’s Pleasure he is 12 years old. Delaney is too tall for me to jump off of her in goat tagging. The horse I used before Delaney and J.P. was Two Socks a.k.a.: Twister Two Socks he is the same age as me 6 years old, he is my dad’s roping horse. I outgrew Two Socks right away because I had to kick him really hard just to make him trot.  My mom also has another barrel horse named He’s got trouble he is 9 years old but I have not ridden him yet and he doesn’t have a nickname yet. I will probably ride all my mom and dad’s horses and the one I like I can always take away. So I have 4 horse all together. I have 3 dogs their names are Dew (mixed breed) and Red (red heeler) and Baby (border collie). I also have 2 little kittens that don’t have names yet. I got them from my grandma Bertha’s friend.

          I am a member of Indian Junior Rodeo Assoc. (IJRA) and Four States Junior Rodeo Association. The events that I compete in are barrel racing, flag racing, goat tagging and wooly riding in IJRA and in Four States I compete in barrel racing, flag racing, pole bending and goat tagging. I like traveling and rodeoing with my mom and dad. We go all over like Arizona to Colorado to Texas over the weekends and summers. When I go to school we leave after school on Friday and don’t come home until Sunday night. I rope with my dad outside with the steer dummy but I haven’t roped on a horse but I will when I get a little bigger. I am also the Bread Spring Day School Princess. I want to put my crown on my cowboy hat and wave like Latasha Long (IJRA rodeo queen).

When I get big I will win a big 4-door diesel truck with a 3-horse slant gooseneck when I rope with my dad. I will win a lot of saddles and buckles too.  When I went to the Charmayne James barrel racing school she told me  “look between the ears and run fast.” I like Charmayne James and she rode my horse Delaney. I want to be like her and win lots of buckles.

Charmayne James & Kylie