Ep. 82 - Trick Riding Around the World with Brandi Phillips
Someone that we have wanted on the That Western Life podcast for a very long time is none other than Cowgirl Magazine 30 Under 30 2020 recipient Brandi Phillips. From her unique fashion sense, to her work as a performer with trick riding and trick roping, the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls, and more on this episode. Today, Brandi is based out of Hazel, Texas, and continues to trick ride and mentor the next generation.
BackStory - Becoming the Cowgirl you are today.
“My initial experiences from horses were from my grandmother Linda who was very influential in my life,” says Brandi, who grew up with Quarter Horse, Thoroughbreds, and Arbaians. As a very small kid, that is where her first introduction began, but when her grandfather got sick they sold all of them to move closer to town. Brandi didn’t get back to horses until she got involved with Riata Ranch - it was definitely a journey to make it a career!
“it’s cool to not be raised around them to now having my life revolve around [horses],” says Brandi.
The Riata Ranch was started in 1957 by Tommy Meyer as a riding school with western performance teams, reining and cow horses. Tommy put cowboys and cowgirls through the ringer to make them well rounded all around competitors. In the 1970’s it transitioned to a full time trick riding team, which is where Jennifer Nicholson was a part of the original trick riding team. A mentorship, leadership program that uses trick riding and trick roping teaches you skills that you can use later in life. Typically, it’s a youth a program and you don’t stay around through your adult life but Brandi is one of the few that once she got there, she didn’t leave for quite a long time!
Despite leaving in 2016, Brandi is still involved in an alumni position where she helps Jennifer with mentorships and more. Once you are a part of the family, it never changes! Spencer was one of Brandi’s best friends and even now, many years later, Spencer is coming with her husband and two kids to join Brandi for an event in Texas. Things may look different now, but they’re all still family.
Trick Riding Today
“When I was younger, Riata Ranch was a constant in my life,” says Brandi who has a pretty rough family background. “When I decided to retire, I was dealing with some very personal hardships with the loss of her father. Now, trick riding is whatever I decide what I want to make it.”
Brandis’s pure passion regarding trick riding showcases who she is and what she loves. Trick riding she does now because she enjoys it and she has started teaching more and more often. Students for Brandi range from inexperienced to those already trick riding and helping them get to the next level.
Being a specialty act in rodeo is very special in and of itself and to be able to continue that on her own is a great experience.
“People give us heat because we get paid at the rodeo, but it is still very demanding,” says Brandi.
Physical Demands of Trick Riding
People don’t realize that even if you are physically fit, you use such different muscles than a normal “fit” person would use. Additionally, you aren’t just doing gymnastic like maneuvers, you are doing those maneuvers on a horse.
“Trick riding is three parts … you always have to have a little bit of that edge,” says Brandi, who breaks trick riding down into physical, mental and your horse. “I was lucky that trick riding came easy for me, even though I’m tall as a trick rider, but I have always thought it was more mental. You have to know your body and what you can take and what your horse can take … and find that flow to make it work.”
Brandi talks about trick riding at the Fort Worth Stock Shows to help a friend and, after a year and a half off due to COVID restrictions, and even after 20 years of trick riding experience - it was rough. The longest she had ever gone without trick riding, it was a long five weeks of shows in a small arena, and required Brandi to mentally overcome her own defeat and dismay at her critical expectations of each of her performances. It shows that no matter if you have been there and done that, it still shows that you still have to be prepared.
When Brandi needs to get herself in the right mindset, she has a solid set of three tricks that she knows that no matter how much time has passed or what is going on, she can always do those. While not being a perfectionist, Brandi knows that a lot of people expect a lot out of her because of her resume and subsequently Brandi does as well. Mentally, she has to talk herself through the situation and take away the positives. From that mental walk through, she can organize what she can do better.
“Sometimes I call my mom,” says Brandi with a laugh, “she’s been there and she knows the mental game - she can put it in perspective. You can never put too much pressure on yourself … you have to give yourself a break because we aren’t going to be perfect all the time… That has been challenging for me to learn, to do my best and do right by my horse.”
At the end of the day, it all relies on the horse and Brandi doesn’t take her horse for granted making sure he is mentally and physically sound.
Being a Trick Riding Horse
“We get asked a lot about the kind of horse and I say, ‘Big and broke.’” Horse that don’t mind you being in their space are generally the quickest to learn, but Brandi’s best trick riding horse was the kind that would start bucking if she got out of position or occasionally a run away. However, he was never dishonest about what he did or didn’t like. Once they figured that out, it made life great and she never doubted him.
“You just have to know your horse and that’s where being a good horsemen or horsewomen comes into play. We just wouldn’t have anything without them, that’s even more important than what I am doing,” says Brandi who focuses on their physical and mental health. “That’s what I teach my students is more about the horsemanship… to be cohesive to have a good performance and a safe performance.”
You can’t force a horse to be in a box that they don’t want to be in, so knowing them is very important and is in any equestrian sport that you are doing. As long as you know your animal and can predict how they will react. At the end of the day, our horses don’t owe us anything and have carried us through some of the best and worst times of our life.
“If I decide to retire tomorrow, I will work seven different jobs to allow him to live happy and healthy, because I owe him everything,” says Brandi. “His wellbeing is very, very important to me. That’s any horse that we get to ride - if I am roping on a horse, I want them to be happy and like their job.”
Trick Roping
Trick roping is a part of the trick riding training part of the performance at Riata Ranch with an all girls trick roping act that goes with the trick riding. While not being a fan of trick roping, Brandi has major respect for the trick ropers and is glad she knows how to do it. At Riata, they had different levels that they had to pass and, by the end, you became a very well rounded trick roper.
“Trick roping is very hard which is why people don’t do it. It’s not something you can practice once or twice and be good at, you have to practice all the time,” says Brandi, who attributes her tests not being as bad because she was competitive with Spencer and wanted to beat her through the levels. “Spencer is a phenomenal trick roper, she is the queen! That’s why I invited her to come do the show with me!”
“I wish more people would take the time to learn to trick rope, because it is so unique. It is like riding a bike, once you have mastered it you can pick it up and do it again,” says Brandi.
Social Media
A pivotal part of the specialty acts, Brandi doesn’t take for granted great photographers or videographers that take great photos and videos and share with them. While Brandi claims she’s “bad at social media” it’s mainly that she doesn’t like to do her own. However, she works with Sadie Lynn, Kate and Merissa, for a media marketing company called Calamity Media.
“Most of my social media is centered around what makes me happy which is trick riding, roping, my dog and my horse,” says Brandi, who likes to stay connected with people now that she is retired from full time on the rodeo trail. “For me [social media] is a great way for me to stay connected. I don’t want my life to revolve around my social media.”
Great Adventures
Invitational North American Championships in Royal Wintre Fair in Canada in 2010
Invited be Leanne Pollock out of Oklahoma to a trick riding competition that she was creating in Canada. The only American, Brandi flew up with Jennifer and Chad, and her horses were taken to New York where John Payne, the One-Armed Bandit, hauled them to the winter fair where he was also performing.
Starting with her harder tricks on her paint horse Willie, she had a couple issues with a tack malfunction but ended the day third. “Alright, I know what tricks I need to do to do it,” says Brandi, and she switched to her good horse Jesse. She pulled out all of the stops with ground work and her suicide drag.
By the third round, she ended up winning the competition that she attributes to being on a great horse that allowed her to shine. Having Jennifer there, coaching her the whole time, was also a benefit.
“It was such a cool experience and being able to take home my first trick riding buckle and take my horses home and tell everybody I did a great job - it’s all because I had a really great team behind me,” says Brandi.
2012 Diamond Jubilee in Windsor for the Queen of England
Trick roping at the opening ceremonies at the World Equestrian Games, the Riata Ranch was approached by a gentleman that said, “I have a show.” This happens quite often, but they don’t count on it until it actually has action put to it. That happened and it was the sixty year celebration of Queen Elizabeth being a monarch, the second only monarch to do so besides Queen Victoria.
Putting on a huge night show for four nights, she invited the fifteen countries she had visited the year she was coronated, and each country had 5 minutes. They had an intro and then a display for what they were known for so, as you can imagine, the American section was Cowboys & Indians. Traveling with Sioux natives from South Dakota, they came out of the crowds banging drums, followed by cowboys chasing (never before been herded) cows, then trick roping, some guys riding on horseback, a stage coach, and more.
“It was this big three-ring circus for six minutes,” says Brandi with a laugh. The team had ten days to practice!
The History of Trick Riding
The Russian Cossack’s were there and did some phenomenal Cossack-style trick riding, which is the origin of trick riding that left Brandi with her jaw on the ground. Trick riding was originally used for war. The Russian Cossack’s originally protected the Czar’s and that’s where all the maneuvers were used. Over time, it progressed to be more of entertainment and then the Americans adapted it.
The saddles are a bit different, especially some of the tricks performed by men. “It almost looks like dancing on horseback … it’s amazing to watch,” says Brandi. They also use swords where American's use ropes.
Trick riding used to be a rodeo event and men used to do it - they were phenomenal with their upper body strength. Over time, the culture has changed, and it’s a female dominated sport, but men can make some of the maneuvers look very easy.
Trick Riding Basics
The saddles are specific to trick riding and are pretty flat with a tall metal horn for grip. You want a saddle horn you can grab on to and a saddle you can get in and out of quickly. The fenders are more supple and flexible for fender tricks to maneuver in and out of them. The basics are the same, but they’re a lot heavier for the footholds and handholds.
Trick riding is so unique and the saddles are very hard to find - they’ll also cost you a lot of money. There are certain brands that are trusted and not just something that you are going to spend a couple hundred dollars on, trick riding is an investment.