Any top Western discipline competitors who wear helmets?

[rustbreeches]

Do any of you know of ANY Western riders who are considered top competitors who regularly wear helmets? Not worried about the discipline, as long as the saddle has a horn.

DD is attending rodeo camp and every time she is around the ‘Western’ crowd she catches flack for wearing a helmet. My particular favorites are the adults who tell her she doesn’t need one.

I told her it was our business, not anybody else’s and to respond to anybody rude enough to pick on a 10 year old that as soon as they paid her bills, they could decide whether or not she would wear a helmet.

[bcody]

I run into the same problem with my daughter, also 10. At the barn we board and train all kids MUST wear a helmet. At Cowtown last year she was the only one who wore a helmet around the grounds, but no comments thankfully. She wants to do the play days at church so she doesn’t have to wear a helmet, I told her she would still need to wear it. Sadly I am the only adult she ever sees wearing one, and I get lots of snide remarks. When she was 5 she got a skull fracture, nothing to do with horse, and that was soooo scary.

[Linda]

Most of the western riders up here don’t wear helmets either. I always always always do. When my friends dont wear helmets, I share the story about Courtney King Dye, a past Olympic level rider in Dressage

. In March of 2010, King-Dye, 33, of New Milford was training a horse in Florida. Most dressage riders don’t wear helmets; and she wasn’t that day. The horse tripped and fell. She fell on her head, suffering a traumatic brain injury. She was in a coma for a month. She suffered the traumatic brain injury while riding her horse at the WALK…it gets their attention.

[Sail_Away]

Well, a quick google and I found this
http://www.equisearch.com/news/barrelhelmet_012705/

"Jan. 27, 2004 – Some were surprised, even shocked, to see barrel racer Delores Toole trading her cowboy hat for a helmet during competition in December 2004 at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas. But Toole, who competed in the elite rodeo for the third time, and who finished second in the opening round, saw an opportunity to make a statement.

“I want riders…to know that it is okay to wear a helmet,” said the Minter, Kansas, pro rodeo competitor. “Helmets have become an accepted part of other dangerous sports, and it is time they became an accepted part of western riding and rodeo too.”

I just noticed the year.

[SuckerForHorses]

If she doesn’t feel comfortable defending her decision to wear a helmet, she could always use mom as a scapegoat and tell them “My mom makes me wear it, and if i don’t, I get in trouble.”

Maybe when she is older she can feel more comfortable really defending the decision?

I am a western rider, and I never wore a helmet after I was old enough to make the decision for myself. Until about 14 years old, my mom made me wear a helmet. After that, I just started not wearing it.

Three years ago, my gelding bucked me off, hard. I LUCKILY did not hit my head, but it was a huge wake-up call. I wear a helmet when I ride him now. Although I will say that I have shown him with a hat instead, but there have been shows where I did wear a helmet, and placed very well, I was not penalized by the judge at all.

I am still incredibly guilty of not wearing a helmet on my mare, so I can’t say I’m 100% a helmet-wearer, but am definitely headed in the right direction.

[SuckerForHorses]

For the adults though, who don’t wear helmets, I don’t preach to them. They are adults. They are aware that riding is dangerous. Preaching to them is just as annoying as it would be to you if you wore a helmet, and they were trying to preach to you why it looked stupid.

Choices. Everyone is entitled to their own.

[bugsynskeeter]

Stay tuned for the upcoming WEG games. I believe that all competitors are required to wear helmet…ALL.

[rustbreeches]

[QUOTE=bugsynskeeter;7071666]
Stay tuned for the upcoming WEG games. I believe that all competitors are required to wear helmet…ALL.[/QUOTE]

That would be wonderful. I noticed the barrel racers doing the expo at Penn National had to wear helmets, so we watched that on youtube.

I guess unluckily enough I know a couple people that can barely string together coherent sentences due to TBI, had they not been wearing a helmet they would not be with us.

I admit, I didn’t always wear a helmet, but I also didn’t grow up using a car seat. Different generation. She is pretty good about it, but I know she feels like the odd one out. She got a little upset about it last week as we were getting stuff together for camp. I know this isn’t nice, but I told her I wiped her a$$ enough when she was a baby, I had no intention of doing it for life because she made a bad decision. Obviously I was joking, I would go to the ends of the earth for my children, but I wanted to make an impression

[skrgirl]

We are by no means ‘top riders’ in the aqha world, but my mother and I both show reining and ranch horse in our helmets. Were the only ones and I just don’t care. It has never made a difference in our ribbons.

[Skyedragon]

Before my mare passed I had plans to show her at the local saddle club as well as try our hand at speed events. When it came to the western pleasure stuff one “friend” told me that if I planned to wear a helmet that I shouldn’t even bother to show up. :eek:

Well I showed in a helmet anyway and placed just as well as those that weren’t. Its my head and my brain, I am not going to put my life at risk for a stupid fashion statement. I never get on a horse, even just messing around at home without a helmet.

[ParadoxFarm]

It’s hard to be one of the first to start doing something new. See the h/j threads about folks feeling silly being the only one showing in a safety vest. And more and more dressage riders at the higher levels are now wearing helmets. I hate to say, I catch myself being a little preachy to those not wearing helmets (only people I know and care about) on the trails. Makes me nervous as to what could possibly happen. I don’t want to irritate people, but it is so hard not to say something like, “where is your helmet?”

[Airfern]

Maybe she could wear this over the helmet to fit in:
http://www.dabrim.com/html/products/equestrian.htm

It makes the helmet look a little like a western hat.

[mypaintwattie]

I’ve seen more and more helmets in the show pen around here lately, even at AQHA shows. I always wear mine and haven’t gotten too many strange looks, if anyone does ask I tell them about my best friend who came off her horse and ended up with a fractured skull and TBI the one time she didn’t wear her helmet.

[paulaedwina]

We don’t get flack at our barn for wearing helmets. I didn’t even get flack for wearing an eventing vest while working through some post-fall fears. I ride with good people.

Here’s the thing; look at bull riders. There was a time when nobody wore vests. Everybody wears vests now. Maybe you can point that out while trying to show her being a pioneer can be a good thing. Bull riders are pretty bad assed and they wear the safety vest. Somebody had to be first.

Paula

[Plumcreek]

I was told by AQHA Director of Judges, Alex Ross, that helmets have been seen in classes like Trail at the AQHA Youth World Show. He said that judges at the highest levels will not count down on any child wearing a helmet in Western classes. However, on a discouraging note, I also was in the room at this year’s AQHA Convention when a proposed sub-committee rule change to require approved helmets with chin straps on all English riders under 18 in flat classes, not just fences, at AQHA shows, was voted down due to the fact that they were considered ugly, and it is supposed to be a ‘show’. This will be a very tough one to overcome, and if the reiners at WEG will be required to wear helmets, that will help. (I actually thought it was longer before reiners and vaulters had to wear them ??)

[ReinerPrincess]

I compete in Reining and can’t think of any big-name rider in this sport who wears a helmet. I do - every single time! I am an ex-Dressage rider who used to wear a helmet all the time then, too, before it became more acceptable. You cannot believe the teasing/taunts I endured over the years for that. Now the same riders that had the gall to make fun of me – some big names, mind you – are suddenly huge proponents of helmet usage. :yes: Just makes me shake my head…but I’m not bitter about it. On the contrary, it makes me happy that Dressage riders so wholeheartedly embraced helmet usage.

Anyway, fast-forward to my new sport, Reining. I actually told my trainer the day I arrived for my first lesson that I was going to wear a helmet every time I rode and that if she had a problem with it, or if someone would make fun of me, I wanted to know now, since maybe it wouldn’t be the sport for me. To her credit, she was impressed and told me that I should do whatever made me comfortable and it would make no difference to her. Subsequently I started to show and was one of the handful of riders on the East Coast to show in a helmet. My trainer said that I would be judged like everyone else. My favorite quote: “If they’re looking at your head instead of your horse and how you execute the pattern, you’re probably doing something wrong.” :lol:

Anyway, not one person - even roughened old cowboys - has ever said a word to me. In fact, I only ever get told how well I ride. A couple people have mentioned how brave I am to wear a helmet. And some ex-English riders have come to our barn to learn, precisely because they saw me and felt okay about giving Reining a chance, now they know they can wear their helmets!

Listen I would wear a helmet anyway, every single ride. But I like to think I can be a role model for all those kids who ride Western and think it looks stupid to wear a helmet. If just one kid looks at me and feels better about standing up for him/herself, then I feel good. I NEVER preach, never even really mention the helmet because I know that isn’t what’s going to change people’s minds. Just seeing me out there, unabashed and - more importantly -winning…hey, that’ll make a difference.

PS - I even went to Oklahoma in 2011 and showed at the Rookie of the Year competition with my helmet on. I was the only adult rider to do so.

PPS - I do often feel like people in my Reining affiliate think of me as ‘the girl in the helmet’ but it’s become my trademark. I feel like I’m more memorable that way, which is good when I’m doing well, not so good when I screw up the pattern.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

Well, with adults (and I use the term loosely - what adult picks on a kid for wearing a helmet?) I guess she could just blame it on you - I do too have to wear a helmet or Mom won’t let me ride.

If it’s other kids picking on her, help her come up with some sassy comebacks. I live in a area where lots of h/j people won’t even wear helmets, except at shows, so I have had the opportunity to come up with plenty. Like, “Well, of course you don’t need to wear a helmet (pause while victim puffs up with pride at their superior riding ability) - they’re only for people who have actually have brains to protect.”

[bcody]

Sadly, there is are adults who make fun of the kids wearing helmets here. One so called adult told my daughter her kid was a good rider so didn’t need to wear a helmet. I wanted to punch her… Anyway, I hope my wearing one is a good influence to the kids,especially mine. I tell Sarah I love her very much, that is why she needs to wear it. That I want to keep what little brain I have left is why I wear mine.

[rustbreeches]

It is actually an adult that we are very close to that told my daughter she didn’t need to wear a helmet because most people break their neck in a fall. Ummm, what has to hit the ground first??? What if you don’t break your neck and just split your skull? Dropped her off today for the rodeo camp and made sure the helmet was sitting on her saddle. I told her I would be checking up on her and if she didn’t have her helmet on while mounted, I would sell the pony. Which would suck, because I love that little mare.

I bought her the 34" inseam jeans, the pearl snap shirts, the crepe sole boots, the blingy belt and a tooled head stall. We are gradually moving over to the ‘dark’ side from our plain Jane English stuff, but the helmet stays. If she decides to stick with Western primarily, I will gladly get her a more Western looking helmet when she next needs a helmet.

This adult also told her to loop her barrel reins over the horn while riding the pony at the walk. I freaked. Do people really do that?

[gaitedincali]

[QUOTE=rustbreeches;7075049]

This adult also told her to loop her barrel reins over the horn while riding the pony at the walk. I freaked. Do people really do that?[/QUOTE]

Well, sometimes I do go down sections the trail with the reins over the horn. I also feed the horses in flip-flops. File it under “stupid things I do even though I know better and some day I am sure I will be very sorry I did this.”

Actually advising a child to do the same? Oh, hell no.

Sadly, if you’re a western rider and you opt to be safe you will get guff over it. The topic of helmets came up recently on a local forum - 99% western riders, mostly trail - and I think there were two of us that were pro-helmet. The rest were against it, and the reasons given were ridiculous.
Not ‘I am an adult and I choose not too’ or ‘I don’t like the way I look’ but crazysauce like ‘helmets makes riding more dangerous’ ‘You’re more likely to get in an accident with a helmet’ and the always lovely ‘God will protect me and if I get hurt it was his will.’

If you’re going to ride western in your helmet you have to just learn to ignore people.