As the Camp Verde Rodeo Arena gets closer to being completed, a number of people are getting more excited about it, especially the rodeo athletes themselves.
The people of Camp Verde will have a rodeo arena within a short distance of their homes. One of the people most excited is Shayna Hawkins, a 15-year-old freshman at Camp Verde High School. Hawkins looks forward to having a more convenient place to ride her horse, Snickers. She also sees the arena as a step forward for the Town of Camp Verde returning more to its roots.
“Camp Verde is really Western and we’re really bringing back the Western heritage,” Hawkins said. “There’s a bunch of kids my age that are on the streets. Just to make this arena, they can have somewhere to go to for livestock and riding horses.”
That opinion was shared by Kimberly Pendergast, a seventh-grader at Camp Verde Middle School who has four horses — Chief, DD, Jewel and Rose. She shows cows and pigs in addition to pole bending and barrel racing.
“I’m ready for this arena to be here — we can gather more people into it and get it how it was back when my mom was 15 to 16 and get everybody to come back to Camp Verde,” Pendergast said.
Katey Cracraft, also a seventh-grader at Camp Verde Middle School, presently shows a turkey [Doc McStuffin], chicken [Josephine] and rabbit [Toad]. Soon, she’ll have a horse to ride and noted that the arena will give her a chance to better hone her skills.
“Since I live close by I can come by and practice barrel racing,” Cracraft said. “I was really happy. I love riding horses. I’m really excited to come and ride horses.”
Cutter Frisch is a 15-year-old freshman at Camp Verde High School who lives roughly a mile away from the site of the new rodeo arena. He participates in rodeos throughout the state and is also eager to have a chance to partake in rodeos that are almost literally in his own backyard.
Like many of his fellow athletes, Frisch extended a fond thank you to Camp Verde Arena Association president
Mary Phelps for her work in getting the arena built.
“She’s the one who actually said, ‘It’s time to go. It’s time to get this thing together,” Frisch said. “I’m just really happy to see the community coming together, helping out with this arena association and having events in the home town. It will be nice to have everyone here and see this beautiful background.”
One of the advantages of having an arena so close to home is that the younger athletes will have a chance to come by after school.
Casey Sealey, a 15-year-old freshman at Camp Verde High School, stated that going to the arena after a long day of school is something that she most looks forward to and hopes other kids in the community will follow that example.
When asked what most excited her about the arena, she said being able to come there after school and enjoy the end of the day.
“I feel like most people at the end of the school day when they get home, are just drained and don’t want to do anything. I feel like this could get a lot of teenagers up and being able to be active outside, especially because of how close it is to everyone that lives in Camp Verde.”
Pendergast agreed, adding that besides wanting to get better at riding, she wants other kids from the community to come out and bond with each other at the new arena.
“I would say, ‘Instead of playing video games, why don’t you come out here, watch me run and hang out,’” she said. “Bring your friends, we can hang out with you and your friends. We can come out here with friends and family, ride and be cowboys and cowgirls.”
