By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

It has been years in the making for the Musyj sisters of the Town of Essex. After countless hours of hard work, determination, and improving their in-saddle skill, Dalilah and Ruby Musyj have successfully roped in their long-time dream of qualifying for the National High School Rodeo Finals.

Both girls are thrilled to have qualified to compete at such a high-level of arena competition, and are aiming to bring their “A” game to the US-based competitions this summer.

Ruby will be one of 1,200 in the National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR), and Dalilah one of 1,800 in the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR). Horse and rider combos will compete in these two events from over 40 US States, five Canadian Provinces, and several other countries, including Australia, Guatemala, and Mexico.

The NJHFR is the world’s largest junior high rodeo, while NHSFR is the world’s largest rodeo.

At both rodeos, the girls will compete for prize money, college scholarships, and the chance to be named a world champion.

Dalilah – a grade 12 student at Erie Migration District School – has earned a position on the provincial National High School Rodeo Team that will compete in the 78th annual NHSFR in Lincoln, Nebraska between July 19-25.

There, she will be tested in the Pole Bending and Breakaway Roping competitions aboard

her beloved quarter horse mare, Rosie.

The 17-year-old found herself in the saddle at just three-years-old, being safely led around on a horse by her parents, Joel and Laura. She went through phases in her early years switching between being in love with the sport and taking breaks. Around the age of 12, however, became serious about wanting to learn and become more competitive when she got her very first horse, Ginger.

She gravitated to the timed event game classes, such as barrel racing and pole bending, but a love for roping was just waiting to be discovered in her future. After competing locally through the Southern Ontario Trail Riders Club for years, she began to compete in the Ontario High School Rodeo Association and Rawhide Rodeo circuits around three-years ago. While there, she learned about the breakaway roping class and just had to get involved. She began that journey around a year ago.

Learning roping, Dalilah would discover, would not come easy. It is not a popular equestrian discipline locally, so she found herself going to Sarnia for lessons. She has been overwhelmed with the friendliness of the competitors in this discipline, as she has taken in as many tricks of the trade as she could.

Qualifying for the National High School Rodeo Finals has been a long-time dream for Dalilah, and she is thrilled to have made the cut this year, especially since it was her last chance to qualify before she ages out.

In order to qualify, there were three back-to-back weekend competitions, with the last one being a double point show. Both she and her sister had to place in the top four through their circuit to make the US-based Finals.

The pressure, she noted, certainly got to her and she did not feel like she competed to her best ability. Disappointed, she thought she missed her chance to make the Finals, but was both relieved and ecstatic to learn she made the qualifying cut for the pole and breakaway roping classes.

“It was a tough weekend, I was pretty grateful,” Dalilah said of how she felt when she heard the news.

Preparing to head to the US-based Finals, Dalilah is planning to keep cool and have fun with it, hoping to turn what could be in-ring stress into success.

Ruby – a grade seven student at Erie Migration District school – will compete in the National Junior Finals Rodeo in Guthrie, Oklahoma from June 21-27, having earned a position on the Ontario National Junior High Rodeo Team.

There, she will compete in the Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, and Goat Tying competitions on her horse, Bling. She will borrow a friend’s horse to compete in the Breakaway Roping class.

The 13-year-old was being led around on a horse before she could walk, and started competing in rodeos around the same time as her sister. Watching her sister also get into roping, she also wanted to learn, but certainly has that “need for speed,” her Dad, Joel, said.

While her older sister had a rough weekend during that double point show, Ruby said she had a great weekend. Dalilah joked her little sister is the type who does not get fazed easily.

Ruby is really excited and happy to have made the Junior Finals, especially since she didn’t expect to make the cut this year.

In preparation for the Finals, the sisters are practicing every day, working to not only keep their skills in top shape, but to continue to step-up their level of competition.