Airdrie’s Mellisa Hollingsworth has taken a new approach to off-season training.
The Olympic skeleton athlete has been busy touring the Alberta rodeo circuit for the past five weeks, as she has traded a sled for her horse Rascal to compete in ladies’ barrel racing.
She was at Airdrie Pro Rodeo on June 29 to compete in the slack performance, and although she didn’t post a winning time during her run – 16.07 seconds plus a five-second penalty – Hollingsworth said she was still happy with her ride.
“I just didn’t get my hands in the right spot so I could ride him past third (barrel) and that’s how we went over top of it,” she said. “You always wish you’re in the (regular) performance just to have a little bit more of that energy in that environment, but I love the fact that I get to hang out with world champions. I get to watch the absolute best as I learn this new sport in my life. I never imagined that I could ever be here and be within the times of these girls.”
The Eckville native, who now calls Airdrie home, had her first barrel racing competition during May’s Grande Prairie Stompede. But she has been around horses her whole life and said it is a natural transition for her and her summer training.
“I think it helps a ton. I see a lot of parallels between the sports actually, with the speed and the turns and inches and the mental aspect. I definitely like that competitive feeling that I now get to experience two times every week this summer instead of just eight times in the winter when I’m on the World Cup tour,” Hollingsworth said.
“I’m learning so much about myself every run. If I got to 20 rodeos this summer, that’s 20 more competitive race situations I would’ve not been in if I was just doing sledding in the winter.”
Airdrie’s was Hollingsworth’s 10th career rodeo, as she and Rascal are still learning the nuances of the sport. She was also scheduled to compete at the Ponoka Stampede on July 1, before taking a break to cover the Calgary Stampede for Shaw television.
“Maybe I’d have a bit more of an expectation, but the fact that I’ve been the only one to train him on the barrels and it’s not his job – we’re both learning together and I’m pretty proud of that,” she said.
“(Rascal) has always been a balance for me and I believe that you can have different types of crossover training that doesn’t necessarily involve always being in the gym. I feel probably the fittest I’ve ever felt in a sense, just working with him and the functional aspect of strength and everything you do on a daily basis taking care of horses.”
The Pro Rodeo continues with daily performances until July 2.
