The rise of Broken Bow's self-taught barrel racer

Shayla Staab buried the brim of her suede hat into her phone, pushing through disappointment to see what went wrong. The 16-year-old barrel racer had just completed her first run of the competition and was already analyzing videos.

"It's a lot harder than it looks," Shayla signed to her dad.

Despite her disappointment, Shayla left the Lancaster County event center on March 9 with a first place win in her division. Not bad for a self-taught racer.

Unlike most of her fellow competitors, Shayla comes from a family with no rodeo experience. Her father, Russell Staab, owns a locksmith company and her mother, Daisy, is a rural mail carrier. Neither grew up with horses.

Shayla has relied on YouTube tutorials and mentorship from other riders to learn the art of barrel racing.

Now three years in, the girl from Broken Bow – the proud daughter of deaf parents who taught herself to race – has her sights on reaching the Cinch Junior World Championships in Las Vegas later this year.

"I want to be someone that other people can look to and know you can start from nothing and be something, especially when my parents are deaf," Shayla said.

Broken Bow beginnings

Russell and Daisy Staab didn't need words to notice their daughter's love for horses. They watched Shayla as a toddler gravitate toward horse-themed Legos and cowgirl Barbies.

"I wanted a horse so bad, even my shirts had horses on them," Shayla recalled.

Noticing her daughter's fascination, Daisy Staab tried to bring Shayla around horses whenever she could.

"We were very fortunate to have wonderful neighbors and friends who would let her ride their horses and interact with them," Daisy Staab wrote.

In 2013, neighbors John and Dorsett Sennett let Shayla borrow their horse Vinny. They also let her use the riding arena on their property, which has become a practice ground for the next generation of riders.

"She comes over in good weather, bad weather," said John Sennett, a former professional rodeo rider. "She's a really dedicated young woman."

When the Staabs were finally able to buy Shayla a horse in 2015, they unknowingly purchased a performance horse that was too aggressive and unpredictable for 7-year-old Shayla.

"I was just so intimidated by her," she said.

Shayla and her mom raised nearly $2,000 selling soaps and other homemade products and bought an older horse that allowed Shayla to build her skills and confidence.

When a cousin started entering barrel races in 2020, Shayla became hooked.

She started studying countless YouTube videos. She picked up on the subtle interactions between horse and rider – the softness of the horse's ribs in competitions and the ways horses responded to their owners.

"She got herself here because she taught herself to barrel race," Daisy Staab wrote.

There have been bumps and bruises. Shayla fell off Vinny, knocking a tooth out. She has been bucked three times. Her newest mare shoved her in a corner and kicked her in the hip. She could barely walk.

"I sat in the chair all day crying," Shayla said. "My mom was scared to death, but I still got back on her. Nothing is going to take me away from them."

'My weekends are like my home'

Shayla bolted across the gravel parking lot when she saw Jaden Claire's trailer roll into the event center.

Jaden, 16, lives in Palmyra, Iowa, and met Shayla at another Lincoln competition in 2022.

"I made the first move by telling her I liked her shirt," Jaden said.

The two spend most of their time together at competitions, videoing each other's practice runs, picking out racing outfits and warming up together.

In the seconds leading up to a run, Shayla said her mind goes blank.

"I mean, you're looking at that first barrel thinking about what you need to do," Shayla said. "But you don't want to think so much because then you're not going to do any of it."

While Shayla tries to lock in, her parents watch nervously.

"The most important part is Shayla and the mare running get home safe," the Staabs wrote.

The Staabs have poured a lot into Shayla's passion – time, money, effort. With entry fees, gas and hotel expenses, a weekend competition usually costs the family over $600. Sometimes they leave with nothing.

"They're putting all their money into me and when I don't bring back home money, I feel guilty about it," Shayla said. "But I know they are proud of me no matter what I do."

In her recent competitions in Lincoln, Shayla's hard work paid off. Her first and second place finishes netted her almost $400.

"You come here and it's all your time and effort, but it's not only the money that makes me happy. It's being here in general," Shayla said. "My weekends are like my home."

Racing toward the future

While Shayla sprints toward her racing dreams, her parents are doing their best to keep up.

"Shayla will have to sign for us because I want to learn as much as I can," Daisy Staab wrote. At times, it can feel like she's burdening her daughter.

Shayla often finds herself in the role of interpreter during competition announcements, vet appointments and other verbal interactions. It's just part of her life, she said. Her younger brother, Ryker, is hard of hearing and two of her grandparents are deaf.

Daisy Staab said the rodeo community has been welcoming and supportive as the Staabs navigate the barrel racing world.

People like the Claire family. They were the first to lend a hand when Tega was injured at a competition in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The families communicate by reading lips and typing on a phone.

Barrel racing has brought Shayla closer to her parents, she said.

Daisy Staab is grateful. Had Shayla's interests taken her in a different direction, such as basketball, they wouldn't have all the time together as a family.

When Shayla first started barrel racing in 2020, she clocked a 19.8. She now runs around 16 seconds. She sees this as just the beginning.

"Sometimes I have to remember I'm only 16," Shayla said. "Everybody starts somewhere."

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