Te Awamutu sisters in inaugural New Zealand high school rodeo team

Sisters Riley, 14, and Lylah Wood, 16, have been selected for the inaugural New Zealand high school rodeo team to compete in Wyoming next month.

Te Awamutu sisters Lylah, 16, and Riley Wood, 14 are off to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming, next month.

The Waikato Rodeo Club pair have been competing in rodeo since 2019 and are part of the inaugural New Zealand high school rodeo team of five alongside Amelia Knowles, Will Potts and Sky Sanders.

Lylah is competing in the breakaway roping section while Riley is barrel racing and team roping with Amelia.

This will be Riley’s first time competing overseas and Lylah’s second, having represented New Zealand in Australia for breakaway roping in 2023.

“It is a privilege to be selected for the inaugural national team,” Lylah said.

“I’m looking forward to the experience of meeting new people, riding new horses and being in a new environment.”

Riley feels honoured and proud to represent her country and is looking forward to making new friends.

“The top competitive youth were invited to apply and then a selection panel picked who they thought would be the best representatives,” mum Shelley Wood said.

“[Several years ago] we met some rodeo people and they invited us along to a training day. Not long after, we entered the local barrel race at Kihikihi and that led to us – as a family – doing our first rodeo circuit in 2019. We have been travelling up and down the country ever since.”

Riley Wood barrel racing her pony Dixie at a jackpot at Huntly Arena.

A fundraising auction for the Wood sisters will take place at Storyteller Eatery & Bar on June 22.

Two bands, including local duo Rowdy’s Rose, will be in attendance along with some exciting auction items.

Tickets are $60 and incorporate a free drink on arrival and canapes throughout the evening.

To purchase tickets, contact Shelley on 021 234 7450.

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.