What does it take to succeed on a stage being built for 1,800 young athletes?
Energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of horsepower. Just ask Brooke Kruger.
Brooke, a 14-year-old from Estevan, Sask., has her sights set on the western riding event at the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games, being held in her hometown.
She’s already a seasoned competitor at the provincial level, after placing second in both the solo and team events in synchronized swimming during the province’s latest Winter Games in 2014.
“I started barrel racing when I was about five,” explains Brooke. “I started taking lessons, and liked it. Also, there’s a rodeo club at my school and we have a little competition each Tuesday. And I race competitively in both the Manitoba and Saskatchewan barrel racing associations.
“It’s something I can do – and do well, and it’s really fun to compete and to be with friends,” Brooke explains.
Enthusiasm is growing for the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games – a high-profile event being staged in Estevan that will involve a multitude of sports, attract about 6,000 spectators, and require the work of 2,000 volunteers.
Enbridge recently announced our sponsorship of the Games, with an investment of $60,000.
“You wouldn’t believe the high level of activity around here right now, even though the Games are still more than a year away,” says Games committee co-chair Brian Senchuk. “We’re all busy with a whole range of things including building support among sponsors, assembling a top-notch team of volunteers, and making sure our facility upgrade program is well underway.”
Organizers, building crews, and sponsors are hard at work in the run-up to the Games – and so are athletes like Brooke. Thousands of athletes across the province are already hard at work training in preparation for upcoming qualifying events.
Brooke’s mom Caron explains there’s still a long way to go in the qualification process, but Brooke is committed to giving it her best shot. “All the trials will be held by June 2016, so we’ll know by then,” Caron says.
In addition to training and competing, Brooke is keen on the community aspect of the Games format.
“During the 2014 Winter Games, the competitors were billeted together in a local high school, we ate our meals together, we had a games room and there was lots of opportunity to meet other people,” she recalls. “And we sang the Games theme song during the opening ceremonies.”
If everything works out and Brooke qualifies as a rider for 2016, she’ll compete in the Enbridge equestrian facility, named in recognition of Enbridge’s Games sponsorship.
Beyond that, the sky’s the limit for this young rider.
“The Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association offers scholarships, and I’m thinking about school, so that’s a possibility,” says Brooke. “And I also play piano, so I keep pretty busy.”
More information on the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games is available online.
