Conversations with Kirsten Peterson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirsten Peterson. 

Hi Kirsten, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
When I was 8 years old my parents signed me up for Westernaires. I spent the next 10 years of my life ultimately learning how to ride and care for horses. What else I took away from my time in that organization is a story for another time. While in Westernaires, I participated in specialty classes such as liberty, dressage, and horse roman. I always wanted to join the trick riders but my mom feared it was too dangerous. Let us not forget the numerous injuries I endured in the other classes she encouraged me to join! I graduated the organization at 18 and spent a few years with a drill team before pursuing my trick riding dream at 21. A dear friend convinced her sister, a phenomenal trick rider, to teach me a few tricks and safety. After a handful of “practices” I was able to perform at my first rodeo in an arena with a few friends (who were much more well trained than I was). It was a dream come true to entertain the crowd in the El Pinal arena in Evergreen, Colorado Father’s Day weekend. The phone calls rolled in shortly after that weekend inquiring about my “team” and performing at other rodeos! I couldn’t hardly believe it. 8 years later I have established The Twisted Trick Riders LLC and we have performed all over Colorado and even traveled to Wyoming. Beside 6 other phenomenally talented trick riders, I have been able to pursue this crazy dream now 11 years later. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Is any road smooth? Not in Colorado! (Only kind of kidding) 

The road has been absolutely beautiful, including the horrible potholes that need repaired. The entertainment industry in rodeo is tough, as it should be. There are incredible entertainers out there that make it a tough world to join. This has only motivates us to step up our game and encourage us to work harder. This is definitely not a world that is easy to get into, but it definitely is worth it. I have spent countless hours trying to convince rodeo personnel to give us a chance just to get our foot in the door, I’ve heard “no”, and I’ve been discouraged. It is all in thanks to those who have said yes and given us a chance that we are booking over 20 rodeos a summer and have the incredible team that we do. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
One of the coolest parts about our team is the different passions we all bring to the table. As much as we would love to trick ride full time, our day jobs pay the fuel for us to be weekend warriors. My day job is a high school special education teacher. I am currently under supervision to obtain hours to sit for the board-certified exam to be a board-certified behavior analyst. Balancing both a trick team and a day job is a lot at times, but I feel like both get my undivided attention at times. It is nice that they work at different times of the year as well! 

Our team is known for being one of the larger trick teams (as we have 7 performers) and our teamwork mindset at rodeos. You will not only see us in the arena for our performance, but other times throughout the rodeo for mutton busting, calf scrambles, and any other ways we can be of assistance. 

The thing I am most proud of with this team is the trust they have in me. I realize we are all adults, and they could easily pursue their trick careers independently with their talent they each possess, and yet they choose to be here. It says a lot about this team to have people want to be here, to choose here instead of the alternative options. 

How do you define success?
Success, what a subjective word, I suppose that is why you are asking me to define it. Success is the fulfillment of overcoming a difficult task. It’s the recognition of the growth you’ve made and the battles you fought. Success is so neat because it is individual and there truly is no way to compete with someone else in this way. If we truly break it down, what you see as success and what I see as success is going to be wildly different. 

That’s one reason I love the team we have; while we all have similar dreams and goals with trick riding, we view our successes differently and it is so easy to cheer one another on and celebrate each individual success. 

Contact Info:

• Email: Twistedtrickriders@gmail.com
• Instagram: Twisted Trick Riders
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twistedtrickriders/
• Other: Twisted Trick Riders — TikTok

Image Credits
David Kirstein
Kevan Sheppard
Megan Kirstein