DAREDEVILS OF THE HORSE WORLD

Wall Family Of The Faithful W Ranch

Written by: Kathy Ann Gregg

If rodeo is your thing, and you’ve been to one somewhere in the Sunshine State and witnessed trickriding or Roman riding, then chances are that you’ve watched the Wall family of St. Cloud.

Mom Caitlyn grew up in a rodeo family. Being a rodeo competitor “in the old days,” her father competed in rough-stock events, as well as roping and steer-wrestling events. She started her trick-riding career at age 8, grew up performing in circuses in New York City. She was taught the trade from Helen Panzella of the Bronx, who spent her winters in the Sunshine State. Panzella performed in such famous venues as Madison Square Garden.

Caitlyn as a teen purchased the registered paint horse Seemore Simon, and this bonded pair performed together for the next 18 years. She started traveling with her father to provide entertainment in rodeos in New York, north to Canada, south to Florida, and as she quips, “virtually all the states in-between.”

‘30-PLUS YEARS LATER’

And Caitlyn still gets out in the arena on horseback to this day, some “30-plus years later,” as she puts it. But the majority of the performing she has passed along to her children. She loves her job as the Horses & Heroes manager south of Orlando at McCormick Research Institute in St. Cloud, where she works with horses and veterans in equine-assisted therapies.

Her husband, Steve Wall, was the original Roman rider in the family, having learned it from his father and grandfather. But he is now fully retired from performing. However, he continues to be involved in the sport of rodeo as a pick-up man for the various rough-stock events. And during the days, his duties as one of the ranch foremen on the Deseret Ranch in St. Cloud keeps him on horseback. The second generation of this rodeo-performing family consists of daughters Hailey and Michaela, son Tyler. At 17, Hailey is the seasoned one of the group, now going into her tenth year of performing on horseback. She learned the trade from Seemore, who was a part of the family until he passed away in 2016. Her mom describes her: “She has a genuine love for trick riding, that you can see in her smile when she rides.”

Next Gen Riders

Trick-riding originated as a weapon for the Russian Cossacks, who adopted it from the people of the Caucasus. When communism overtook Russia, many Cossacks were forced to leave their country, often ending up in America, where they used these riding skills to earn a living in the entertainment industry.

And trick-riding was once an official rodeo event, where the hardest tricks earned the most money. However, as contestants became more and more daring, the producers deemed it too dangerous. As a competitive rodeo event, it ended in the 1940s.

Currently, it is widely used as a specialty act.

At 14, youngest child Michaela is still in training, but will soon be joining the family team in the arena. Currently, she carries the American flag at the weekly rodeo performances at the Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo in Lake Wales, Florida.

Roman riding is one of the older forms of horseback riding, performed during the time of the Roman Empire. And middle child, 15-year-old Tyler, began riding with Steve in the shows when he was a mere four years old. He then took over the reins at seven, and this has become his specialty in the family tradition.

He is a fourth-generation Roman rider. He stands astride his pair of horses, one foot on each animal. At times he reverses his stance, riding them backward, or even putting both feet on one horse, stepping from one to the other. But the really exciting part of Tyler’s routine is when he weaves the pair in and out of lit torches, splits them as they pass over a flame underneath Tyler’s body. Horses have a natural fear of fire, so getting them to do this shows their trust in him.

Tyler also trick-rides with his sister in performances, having added this to his resume at age 10. The two of them will perform stunts in tandem, including the one called the “suicide drag” or “death drag,” a popular stunt but difficult to accomplish. One foot secures through the saddle hole, while the second leg hangs over their head; they hang down vertically, with their hands touching the ground, while being dragged around the arena with the horse at a full gallop.

As can be imagined, the saddle used in trick-riding differs from a typical riding saddle. They contain special handles that provide the riders with a better grip. The hippodrome strap allows them to stand upright on the horse. The breast collar not only secures the saddle but also lessens the strain put on the animal. And the suicide strap in front of the stirrups allows the rider to hang off the side of the horse.

For the past 20 years, the Walls have performed weekly at rodeo performances at Westgate River Ranch Resort &

Rodeo. They’ve worked the rodeos held in Ocala, at the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie, as well as at the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee. They’ve been used by producers Mason ProRodeo, the Seminole owned Five Star Rodeo Company, Double K Rodeo Company, and the 4L & Diamond S Rodeo Company out of Summerville, Georgia. FCM

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