Crystal and Brad Kansanback help their 13-year-old son Blaine prepare for the upcoming rodeo season in their garage throughout the winter months. Blaine, who loves to ride, turns on a heater while he’s out there and has his parents get as ornery as they can with ropes to move around his practice bull. Turning 13 means bigger and stronger bulls, his first ride of 2024 in Sioux Falls this past weekend didn’t go as he had hoped but he’s looking forward to a fun season ahead.
At 13-years-old, Blaine Kansanback is one of the most polite and unassuming young men you might ever meet.
The Colman area youngster just celebrated his birthday and all that comes with it — a little more freedom, feeling a little more grown up, a little more responsibility around the house, harder work in school, and likely, a lot tougher challenges in the sport he loves perhaps the most — rodeo.
Becoming a teenager means this year he’ll face bigger and stronger bulls in the arena.
This past weekend was one of the first opportunities he’s had to mount up for the challenge at the Bulls and Broncs event in Sioux Falls.
“I was flying through the air,” he chuckled, thinking back on his ride Saturday night.
“I came out and immediately I was off my rope…he hopped, and then hopped again to the side and my rope stuck or something and I just flew to the side. Then I got chased to the fence, too.”
Bull riding and the rodeo circuit are nothing new to the Kansanback family. Mom, Crystal, is a force to be reckoned with herself on a horse. Crystal grew up riding and on the rodeo circuit, as did her parents, so rodeo runs deep in the family bloodline. Ask anyone she’s competed against and they’ll tell you, Crystal’s a fierce competitor and for years she’s helped run and facilitate various local rodeos and barrel racing events across the region.
Blaine’s older brother Wade until recently was riding on the professional saddle bronc circuit and team roping but no longer competes professionally.
As the family prepares for this coming rodeo season with plans to ride in 4H, Raise ‘Em Rank, the Northern Bull Riding Tour and Junior High Rodeo, the Kansanback’s are enjoying Blaine getting a little more of the spotlight.
“It’s always been fun and you meet new people,” he said.
The bulls, he added, are not terribly dangerous and what motivates him to keep getting back on and even starting in saddle bronc is, “A lot of determination and false confidence...or something.”
He smiled.
Blaine had a good summer this past year, he didn’t always place but he made the whistle, riding for 8 seconds 11 out of 13 rides. And to see him through to success, his lucky jeans and riding shirt, which haven’t been washed now for a couple of years.
