The Performance Isn’t possible without tracy
The Triple Bar Drill team has been a part of the Border Days celebration for 65 years. Almost half of the rodeos have featured a performance by the drill team, and overtime this performance has become a tradition. As a leader of the Triple Bar Drill team for 20 years and a member for 9 years, Tracy Sharp has influenced the life of many young women. Not only is she the leader of the Drill team but she has been a role model and an active community member throughout her entire life.
The Triple Bar Drill Team practices at 7:00 in the morning Monday-Friday the entire month of June. They rehearse the pattern until it is smooth and until each member knows her role. Tracy is there every day. She spends countless hours at the arena each morning preparing for the performance and instructing general horsemanship to 20+ girls. Her voluntary dedication to the Drill Team and her passion for teaching doesn’t go unnoticed.
After longtime leader Pat Cash decided to step down, Tracy, who had been assisting for years, decided to take on the position and has since been organizing the drill team for nearly 10 years. Many of her days are consumed with Drill Team logistics. She spends hours drawing a pattern, putting together a music playlist, and making sure each girl has every piece of clothing and tack ready for the performances. When asked why she continues to spend her summers at the arena she replied, “I enjoy watching the girls finally connect. One week they might feel discouraged because their horse is acting up and the next they will have learned from their mistakes and be more confident.”
Tracy feels grateful to be a part of these girls’ journey and this traditional community event. In her eyes, Drill Team is a great opportunity to get the kids involved. Not only does it bring the girls who already ride together, but it pulls together the kids that want to start riding . Tracy believes that “Drill Team pulls grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles together to watch their granddaughter, daughter, or niece ride. It really is a family event.”
Between the 4 days of rodeos and parades, there are few times that Tracy is able to sit down and enjoy Border Days. However, when the song “Proud To Be An American” plays over the loudspeakers each night and the girls make their final lap around the arena, all her hard work pays off. She is able to experience first hand the growth in confidence of the young members and the leadership of the older members. In all the time they spend together, Tracy hopes to teach the girls “horsemanship first and foremost” then “to be kind and be a role model for the young girls.” She leads by example, and there isn’t anything Tracy wouldn’t do for one of her “Drill Girls.”
Our staff at Camas Prairie Eye Clinic would like to recognize Tracy Sharp for all that she does within our community. We would also like to express our gratitude for both the members and leaders, like Tracy, who keep this tradition alive!