Native Youth 

This is a brand new page added to Indian Rodeo News.  Our goal here is to recognize all Indian children and teenagers who ride horses, rodeo, ranch, and kids who participate in taking pictures at events.

Each month starting with December 2002 we will try to feature a Indian Youth who is active in riding horses, rodeo, ranching, and photography.   


Nicole Tsosie
Featured Youth 
December 2002

Kayonnie Badonie 
Featured Youth 
January 2003



Kayonnie pictured above with YIRA Queen 



Kayonnie Badonie is currently the Jr. Queen for the Yakama Treaty Day Indian Rodeo 2002 to 2003. This rodeo is held every year in June in White Swan, Wash.  They celebrated their 45th Anniversary. A committee of 5 Judges from the community judged the Horsemanship, Speaking Ability, Poise and Personality as part of the Queen selection process. 



The highest possible points in this category was 750 points and Kayonnie scored the 750 points to help her obtain the Jr Queen Title. Kayonnie has been riding horses since she was a baby. Her father, "Carson Badonie" would take her for rides when he was exercising the horses. When she was about 2 years old and old enough to sit on a horse her father would lead her around. 









Kayonnie's statement: 
From then on I just started riding double with my brother Wil then 
eventually by myself. I love horses and I own 3 of them. Their names 
are Fancy, Tonto and Slim. I compete in Jr. Barrel Racing and my Dad 
just recently purchased me a barrel racing horse. His name is Slim and he is 14 years old. He still has a lot of run in him yet. I told my Dad that I was getting tired of fighting his team roping horses around the barrels. 







During my rein as Jr. Queen, I have traveled to all the Indian Rodeos in the Western States Indian Rodeo Association Region, except Fallon, Nev. 

I placed 2nd in the Jr. Barrels at Warm Springs Indian Rodeo and 3rd at the Grand Ronde Indian Rodeo. In past years at the Eagles Jr. Rodeo in Toppenish, Wash.  I participated in pole bending, calf riding, barrel racing and goat tying. I try all the events just to be involved in the sport of rodeo.



 I first started out in rodeo in the mutton busting event.   I will keep working on barrel racing and eventually try break away roping, and when I'm older I want to team rope with my Dad and brother.   I have made a lot of friends and enjoy meeting people where ever we to Rodeo.   Every week end my brother Wil and I are ready to hook 
up the trailer and travel.   When we are not going to a rodeo we spend our week ends helping local Yakama Cattleman round up and push cattle, help with branding, ear tagging, vaccinations, and you know the other thing that has to be done to the bulls.   




Whenever help is needed we go with our Dad.   Most of all I just like going on long rides in the mountains with family and friends. 
I spend a lot of time at TeePee "S" arena, Betty Sampson helps me with the barrels and when I not practicing, I usually run cattle down the return alley for the team ropers. 

Alot of my friends go to Mel & Betty's arena and we have a lot of fun riding horses, swinging ropes, and watching all the team ropers. I look forward to going there. 



I attend Wapato Middle School in the 7th grade. I just finished playing 
volleyball and am waiting for basketball to start. After basketball I 
want to join track. I study hard, try to always make the honor roll, I 
also play the flute in band. 

I also enjoy singing church songs with Arlen & Mary Moses. I also belong to the Wapato Indian Club and enjoy going to pow wows and doing performances. 

For the last 3 years I have been taking pow wow dance classes under the direction of Rocco Clark. I enjoy modeling Indian Regalia and will start parading in full horse regalia this summer. 




I am a member of the Yakama Tribe, on my maternal side, and 1/2 Navajo on my paternal side. My parents are Carson & Dolly (Ganuelas) Badonie. I also have 4 older brothers. We reside in Wapato, Wash. 



In the future I want to compete for more Rodeo Queen Titles, I want to keep promoting rodeo for the Indian people. 

Hope to see you on the Rodeo or Pow Wow trail..........Kayonnie Badonie







Below are all the pictures that were provided by Kayonnie's Mom Dolly Badonie.  Special Thanks to Jackie Olney for scanning her pictures and sending them to us for Dolly.

Indian Rodeo News is very proud of Kayonnie, she is a role model for other Native Youth.  Kayonnie also participated in the American Indian Film Institute with the Yakama Nation during the summer of 2002, she and her brother worked with the producers and other Native Youth in producing small documentary films, which were viewed at the American Indian Film festival in 2002.  

We surely will see Kayonnie  in the rodeo arena competing and holding more rodeo queen titles.    

To read about Nicole Tsosie, Indian Rodeo News Featured Youth
for December 2002 click here.