TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
before, but on this day, the trick failed. Claira was hung up on the horse and could not get off, and the horse dragged her around like a rag doll from one end of the arena to the other, bruising her lung and fracturing six ribs. Her injuries required Claira to take a one month sabbatical from the trick riding scene. In her absence, Claira’s younger brother, Wyatt, stepped up to fill in for his big sister. Wyatt had been practicing stunts alongside Claira for several years and enjoyed the sport, but he did not want to perform for a crowd. Casey remembered with a
Morrises perform tricks with intimidating names like the Liberty Stand, the Back Breaker, and the Apache Hide-A-Way. In fact, at a rodeo in Hope, Arkansas, it was announced that Allie would attempt a stunt called the Suicide Drag. When hearing the name of the stunt, a distressed child in the audience, who was obviously not well-versed in the world of trick riding, yelled, “Don’t do it! Don’t do it!” Someone quickly and calmly explained to the young spectator it was only the name of a trick performed on the horse, and Allie was well-prepared for the performance. It is obvious all the Morris
smile, “Wyatt always wanted to be in the background, but the minute he began to trick ride for an audience, a star was born. He is a complete showboat.” Little sister, Allie, has since taken her rightful place in the spotlight as well, as she has been trick riding for two years. Claira, Wyatt, and Allie live and breathe trick riding. The siblings have separate performances with stunts reflecting their individual personalities and skill sets. The girls even do tricks together on the same horse. Casey laughed when discussing double trick riding, saying it requires much coordination. The
siblings are extremely talented, well-mannered, and competitive. However, as the eldest, Claira is a self-admitted perfectionist and serves as the spokesperson for the group. She loves a challenge and is constantly trying to up the ante regarding stunts. She won the 2017 and 2018 Cowboy Regional Rodeo Association (CRRA) Specialty Act of the Year. Wyatt, the middle child, is always trying to outdo his sisters in trick riding, and everything else, according to his mother. He is also the comedian of the family. He is trying to convince his parents to let
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SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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