Canada native Shelby Boisjoli has made a big splash in professional rodeo since crossing the border. The tools her family instilled in her about making it in the horse industry have carried her far. With a strong foundation of good horsemanship, Shelby has made quite the career with a rope in her hand.
In just a few short years, Shelby has become a household name in breakaway roping. Topping her list of achievements, she’s qualified in each of the three years breakaway has been included in the National Finals Rodeo. With this discipline experiencing more growth than any other rodeo event, Shelby has had a front-row seat to the exciting new wave of breakaway opportunities.
Breakaway is more competitive than ever before. Even the best in the business can’t afford a mistake. This is why her horse’s total digestive health is a top priority to Shelby.
Back to The Basics: The Importance of Horsemanship
Shelby was born into a family of ranchers who enjoyed the occasional team roping. She spent many hours in the saddle helping her family on their ranch and team roping with her dad and her uncle. After high school, she got serious about breakaway roping.
Growing up, she learned to appreciate the process and master the basics before stepping on a horse. “We had to rope and catch the dummy 50 times in a row before we could even get on a horse.”
One day after getting home from school, Shelby’s dad had three horses tied to the fence, one for her and each of her siblings. There was only one condition: they had to train them on their own. So, Shelby got her first taste of training and competing with a horse she had started. From there, Shelby trained every horse she competed in high school rodeo.
Coming from a family of good hands, I learned a lot about horses and pride myself on my horsemanship. Flipping horses and a rope in my hand has changed my life.
When the time came for Shelby to go to college, she had a tough decision between taking a rodeo scholarship or a basketball scholarship. Fortunately for the world of breakaway, she decided rodeo was her passion and attended college on a rodeo scholarship.
The Age of the Breakaway Ropers
While Shelby’s success may indicate she’s a seasoned veteran, she says she still feels like a rookie. Breakaway roping has seen immense growth in the past few years, and Shelby has been right in the middle of it. She enjoys competing alongside her idols, the women who’ve paved the way for breakaway ropers
“It is so cool to see breakaway grow every year. You can see the spark in the girls now, knowing the opportunities they have. Anyone can be competitive; you just have to put in the work.”
Shelby has won on the biggest rodeo stages in her short career, and 2022 is no different. She seemed to top the leaderboard everywhere she entered. Shelby was able to take home major wins throughout the season. Highlights of her season included a repeat win in Salinas, California, and picking up checks throughout the Northwest in the fourth quarter.
“I don’t think I’ve really achieved anything that great. I am still just a student of the game. I have the same big goals and the same idols as I did growing up.”
SUCCEED: Affordable with Visual Results
Being on the road four months out of the year, Shelby experienced many common challenges in keeping her horses happy and healthy. A horse’s digestive health can be difficult to manage under such intense stress.
These horses don’t get many days off on the road. I had been searching for something to help with the stress we put on their digestive tract with the strenuous competition schedules. SUCCEED has been the perfect addition to our program.
Shelby first heard about SUCCEED when her good mare struggled to keep weight on with the long hauls of summer. A veterinarian recommended she try SUCCEED. Almost immediately after starting the mare on SUCCEED, she noticed more focus from her horse both in the box when it was time to compete and while warming up.
“The change in her demeanor was evident. She felt more focused and relaxed no matter the scenario.”
With SUCCEED, Shelby noticed her horses keeping on their weight and also drinking better while on the road.
“Before SUCCEED, we spent so much money on other products to keep our horses’ digestive health in check. My number one concern is that my horses stay full and drink well, and their hair coats are shiny and healthy. With SUCCEED, we are able to achieve all of those things.”
SUCCEED for Horses of All Ages
In addition to competing on the professional rodeo trail, Shelby and her husband Haven Maged raise and train colts that have been highly competitive in the rope horse futurities. SUCCEED has become a staple in their program for horses of all ages.
Training colts can come with a lot of unexpected challenges. Shelby says SUCCEED makes the training process more enjoyable for her and the horses, especially horses on the hotter side. For these more anxious horses, Shelby has noticed that timing matters for when they get their daily SUCCEED.
“For the horses that tend to be more nervous, we give them their tube of SUCCEED before we take them to the arena to ride. By doing this, we’ve noticed a huge difference in their attitude and trainability. They are calmer, more focused, and ready to work.”
If training at home is stressful, hauling to shows, staying in a strange place, and competing can be even more so for these youngsters. Shelby is excited to see the difference SUCCEED makes in hauling to futurities.
“Last year, we struggled with keeping our horses happy, healthy, and not stressed while at competitions. This year all of our futurity horses are staying on SUCCEED every day to ensure they are at the top of their game when the futurities come.”
SUCCEED is a product I stand behind 110 percent. We have 12 head of horses on SUCCEED—that’s how much I believe in it. I love the product, and I tell everyone I know about it.
