Local Showrider ready for Stampede

By Andrea Roberts Times Contributor

With Strathmore Stampede and Heritage Days right around the corner, Aliera Chernoff is looking forward to the long weekend – this will be the first time the 15-year-old will appear as one of the Calgary Stampede Showriders since she joined the junior team at age 11.
The Showriders are a group of young equestrians with a unique western flair. With their distinctive cowboy hats and button up shirts, the group travels to different rodeos to perform their musical ride and show off the western lifestyle.
“I got interested in it because I liked the aspect of being on a team,” said Chernoff. “When you are riding it is usually an individual thing and I like the idea of being on a team and being in that kind of atmosphere. Also, I had watched their performances and it gave me goosebumps.”
The Showriders have attended the Strathmore Stampede for many years and this year they will be returning once again. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they will open the rodeo with the grand entry, which has them ride around the arena with the flags of the event’s sponsors. Chernoff and the other Showriders also do a “stand and pat” where the public can ask them questions and pet the horses.
Chernoff attends the Golden Hills Learning Academy which offers a flexible and adaptive learning environment where every student can choose what, when and how they want to learn. Entering Grade 10 this fall, Chernoff said she decided on this type of flexible learning so she would have more time for riding and spending time with her horse.
Meanwhile, the summer is busy for Chernoff. The Showriders train every weekend at the Calgary Stampede grounds and during the winter they work at home and do foot practices in Calgary. All this pays off at the many events they attend.
This year they have appeared at the Calgary Stampede, Red Deer’s Mane Event, Okotoks, Canmore and even Pasadena, California where they took part in the Rose Bowl Parade.
Despite the busy schedule, Chernoff said she enjoys herself and is happy to be a part of the group.
“It is a really amazing program. Within a year I learned so much, not just about horses but about things you will have to learn as you grow up.”
She added that she has seen an improvement in her confidence and public speaking skills, and has grown as a rider.
When she isn’t riding, Chernoff spends time outdoors, and loves to swim and run. Once she is done with school, she wants to go on to learning sports medicine as a career. She would also like to partake in the National Reining Horse Association (NHRA) Futurity event.