Stuntwomen to showcase talents during Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo

SALT LAKE CITY – The pageantry that is professional rodeo is exposed through incredible action and amazing athleticism.

Men and women display their talents across various disciplines through competition, and all of that is accentuated by entertainers. They are people like comedian Cody Sosebee and the trick-riding tandem of Shelby Pierson and Bella Da Costa, who showcase their acrobatics while horseback.

The trio of superstars will be part of Utah’s Own Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5; Saturday, Sept. 6; and Monday, Sept. 8, in the Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City. Tickets can be purchased at UtahStateFair.com/tickets.

“We just get along real well,” Da Costa said of her relationship with Pierson. “Our families get along well, and it’s really fun being out there with her. We’re very uplifting with each other, which makes it really easy. We know our horses, and we know each other. We know the show we’re going to do.”

It’s an invigorating experience for the two ladies from Alberta. While each is independently credentialed, their work together has brought out something spectacular in their performances.

“Bella and I have been traveling together, especially the last few years,” said Pierson, a six-time Canadian Professional Rodeo Association Contract Act of the Year, a three-time Canadian trick-riding champion and a nominee for PRCA Dress Act of the Year. “I think we want each other to do well, and we’re having fun while doing it. I think that shows in our act a lot.

“We both push each other to be better and try harder tricks and go faster, which is also great. It’s a very positive performing environment.”

That zeal will be evident through all three performances inside the Days of ’47 Arena, because both ladies bring that type of energy to the shows. Pierson and Da Costa developed their love for trick riding as youngsters who had an affection for horses.

“I started trick riding when I was 8 years old,” Pierson said. “My Grade 1 teacher was actually a professional trick rider, and I grew up on my family’s ranch, so I was always riding and involved with horses. She sparked my interest, and I started doing lessons and performing that same year.

“I just love it. I have always loved horses, the Western culture and the way of life. I love it because I get to travel and meet so many amazing people, and it’s a fun job to have.”

Her partner echoed those sentiments.

“I stated when I was 5 years old,” said Da Costa, also a Canadian champion. “I’d seen it at a rodeo, and I told my mom, ‘I want to do that.’ She thought I was completely crazy and was like, ‘No way in heck am I letting my daughter hang off the side of a running horse.’

“So, we went to move cows the next day, and I started hanging off the side of my horse. She kept giving me trouble, but I wouldn’t listen. Over time, I finally got lessons. I’ve stuck with it the whole way.”

It’s not just the two performers who work as partners; they also will share the arena with their horses, which have been trained to work in this capacity. Each lady will have three mounts ready for Salt Lake City.

“I have my main horse, and I will use her as much as I can,” Da Costa said. “But if there’s just the slightest thing that doesn’t feel right, I’ll switch to a different horse. They all run different. Some are faster, some are slower. They hold me different in tricks.”

It takes great trust to lay off the side of a galloping horse or do just about any trick the ladies do.

“You can’t do this on just any horse,” Pierson said. “They’re all specially trained, and they’re all amazing.”

It’s taken years of work by both Pierson and Da Costa to get to this level, but their act is something many would love to witness in person. The fans at Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo will have that chance.

“I enjoy performing and enjoy getting to meet everyone, and we oftentimes get to meet little kids and see how they react,” Da Costa said. “It reminds me of how I looked up at other trick rider when I was little, and now I get to have people look at me the same way I looked at her.”

Da Costa and Pierson not only engage audiences, but they’re sharing their love for trick riding and entertaining others in the process.