Becky Klingenberg - Trick Rider
I am so grateful to be able to be a part of the first birthday ‘Proud to be Australian’ celebration with the kicking up dust magazine. I feel honored and privileged that Sarah and I were plucked from the remote outback of Australia to be on the front cover of the magazine.
It is a collaboration that has totally separate passions coming together and creating a pretty cool photo that I hope to one day hang in a home with a lot of pride. The mare pictured has played an incredible part in both my horsemanship and my life. Sharing my journey, I hope to inspire others to step outside the limits and chase their dreams. I didn’t grow up in the country. I grew up in Melbourne and my grandparents had a property in Inglewood. Every school holidays I would take the opportunity to go and ride horses. I wasn’t blessed with these amazing horse facilities, I just had passion for it. I’m also allergic to horses. So, you will hear or if you follow me on social media at BK trick riding, that I’m really big on not finding excuses. I find my strengths and I delegate my weaknesses.
Growing up, I had this burning desire to ride horses and I used to tell myself it would be amazing to ride horses for a living. Through wanting that, I have created it and it has created a life for me. I joined pony club on a bike in Melbourne. I used to ride down on my pushbike and watch all of the other kids ride. As an adult, I feel this gave me an incredible way of observing and learning.
At nearly 18, I moved to the Northern Territory. I was in a Mustering camp so I rode as many horses as I could, and that was my passion. Trick-riding definitely doesn’t come easy or naturally to me. I followed this thought in my head that this is where I need to be to get paid to ride horses. I need to go mustering and use horses, so that’s what I did. I had no connections to the Northern Territory; I got my job out of the Outback magazine. I just applied for the job that had the horse on the advertisement.
I think what separates me from a lot of younger people is that I’ve done it remote for a long time (11 years). I was training trick riding on remote cattle stations and I’ve trained and broken in horses. I have really had to outsource my extended help or figure things out on my own. I’ve moved to Queensland, Victoria and even America to train, this shows that I’m not afraid to chase what I want.
I have met the most incredible people including Sarah. The photo is a couple of years old now and it makes you excited to see it again. I’ve definitely had setbacks in my career but as you learn and develop you realise that the way you’ve done some things hasn’t been the best So, it’s really set me down a path of self-development and selfgrowth. It’s very empowering when no one can overpower you.
My next move is unknown, I don’t really have any set plans. I was supposed to go to America, I had a scholarship under the Trixie Chicks and I was trying to apply for a three-year visa to go over. Unfortunately, the coronavirus interrupted that plan and I’m still working on that. I still really want to seize that opportunity, but I am loving what Victoria is offering me right now.
I’ve always kind of jokingly said “Why wasn’t I lucky enough to come from a horse background?” and what I really noticed is that it didn’t stop me. What we have in Katherine, the people that don’t fit it don’t really come knocking that much anymore. So, if you are strongly passionate about something and you know the people that you want to attract, you can filter out what you don’t want. At the start, it was like “Yep, everyone and anyone!” and now it’s become “Well, I just don’t think I’m the right person for you.” But that had to happen in order to come to that decision.
I’m so blessed to have this opportunity and there was a cool quote the other day which I loved, and it was “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work.” So, that probably sums me up. I love hard work, that’s what really drives me.
I would like to add as well, with the opportunity to be in the magazine and gain exposure, is that you have got to be surrounded by people that are just as excited to see you succeed. So, that’s what I’m trying to do, with a community that builds people up.
I’m researching what successful people do. I found that morning routines are really strong, so if you follow me on Facebook (BK Trick Riding and Horsemanship) or Instagram (BK Trick Riding). I’m going to really start to expose the ups and the downs of life in horse training and the daily struggles. I’d like to show my struggles as well what my successes and how I’m developing new learning methods and not stressing the little stuff.
BK Trick riding and Horsemanship
Facebook and IG: beck_klingenberg@hotmail.com
Ph: 0409777870
