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Piper Yule was supposed to make her television debut years ago.
She was scheduled to make an appearance on the CBC series Heartland, where she would have shown off her rodeo skills. Unfortunately, before she was able to appear, her unusual extracurricular activities left her with a broken arm and she had to cancel.
“I was supposed to be on it just doing little trick-riding stunts or whatnot,” says Piper, who is now 14. “I think I was six or seven or something.”
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There is some overlap between Piper’s life and the fictional characters on Heartland, the long-running family drama about life on an Alberta ranch. Piper lives on a sprawling fifth-generation cattle ranch between Brooks and Hanna with her family. On Monday, The Cowboy Network will begin airing Piper Yule — A Cowgirl Original, a reality series that has cameras following the teenager’s day-to-day life on a working ranch and on the competitive rodeo circuit, where she has been performing as a trick and Roman rider. Trick riding is when a rider performs stunts while riding a galloping horse, while Roman involves a rider standing astride a pair of horses.
Piper began trick riding when she was four and Roman riding when she was six or seven. She has quickly risen through the ranks as an accomplished cowgirl and rodeo competitor, which has seen her travelling throughout North America to compete.
Cameras followed Piper around the circuit in 2023, particularly in the summer when she travelled the continent competing at various events including the Calgary Stampede.
“There was always a little mic on my chest and always a little camera around somewhere, anywhere I went,” she says. “They got to see me hanging out with my friends on the road but also competing. They were with me the whole time.”
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Piper said she wanted the series to showcase not only her life as a performer and give a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the training required for trick and Roman riding, but also what life is like on a ranch.
“I thought it would be something cool to do,” she says. “A lot of people just think of me more as a performer. So they really wanted to see where I came from and my home and whatnot, which is kind of cool because I’m on a big ranch and now people get to see that part of me, too. I think people getting to understand where I come from is one of the main things. And it’s a cool keepsake for when I’m older, too.”
Piper’s family has had ties to the rodeo world for years. Her father was a saddle bronc rider and a number of her cousins and uncles are stock contractors who provide animals for rodeo competitions. But she was the first to try trick riding and Roman riding, which is a rarity in Canada.
“My parents were always supportive and it was something totally new to them, too,” Piper says. “So we got in touch with a bunch of new people. My grandparents didn’t know what to think of it. It’s pretty cool now to have a name and be recognized and have my family tied to it. Especially, with the show coming out. We have a whole episode on family. Some of the episodes (are focused) on performance, but a lot of them are just about our family and what we do on our off time.”
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Given her busy schedule – she is scheduled to compete this weekend at an event in Brooks – Piper is homeschooled most of the year. But she does have several friends who join her at rodeo events.
“My friends are super eager to watch it because they are in it, too,” she says. “There’s a whole episode on me and my best friend. It’s kind of fun. It’s me and my cousins. I think they’re excited.”
As for the future, Piper says she plans on continuing life on the ranch.
“Yeah, I definitely want to keep doing ranching,” she says. “It’s so deep in my blood I think I’d be kicked out of the family if I didn’t, to be honest. But I definitely want to keep doing it.”
Piper Yule – A Cowgirl Original airs on The Cowboy Network. It premieres on Monday. To find the Cowboy Channel on cable or satellite visit thecowboychannel.com/find-us-on-tv.
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