Blue Star Ranch is a local, all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder through equine therapy. In its October newsletter, the organization is spotlighting Blue Star Ranch board member and Placerita Canyon resident Erika Kauzlarich-Bird and her family.

My parents, Emery and Diane, married on Dec. 1, 1962. My dad was an engineer by profession, so that took my mom and dad to all parts of California. Emery was born in Arizona, and his father had a cattle ranch. While in Sonora working on the Tuolumne Prison, my sister Kathy was born, then, my dad started hanging out with COWBOYS, bareback riders to be exact. When dad got hurt bareback riding, he then took up team roping.

Dad’s work then took them to Santa Ana, where my sister Tammy was born. That was when he bought his first roping horse, but due to homes being built in Santa Clarita and the stables closing down, once again they were on the move. They lived in the Lily of the Valley trailer park in Bouquet Canyon by Lombardi Ranch. By this time my dad was an Engineer for construction on the Universal Sheraton and mom was a housewife.

Around 1971 my mom decided she wanted to rope, dad thought she was crazy but gave her a horse and a rope and she has been roping ever since. The horses name was Rusty and he taught all of us the fundamentals of riding, all the way down to my parents grandchildren.

My sister Kathy began roping at the age of 8, my sister Tammy at the age of 9. I rode the horses and loved being with them at the roping, but I didn’t take up roping until just before High School. I then High School rodeoed where I breakaway roped, and barrel raced. I started team roping competitively at 16.

My family spent many years on the road traveling every weekend. Tammy and Kathy both were champion ropers winning saddles, buckles, money and even a horse trailer.

In 1985, in the Women’s Rodeo Association, my mom, sisters Kathy and Tammy all qualified for the finals in Ft. Worth. Texas. Throughout the 80’s , dad rodeoed and my sister Kathy was one of the first women to earn her card in the Men’s Professional Rodeo (PRCA). During that time Tammy also qualified for the Sierra Circuit finals in barrel racing. My family also helped start the the Women’s Team Roping Association in California (WTRA) and spent a lot of time at the roping events.

Our dad was also part of two wonderful organizations. He was an invited guest on the Portola Ride which was out of San Juan Capistrano, and he was part of an organization called the Vistadores, out of Santa Ynez. Dad was a camp captain and named cowboy of the year for this very prestigious organization.

Unfortunately in 2004, our dad Emery lost his battle with cancer, it was a tremendous loss for our family, so roping and the horses was not as prominent as it had been. During Dad’s battle with cancer he went on to win a World Championship in Team Roping for the senior. Pro Rodeo Association. Now, Tammy is a breakaway roper, where two years in a row she has been in the top 15 of the Mountain Circuit for breakaway roping. I am getting back in to roping a lot more, and will start to breakaway rope myself in competitions. We have all had success in the rodeo industry , as barrel racers, team ropers and now breakaway ropers. We were so fortunate for the businesses my parents had, that allowed us to earn a living, but also be on the road as a family. This is my 27th year in the business with my mom and it has been so good to all of us.

For more information on Blue Star Ranch, visit https://bluestarranch.org/.