'I'm a real-life cowgirl - I've done impossible tricks on horses since I was 4'
A self-confessed "real-life cowgirl" says she has been doing extreme horseback riding since she was four years old - and her favourite trick is called a "suicide drag".
Bella Da Costa, 19, was taken by her mum, Chrissy, 44, to the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, 15 years ago. She saw a trick rider doing a number of impressive, dangerous stunts at speed - and decided there and then she wanted to do them too.
Now, she teaches other kids to do "suicide" tricks as well as performing in rodeos across the US and says she never wants to give it up. Bella, a trick riding teacher from Edmonton, Alberta, said: "Some may call me a professional trick rider - but I'm a cowgirl all the time.
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Bella Da Costa describes herself as a 'real-life cowgirl' (Alicia Erickson / SWNS)"Trick riding is essentially gymnastics on horseback - it's pretty girls wearing glittery outfits on fast horses, doing the impossible. It's all about how you bond with your horse. I'm an adrenaline junkie, and it looked so fast and dangerous - I just fell in love.
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"Activists often try to tell us we're hurting the horses. But it's their own free will - trust me, if a horse didn't like us riding on them, they'd let us know." Bella was just four when she tried trick riding for the first time after mum Chrissy took her to her first rodeo.
Chrissy used to ride horses growing up and made sure Bella grew up around horses as much as possible. But she was apprehensive when Bella begged her to let her compete. Chrissy, who now manages Bella full-time, said: "I was so apprehensive when Bella told me she wanted to learn how to trick-ride.
"But then I saw her ride for the first time, that same day. She was on this lady's horse - and she could handle it. Anything thrown her way - Bella could contort her body to do it."
The 19-year-old trick riding (Alicia Erickson / SWNS)Over the next 15 years, Bella learned some of the most deadly tricks in horseback riding - including the suicide drag, which involves the rider doing the splits halfway-on, halfway off the horse while it's running. She learned the backbend - doing the crab on top of a horse and a cartwheel weaving over and under a running horse.
She has spent six figures travelling the world to visit the best trainers. Bella has performed at hundreds of rodeos in eight states, as well as other cities in Canada. But in 2016, she stopped competing. She said: "I've performed all across Canada and the US - Washington DC, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Montana, North and South Dakota.
She teaches other kids to do ‘suicide’ tricks (Alicia Erickson / SWNS)
Bella says she never wants to give it up (Alicia Erickson / SWNS)"My job at the rodeo is to keep the crowd entertained by trick riding - I'd go in there and do a handful of tricks - not all of them, just because it's so dangerous. But I'll go in and do a cartwheel vault and suicide drag." Trick riding is one of the most dangerous stunts a gymnast can perform - and it was banned as a competitive spot in the 1940s.
Bella said: "I typically only perform the stunts within my comfort zone, like a neck vault, which involves flipping myself so I'm riding the horse backwards." The dangers of trick riding inspired Bella to become a teacher - after spotting some kids attempting the stunt in a neighbouring field, without any supervision.
Bella performs in rodeos across the US (Alicia Erickson / SWNS)Bella said: "About three years ago, some kids came up to me from my town and said their friends were training in the fields without any supervision. I was like, ‘oh my gosh, that’s not safe’ - so I took it upon myself to teach them. I started off by just giving them supervision and small critiques - like keeping your arms up and straight, how to properly tie up your straps - and basic horse safety.
"But then I went over things like talking to your horse - some people forget this crucial part while trick riding, but it's a big safety thing. Like, the second I tell my horse, ‘corner’ and ‘stop,’ they'll know exactly what I mean." Bella says she wants to shed a more positive light on rodeos in North America.
"I don't hurt them - they literally run up to my trailer when I'm not there," she said. "They love me. They're also much more looked after than myself - they get more chiropractic work and massages done than I ever have!"
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