Elaine Watt (born 1957) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

instructor and

barrel racer A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

. She was a three-time Canadian barrel racing champion, in 1978, 1979, and 1982. She was inducted into the

Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame The Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (CPRHF) was founded in 1979 to honour and distinguish outstanding contestants, builders, and animals in the Canadian rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practic ...

in 2012.

Early life

Elaine Stewart was born in 1956 in

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, to Mavis (née Bowler) and Calvin Stewart. She had four siblings, Alvin, John, Colleen, and Carol. Their father raised horses and all of the children helped with farm chores at their home in Saint Pierre, Manitoba. Both of her sisters competed in

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

events and Carol would later succeed her sister, Elaine, with the Canadian barrel racing title in 1983. She began riding when she was six years old and training in 1967 when her father took her

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times ...

group to a horse clinic in

. She trained with Elaine and Jim Hyde and won a junior title in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

in her first competition, which was later that year.

Career

While training at the Hyde's ranch in

Alida, Saskatchewan Alida (Canada 2016 Census, 2016 population: ) is a List of villages in Saskatchewan, village in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Reciprocity No. 32 and Division No. 1, ...

, Stewart met professional calf roper, Neil Watt. In 1972, she began riding in the Canadian Rodeo Cowboys Association during the summer vacation from her job as a physical education teacher in Beausejour, Manitoba. In 1976, after winning the barrel racing event at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair Light Horse Show, Stewart and Watt married. Watt won the Canadian barrel racing championship in 1978, taking first place with a score of 170 points, placing in all six rounds at the

Canadian Finals Rodeo The Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) is the national championship professional rodeo in Canada, currently held in Edmonton, Alberta; the host site from its 1974 inception through 2017, after being held in Red Deer, Alberta, from 2018 through 2023. The ...

. She repeated as Canadian champion in 1979 and 1982. Though she contemplated competing for the world championship, she would have had to give up teaching to focus on competition. In the early 1980s, the couple moved from Manitoba to

Raymond, Alberta Raymond is a town in southern Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the County of Warner No. 5. It is south of Lethbridge at the junction of Alberta Highway 52, Highway 52 and Alberta Highway 845, Highway 845. Raymond is known for its annual rode ...

, where Watt continued teaching. In addition to competing in Canada, she and her husband participated in events in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, in western states like

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

and

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

. In 1988 and 1989, she served as president of the Canadian Girls Rodeo Association. In 2012, she was inducted into the

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Watt, Elaine 1956 births Living people Sportspeople from Manitoba Canadian barrel racers Canadian female equestrians Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees Sportswomen from Manitoba 20th-century Canadian sportswomen