SALINAS >> A newborn baby and an ankle recovery didn’t stop nationally renowned trick riders Madison Thomas and Haley Proctor from sharing their talents with the crowd at the California Rodeo Salinas Friday night.

Individually, Thomas and Proctor are highly awarded riders, with both being chosen as a Top 5 Dress Act of the Year with the Professional Rodeo California Association multiple times. The pair have been working together for the past four summers and have been riding for most of their lives.

Growing up in Calgary, Alberta, Thomas grew up watching her mother produce Wild West shows for the Calgary Stampede. At 6-years-old, “it was one of those things where I saw it and fell in love and begged for her to let me do it,” she said.

Proctor watched her world champion uncle and four-time National Final Rodeo Opening Act Shawn Brackett perform and by 5-years-old, knew that’s what she wanted to do, too.

She said after her parents saw her hanging off the side of her horse, they decided she “needed to do it the correct way.” Proctor did her first rodeo when she was 6-years-old.

With this summer’s specialty act, Thomas said fans can expect to see “fast horses and everything you’re not supposed to do on a horse.”

This summer’s performances are special for the pair, as they are both coming back from some time off. During Proctor’s final performance of the year last October, she was going through her roman riding act, where she stands on the backs of both horses and ended up shattering her ankle.

During their performance season, “we don’t get to take a day off. We don’t get to call in sick,” said Proctor. “I took seven months off with my ankle and then went right back to it. Pain is the game when it comes to this.”

The same goes for their four-legged companions. “Horses get sore, they get sick… we try to rotate them as much as we can and that’s also hard because we don’t always get to ride our favorites,” said Thomas. When it comes to training a new horse with their specialty acts, “We hold our breath,” said Thomas, “and pray that we make it through it,” said Proctor.

Thomas is two-months postpartum, and her baby has been on the road with the pair for their summer acts. Proctor’s 3-year-old Coulee also travels with them, and has even started performing with her mom during Proctor’s solo act.

“The road is a tough ride. It’s a long summer and you do have to be mentally strong to get through,” said Thomas. “It’s also trying to give ourselves grace because we’re coming back from major things and now we’re trying to jump back in where we left off and it takes time.”

During her solo act Friday, Proctor performed with her veteran horse Clyde, leading him down the track dancing and at one point completely standing on a small platform. During their duo act, Thomas switched between doing shoulder stands and hanging off of her veteran 26-year-old horse Vegas and newcomer Bonnie, who ran on a track for the first time Thursday night.

Proctor also brought out veterans Geminey and Cricket for her roman riding act to do laps on the track.

The duo then ended their act with a race — Geminey and Cricket won.Proctor got her start at the Great American Wild West Show, tagging along with her uncle.

She wasn’t paid for her performance, but at the end of the show, her and Brackett were part of an autograph hat line and Proctor made more than her uncle did from his performances.

“I was hooked from right there,” she said.

Throughout her career, Thomas has performed at rodeos throughout North America and Mexico. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity… you’re never gonna be able to do it twice so I’m just glad (riding) has been able to take me to the places that I’ve gone,” she said.

Besides horses, rodeos and awards, trick riding has brought together Proctor’s and Thomas’ families.

“We met our husbands, have had our children on the road and now they’re getting to experience the road too. It’s how we started our families,” said Proctor.

“We get to do what we love with our families. It’s something we’ve dreamt of since we were itty bitty,” said Thomas.

“We get to do it now and it’s just one of those things where it’s kind of like a dream come true.”