Kalai Nobriga was born on ranch and he works on a ranch. Being a paniolo is in his blood.
“I could ride since I could walk,” said Nobriga, of Kealakekua.
Three guesses as to how Nobriga is spending the Fourth of July?
On a holiday weekend in which there are no shortage of rodeos, Nobriga is in Maui for the 60th Makawao Rodeo, billed as the largest in the state by the Maui Roping Club. Along with Big Islanders JR Henriques, Kevin Hill, Bronson Branco and Oahu’s Stoney Joseph. Nobriga advanced Thursday to the finals in team roping.
He’ll also compete in his other favorite event, calf roping.
Nobriga, 28, grew up on his family’s Mahealani Ranch in South Kona and still works there training horses.
A 2005 Konawaena graduate, he competed in New Mexico and Wyoming and finished as high as third in cutting at the 2002 National High School Rodeo Finals.
“I went back to the mainland for a few summers to compete, but haven’t been in a while,” Nobriga said. “I was thinking of going back.”
The cost of sending one horse from from Kailua-Kona to Los Angeles: approximately $3,000.
He circles his calender for three Big Island rodeos. His favorite is the Honokaa Western Week rodeo in May, an event he finished third in this year.
“The biggest purses and best contestants,” he said.
He’s the four-time All-Around Cowboy at the Panaewa Rodeo, held annually in February, and he also looks forward to the Parker Ranch Labor Day Rodeo.
In April, he was All-Around Cowboy at the Molokai Ranch Heritage Rodeo.
Closer to home, two events are on tap this weekend:
• The 53rd July 4th Rodeo will be held from 9 a.m.-noon at Parker Ranch in Waimea.
The event includes a Hawaii rarity: horse racing (quarter-mile and eighth-of-a-mile).
Also on tap are events such as poo wai u, ranch mugging and team roping.
• At 8 a.m. Saturday, slack roping kicks off the 38th Fourth of July Rodeo in Naalehu. Events start at noon Saturday and Sunday.
Paniolo will compete in team roping, bull riding, wahine mugging, wahine breakaway and a poo wai u.
For keiki, there is dummy roping, calf riding and youth barrel racing.