What Rodeo Has Done For Me

Rodeo has not only had a positive impact on my life but also prepared me for a successful life and future. When I first starting competing at rodeos, I did not foresee how the organizations, the people, and the competition would affect my work, attitude, dedication toward succeeding at a high level. The work ethic I have adopted because of the opportunity to be able to compete in rodeo is reflected in every aspect of my life from school to my job. Through rodeo I have been able to see myself grow and accomplish goals, through that stems all my future goals and aspirations I may no t have had otherwise. Rodeo has changed my life, and I’m not sure where I’d be without the experiences it has given me.

My freshman year of high school, my parents encouraged me to try to play high school sports and participate in several different clubs at school, while at the same time still try and be competitive at rodeo. Between practices at the school, trying to get horses ridden and rope several times a week, I was spreading my time pretty thin. It was a frustrating time for me because I found myself being pulled in two different directions, between trying to be a more well rounded person and doing what I actually wanted to do. That summer, I only qualified in one event for the National High School Finals Rodeo. I was extremely disappointed and I kind of feel like this was a turning point for me. It didn’t take me long to discover that the rodeos were extremely competitive and I was going to have to dedicate all of my time to practice. I knew basketball just wasn’t something my heart was into, so I made the easy choice to quit playing basketball, quit participating in clubs at school, and focus on rodeo as my only sport.

Starting my freshman year, I came home every day and roped calves as well as exercised the rest of my rodeo horses. It took the entire family to organize and fulfill a practice schedule that goes year round. I found that the amount and quality of practice time I put in daily, directly affected the way I performed at the rodeos. Because of that, I decided to focus primarily on getting better at my skills and conditioning my horses in order to be more competitive. As a result, I won the All Around Cowgirl in Colorado in 2015 and 2016, Reserve All Around at the National High School Finals in 2015, and won the All Around at the International Finals Youth Rodeo in 2016.

I love the lifestyle and people involved in this way of life and as a result I recently decided to attend Weatherford College on a rodeo scholarship. Eventually, want to go into marketing or business involving livestock and rodeo .

May 27, 2017