1 minute read

Memories are Forever

“definitely helped her to be the person she is today.” THSRA helped Katie develop very valuable life lessons. She said one of the most valuable being that “There is more to life than rodeo, so make it fun and enjoy it.” Which is something people don’t see very often in this lifestyle. She mentioned how she applied for all scholarships possible through THSRA, which helped her out financially. Additionally, THSRA helped her to build connections and grow as a person.

When asked about memories from high school rodeo she said, “wow there are so many stories I could tell.” Katie recalls that some of her favorite memories from her high school rodeo career were the finals. It was a big deal and something everyone looked forward to too. She spoke about how much she enjoyed not only the rodeos but what went on afterward like eating out with friends. One of her favorite memories took place at the region 1 tristate finials in 2020. She came into the finals last in the standings in the pole bending and ended up making 3 great runs and winning the average for the finals.

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Although Katie had a great career in THSRA she did mention some regrets she had. One being that she wished she was more involved in her first years of rodeoing. She didn’t start running for office or applying for things until her last years. She also said that she wished she would have believed people when they told her how fast it goes. She left me with some key pieces of advice for younger athletes starting their rodeo career. She said not to take it too seriously. At the end of the day, it's just a rodeo and there will always be another one to go to. Katie says that she didn’t truly realize this until her junior and senior year. In addition, she had some advice for seniors transitioning into college rodeo. She said to “soak it all in.” She says that her years in THSRA really went by faster than she could have ever believed. “After every college rodeo I call my mom saying that I wish that I could go back to a nice easy going high school rodeo.” Katie said.

With all that being said I want to thank Katie for her time and remind everyone that Region 1 cowboy prom is on March 25! If you have any questions, please contact Ridley Timberlake at 806-346-9120.

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