Get Back On Your Horse, America

Cowgirls of all ages and experience levels participating in the 68th annual Lincoln Rodeo Aug. 12-14 have a message for the country, “Get back on your horse, America.”

Seven- year- old Festus Ogden and five-year-old Liz Robison, daughter of stock contractor Kyle Robison, owner-operator of Big Horn Rodeo Company, of Lamar, Okla., helped clear stock from the arena between competitors on the first two days of the rodeo, Thursday and Friday.

Liz took a spill and fell off her horse, “Donk,” doing a face plant in the dirt after Hunter Washburn wowed the crowd in steer wrestling by turning in a time of 4.3 earning him third place overall and $352.36.

Liz’ crash momentarily halted all activity during the Aug. 13 Friday night performance of the 68th annual Lincoln Rodeo. Her dad Kyle Robison scooped her up and carried her out of the arena, but there was no keeping a good cowgirl down. Halfan-hour later after a performance by Lincoln Riding Club’s drill team, “The Regulators,” followed by seven cowboys competing in tie down roping she reentered the arena on horseback and resumed her duties.

Announcer Jeff Wren took notice saluting the junior cowgirl, “Liz is back.”

Liz said “No,” she wasn’t scared, then varied her response during an interview after the Friday night rodeo performance when confirming that’s not the first time she’s fallen off a horse, “Nope.”

“What do we do when you get bucked off your horse?” asked her mother, Amber Butler.

“We get back on,” Liz said. Amber went back over the procedure, “You ask if they’re alright and then you get back on.”

Liz admitted crying “a lot,” then explained her dad helped her get ready to go back to work.

“Well, he just got me to feeling good,” she said.

Festus, too, has been thrown off her horse in less than an ideal situation that many Americans are feeling right now.

“I got bucked off in a pasture that had a number of cows that would butt you and be mean and I got back on,” Festus said.

She likes being on horseback and driving stock out of the arena.

Later during the Friday, Aug. 13 rodeo performance both junior cowgirls competed in the pee wee barrels for kids eight and under.

Festus ran the barrels in 25.300 placing third in the go-round. She had a better run on Thursday, Aug. 12 with a time of 22.842 to finish second in that go-round.

On Friday, Aug. 13 Liz turned in a time of 21.969, good for second place in that go-round using a different mount, her dad’s horse.

Liz proudly showed off a star patch on the front of her rain jacket when rain showers set in during slack.

“I am wearing my star ‘cause I like barrel racing,” Liz said. “

She wasn’t the only cowgirl having trouble with her horse during the three day Lincoln Rodeo.

Kalleigh Jo Shreve’s horse nearly ran headlong into the fence coming around the first barrel during junior barrel racing at the Thursday, Aug. 12 rodeo performance. The young cowgirl kept her composure, pulled up on the reins and completed the course in 24.868. She ran well the rest of the way despite accumulating a few extra seconds.

Liz says the Pledge of Allegiance at school, stands for the National Anthem and crosses her heart.

The cowgirls offer inspiration for those feeling like America’s been bucked off at full gallop by political upheaval and covid and wondering if the nation can get back on its horse.

“I know times get tough, but you got to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and cowboy up sometimes and believe in yourself that you can do it,” said Ciarra Luebke, commenting on the junior cowgirl’s resilience.

Luebke knows what she’s talking about. When the Miss Rodeo Arkansas pageant was cancelled in November of 2020 due to covid, she feared she wouldn’t get a chance to compete for the title but 10 months later received the Miss Rodeo Arkansas crown on Saturday, Aug. 14 during the final performance of the 68th annual Lincoln Riding Club Rodeo.

“When covid happened I was really afraid I wouldn’t get my chance to run for Miss Rodeo Arkansas, but we were able to put on a pageant this year and I’m so thankful for it,” Luebke said.

Miss Rodeo Arkansas didn’t hold a pageant in 2020, but they are scheduled to hold this year’s pageant Nov. 4-7 at Fort Smith. The winner in November will, in the words of Lincoln Riding Club Secretary/ Reporter Sherry Smith, “be a lady in waiting until January, 2022,” when she officially takes the title.

Meanwhile Luebke represents the state and competes in the 2021 Miss Rodeo America Pageant in December.

Luebke tries to keep in mind that people don’t always remember what a person says, but they remember how that person made them feel.

“I always remember that when I’m rodeo queening and when I’m out meeting fans and meeting kids,” Luebke said. “I hope to encourage them to follow in these contestant’s footsteps and come out to rodeo and be little cowboys and cowgirls themselves.”