Rodeo - Love of the Game
One thing about collegiate rodeo, the athletes do it for the love of the sport.
Sure, these college student-athletes win some prize money, but it's nothing like the purses in the PRCA, and it's so hard to win on the collegiate level because there are so many competitors. Take for instance the barrel racing event at this year's Howard College Rodeo at the Howard County Rodeo Bowl. There are more than 100 racers competing to get into Saturday's shot-go. Only the top 10 make it.
Howard College freshman Maddisyn Olivas. In Thursday's slack, Olivas put up one of the top times (17.82) in the early going.
"Really I think that's my best time this year," said Olivas, who went to high school at Coahoma. She had family and friends there to cheer her own, dad Noel and his wife Wendie leading the way. Rodeo is in Maddisyn's blood. Her father still competes in team rodeo – he's taking a few months off to let his shoulder heal.
"This is the best time of the year. The family has been to almost all the rodeos. This is the next to last one this year, I get emotional thinking about it," said Wendie.
Howard competes in 10 rodeos this season. The finale will be April 28-30 In Stephenville at Tarleton State University. While in high school, Maddisyn competed in three circuits, AJRA, Texas Rodeo Association and No Limit.
"I've been rodeoing since I was five years old. I played other sports but rodeo is my favorite," she said. "It's something you have to love to do, it comes with a lot of work, money and responsibility." Dad can attest to that.
"About $500 dollars a rodeo," he chuckled. He knows all about the ins and out of the sport. In 2012 he and his partner qualified for the World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas.
"Nobody really makes a lot of money; it comes out of your pocket. I'd say I've been to 200 redoes in the last three years," Noel said.
Like they said, it isn't cheap. Maddisyn is on scholarship at Howard. But the entry fee, care of her animal and gas milage to and from the rodeo is on her and her family. That's really for the love of the game.
Bareback - 1. Drew Thompson Wester Texas College 79.
Bull riding - 1. Luke Parkinson, West Texas A&M
72.
Saddle Bronc - 1. Brodie Roessler, Cisco 68. Team Roping - 1. Fretwell Cash-jessie King 11.4;
2. Lane Cooper-bentley Blake, Sul Ross State University 11.9.
Breakaway roping - 1. Christina Moore, Howard College 12.5; 2. Kelly Maddie, 13.7.
Barrels - 1. Hayley Tidwell, Ranger Junior College 16.61; 2. Emery Mask, South Plains 16.95.; 3. Kassidy Mckee, Tarleton State University 17.09; 6. Jordon Driver, Howard College 17.43; 12. Maddisyn Olivas, Howard College 17.82.