‘Nine-Strong’: Starting off rodeo season in true Tarleton fashion

BY BETHANY KILPATRICK

Editor-in-Chief

The pride of the purple vest, the “nine-strong” mentality, and a team holding 37 national championship titles is a force one couldn’t keep quiet if they wanted. Tarleton State University's rodeo team kicked off the collegiate season in Abilene, Texas, Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Cisco College Rodeo.

Tarleton is one of seven schools making up the Lone Star Region within the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) and set the standard at the first college rodeo by claiming the men’s and women’s champion titles, six out of nine event champion titles as well as Faith Lundberg being named the all-around cowgirl.

“We didn’t just show up here to hang out in Stephenville,” sophomore bareback and saddle bronc rider Clay Greenslade said. “We’re here to win.”

There are 10 collegiate rodeos throughout the school year. The top three competitors from every region, in each event, qualify to compete at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming, as well as the top two men’s and women’s teams and top two all-around competitors.

Andrew Morian is a sophomore transfer from Clarendon College competing in steer wrestling. Last season, he accomplished a goal every collegiate rodeo athlete strives for: winning at the CNFR. 

“The goal isn’t to make the college finals,” Morian said. “The goal is to win the college finals.”

Being a “nine-strong” team is a mentality Tarleton’s rodeo athletes take seriously and consistently hold each other accountable to. 

“Nine-strong really represents the team well, because we actually are nine-strong,” Greenslade said. “Every event gets taken care of pretty good.”

Kash Loyd is a freshman at Tarleton competing in bareback riding and was the bareback champion at the Cisco Rodeo with a long round score of 81.5 and short round score of 85.

“The first horse I got on, I had been on that horse before in Decatur, Texas at their pro rodeo,” Loyd said. “So I knew what she was going to do, and I had a good feel for her, and then it all worked out in the long go. Then in the short round, I talked to the stock contractor before about it, and I knew if I rode her well, I was going to win, and I did.”

Loyd explained what wearing the purple vest means to all the athletes on the team.

“You see everybody in a purple vest, and it makes you stand a little taller and smile a little bigger,” Loyd said.

Loyd credits his success to his family and God. 

“My biggest supporter is my family,” Loyd said. “They’ve been with me from step one, and they will be with me till the end. God is great, and He is the reason that I am here.”

The Cisco Rodeo was a great start to the season, but the Lone Star Region is highly competitive, not giving Tarleton’s athletes any room to let up. One of those challenges is having to fight for a shot to compete in the short round in breakaway roping. 

“It’s a knife fight out there,” freshman breakaway roper Kylee Branquinho said. “The breakaway roping is definitely getting tighter, which is good. It’s making everyone rope better.”

Athletes are gearing up to head to the next rodeo of the season in Alpine, Texas, at the Sul Ross State University Rodeo starting Thursday, Sept. 24. The pressure is only building from now until the CNFR.

“If you’re going to try at all, why not give it everything?” Greenslade said. “Pour your all into it. I feel like that is what they preach to us a lot at the school. You’re here to win. You’re here to compete.”

With a united team and a winning mentality, it seems as if nothing will be able to put out the fire lit under these cowboys and cowgirls. 

“We can’t be beat this year,” Morian said. “We are the strongest men's and women’s team in the Lone Star Region and in the nation. We won the first, and we’ll win the next nine plus the college finals.”