Keeping up with bareback riding within the Lone Star Region

BY BETHANY KILPATRICK

Editor-in-Chief

As the stands fill and the cowboys stretch, everyone in the arena can hear the movement and rustle of the stock, the stock that is ready to do their job and do it well, the stock that is ready…ready to buck. 

It takes a special kind of athlete to ride stock full of such explosion; that athlete is none other than the bareback riders.

Tarleton State University is part of the Lone Star Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) and has shown up and shown out at every college rodeo so far this season. In college rodeo, schools compete in nine events, bareback riding being one of the nine. 

Before the short round performance of a college rodeo, every athlete must compete in the long round, which runs Thursday through Saturday morning. Athletes and horses are scored on a 100-point scale, split evenly between both. The top-scoring athletes from the long round get the chance to compete in the short round Saturday night for the champion title. Tarleton has taken all three champion titles in bareback riding thus far in the season.

Back in early September, the Cisco College Rodeo was the first college rodeo of the season held in Abilene, Texas, at the Taylor Telecom Arena. Tarleton athlete Kash Loyd won the long round with a score of 81.5 and the short round with an 85. His scores made him the average winner as well, with a 166.5.

What was unique about Loyd’s ride in the short round in Abilene was the horse he drew to ride. 

“The short round horse, R7, [is] really good, usually a bronc, but they put her in the bares (bareback), and I was lucky enough to draw her,” Loyd said. 

The next rodeo of the season was held in Alpine, Texas, hosted by Sul Ross University, at S.A.L.E Arena, which began Thursday, Sept. 24. Loyd took the champion title after the short round Saturday night with a score of 84.5, as well as winning the average with a 166 score.

“At the end of the day, I just focus on one goal and one goal only,” Loyd said. “Go out there and win and do my job. Focus on the ride at hand, and everything else will fall where it needs to.”

The third rodeo of the season was hosted by Weatherford College in Weatherford, Texas, at Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Arena, beginning Thursday, Oct. 8. 

Loyd drew to ride in the long round in the Thursday night slack, but unfortunately he ran into some tough luck. Loyd took five re-rides, which is a rare situation. However, he ended up taking an 86, winning the long round, but had to miss to compete in the PRCA (Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association) Permit Finals. 

Many college rodeo athletes, such as Loyd, already have their PRCA permit or card and have to figure out how to balance pro and college rodeo when the seasons overlap. 

Tarleton athlete Westen Chandler was named the bareback champion of the Weatherford College Rodeo after the short round, with a score of 86.

“I saw I drew Bandito Lady,” Chandler said. “And I saw another bareback rider get on her, and it was just really good, so I was pretty excited for it.”

Jace Lomheim, a Tarleton student, is the student director for bareback in the region and spoke about the intense competition being seen this season.

“I think most of the guys are equal caliber,” Lomheim said. “We could all win any rodeo. It makes it pretty cool to watch when we are battling it out.”

A unique aspect of college rodeo is that many athletes are competing against their own teammates. Chandler and Loyd both agreed, however, that this keeps them at the top of their game. 

“It’s pretty tough,” Chandler said. “We’re in the practice pen every Wednesday before the college rodeos, and we compete against the same guys that we’re going against. It’s pretty cool. It just makes us all better, I think.”

There are only two college rodeos left in the fall season: the Angelo State University Rodeo—in San Angelo, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Oct. 24—and the Vernon College Rodeo—in Vernon, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 5 through Saturday, Nov. 7.

The spring semester will begin in January with the Ft. Worth Rodeo kicking things off. All athletes are working hard to stay at the top of their game for a chance to compete in the CNFR (College National Finals Rodeo) in Casper, Wyoming, in June. Only the top three-ranking competitors in each college rodeo region will have the opportunity to compete.  

With a decent-sized gap in between seasons, some might lose momentum in between, but these athletes know how to stay sharp.

“I am going to keep going to the weight room, keep working out and doing the little things,” Loyd said. “The little things matter, and come January, we will be ready for Fort Worth.”

For all official updates, daysheets and scores check the NIRA website.