The Rodeo Trail Series

Hello rodeo fans!
My name is Rachel and I am honored to be the new Rodeo Trail writer.

I was born and raised in Colorado, living in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains and growing up in true rodeo country. I began riding horses when I was 5 years old and haven't been able to quit yet, not that I ever want to. I was in 4-H for 8 years and rode on a precision drill team performing at little britches, old timers and PRCA rodeos all over the state.

During those years I also raised and showed horses, hogs, beef cattle and poultry. I graduated from a small high school and continued on to college. While in college I was a member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and ran barrels for my college rodeo team. I graduated from college with a degree in production agriculture.

Since then I have done my internships at horse breeding and training facilities across Colorado. Now that that is all done I will be able to devote more time to my true passion, Rodeo. I have been a member of the Colorado Professional Rodeo Association for the past year. It is a wonderful family of competitors.

In the mean time I compete in local barrel races, National Barrel Horse Association and jackpots across the region. I love to barrel race because it is such a thrill to have a great bond with a horse and be able to complete something at rapid speed. I enjoy traveling with fellow competitors and giving each other tips.

I look forward to being on the road and going from rodeo to rodeo and seeing my friends along the way. I love the kind words that I get from someone that I just beat, and the encouragement from announcers and rodeo personnel. It really is a family of people watching out for each other and also watching each other to find how they can improve their next run or ride.

I owe a lot of my accomplishments in barrel racing to my trainer, World Champion Marlene McRae. Without her I would not be doing this today. Thanks Marlene.

My other passion in life is being a rodeo queen. I have been involved in rodeo queen pageants for the last 5 years. My goal is to be Miss Rodeo Colorado, and I love talking about queening and pageants and helping others get involved. I love talking about rodeo and have a desire to share it with people who are new to the sport or anyone who just has a question. I can go on and on about why rodeo is so wonderful and why everyone should attend a rodeo at least once in their life and why queens are so important to the sport of rodeo.

Other than queening and barrel racing, I raise and show AKC Dachshunds, board horses and own and operate an online store selling jewelry and accessories.

Thank you so much for letting me share my experiences with you. I will write articles that answer questions about rodeo, barrel racing and queens as well as my daily experiences in the greatest show on dirt.

Keep ‘em all standing ~Rachel