Fifteen-year-old Angie Bartley has been working horses since she was three years old, and that experience paid off at a recent Rising Stars competition in Duncan, Okla.
Bartley, a sophomore at Olpe High School and the daughter of Linda and Keith Bartley, took first place in the 19 and under category at the competition for breakaway roping. She was riding 14-year-old Stitch. For the competition she had to rope four calves and she did so in a total of 13.24 seconds, landing her on top of the competition out of 93 contestants in her division. Bartley took home a saddle and some prize money for her win.
Bartley also competes in pole bending, goat tying and barrel racing. Her sister, Michelle, who’s 21, also competes in rodeo and attends Northwestern Oklahoma State University on a rodeo scholarship. Between the two they have six horses — three are at home with Angie and three are with her sister in Oklahoma.
To prepare for competitions, Bartley said she practices every time she gets the chance. She has a dummy cow, made of a hay bale and fake cow head, which she practices roping in the barn.
Bartley likes competition because of the boost it gives her.
“Pretty much just the adrenaline rush,” she said. “Like someone who plays volleyball gets an adrenaline rush, rodeo is kind of one of those things.”
When it comes to competition, Bartley has strategies to get her through it.
“I pretty much just try not to be nervous,” she said.
She also has developed strategies for roping cattle. During the breakaway roping, Bartley figures out how much of the calf she needs to see before she calls for the cow and then allows her horse to pursue the calf. According to Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, in breakaway roping, cattle are moved through pathways leading to a chute with spring-loaded doors. The breakaway roper is located behind a rope, which is fastened with an easy-breaking string. The roper calls for the calf when he or she is ready and then the calf is allowed to exit the chute. When the calf reaches the end of its rope, it breaks off and releases the barrier for the roper. The roper then is required to rope the cow around the neck. Once the cow is roped, the horse is stopped and the rope tied to the saddlehorn. The string breaks when the calf reaches the end of the rope. The person with the fastest time roping the calf wins.
And her hard work pays off. Bartley currently sits second in the Kansas High School Rodeo Association and is halfway through the season, she said.
“It picks back up in March,” she said.
She’s had several other honors through her career as well and spends the entire year competing in several different contests. Her home’s walls are covered with her and her sister’s honors, including pictures of competitions, and a case full of belt buckles won graces one wall.
But Bartley doesn’t stop at rodeos. She’s active in cross country and basketball for the Olpe Eagles. With several activities going on at once, it’s a challenge to juggle.
“It’s pretty tough,” she said. “My mom will go out and ride some of my horses for me. I try to rope the dummy for a while.”