When the announcer calls her name, junior Brook Black runs into the arena. With her rope in her teeth, Black catches the goat and grabs its flank. The goat on the end of the tethered rope screams, but Black pays no mind. She simply hoists it into the air, flips it onto the ground, sits on it and ties its feet.
Black competes in goat tying on the rodeo team, one of the 15 events offered in high school rodeo. She competes almost every weekend in Saginaw for NTHSRA, North Texas High School Rodeo Association.
“It’s all about competition and it gives me something to do,” Black said. “I can’t imagine my life without rodeo.”
For the students on the team, rodeo is like a lifestyle. They have meetings every Tuesday, rodeos every weekend and practice multiple times a week. Unlike other sports, rodeo events require competitors to take care of an animal.
“It’s a lot of work, taking care of a horse,” sophomore Alanna Zaskoda said, “but it’s worth every second.”
Close to 50 high schools compete in NTHSRA competitions, and they all take their turn to host and work a rodeo. Legacy’s rodeo team will host a rodeo on the weekend of Dec. 13-15, and the team has already hired arena staff and contractors to work. Volunteers may sign up to work the gate, concessions or all of the different events to make sure nothing goes wrong.
“The rodeo we host is one of my favorite parts of the season,” Black said. “It’s cool to see everyone working together and seeing all of our preparation pay off.”
This year the rodeo team has five, actively-competing members and eight others that help out and support. Because of the team’s size this year, they have had to work harder than previous years to raise the funds that they need. The team finished their first fundraiser (beef jerky sales) with the help of sponsors like Missy Zaskoda. They plan to have a car wash as soon as the weather warms up to raise additional funds.
“I am very proud of the team we have this year,” sponsor Missy Zaskoda said. “They are really working hard to help with the funding.”
Rodeo is the only high school sport in Texas in which its members can compete for money. In the past years, students could win $20 to $75 per event if they placed. This year, winnings have increased to nearly $300. The NTHSRA bumped entry fees up by $5 and the prize money has increased dramatically, especially for those who rank in the top placings consistently.
“The changes they made to the winnings and the point system are great,” Zaskoda said, “but I’d still be competing if we paid dues and didn’t win anything. It’s what I love to do.”