There are several under-the-radar students at Rolla High School who compete in rodeos. Whether it’s barrel racing, chute dogging, or bull riding, RHS students have found their niche in the rodeo world. Freshmen Chloe Tomnitz and Isaiah Wagoner show up to competitions to chase cash prizes, shiny buckles, and a new personal record. For Tomnitz, it’s been a generational love.
“My dad just rode bulls, and then he just kind of got me and my family all into it. So we just started riding bulls, and then we got horses. We’d go racing. Done it since I was four,” Tomnitz said.
Tomnitz’s specialty lies with barrel racing, an event where she has to run her horse through a cloverleaf pattern of barrels. The rider with the fastest time is the winner. In her free time, Tomnitz spends about 10 hours a week training with her horses.
“I just ride my horse through the week to keep them in shape—anything can happen [at rodeos] so I just get prepared for everything possible,” Tomnitz said.
Through her hard work, Tomnitz successfully landed a spot in the April Better Barrel Races competition, a selective barrel racing competition hosted in Oklahoma.
“I’m pretty excited about it. You have to, like, go to so many [rodeos] to be qualified and only so many people get to go,” Tomnitz said.
Wagoner, on the other hand, is new to his rodeo journey. He has managed to find his niche in bull riding and steer wrestling. With steer wrestling, the main goal is to chase a steer and wrestle it to ground in the fastest time possible, and the goal of bull riding is for the rider to stay on a bucking bull for the longest amount of time.
“[I’ve] been in rodeo for about a year…it’s definitely made my life better,” Wagoner said.
Wagoner follows a go-with-the-flow approach when it comes to practicing for events, mostly relying on the moment as it comes.
“I just go in there…try to just go in and win,” Wagoner said.
In addition to competing in rodeo, Wagoner also helps behind-the-scenes during rough stock rodeo events, like bull riding and saddle bronc.
“It’s fun, but kind of stressful and complicated…it really depends on the arena,” Wagoner said.
It’s clear to see that rodeos are exciting all-around, and those who want to pursue it should definitely lasso that interest. Communities like the Rolla Saddle Club and the Ozark Rodeo Association are great places to start if one wants to get involved in rodeo, for getting in that action-packed arena, or for being a spirited spectator.
“Watch some videos and find people who do rodeos…They would love to help you. It’s a pretty fun experience—just go for it,” Tomnitz said.
