It may not be as high-profile as high school football, but students on the rodeo circuit are just as competitive when it comes to potential college scholarships.
Brittany Battista of Golden received a partial scholarship to Northwest Kansas Technical College, and she’s taking two of her three horses with her.
Battista has participated in the Jeffco High School Rodeo team since sixth grade. During the recent state finals, she rode in the barrel-racing and calf-roping events.
Golden High School grad and Jeffco team member Zach Nicely hasn’t decided which college he will attend but has several offers to consider.
He will be in Gillette, Wyo., July 17- 23 riding a bucking bronc at the National High School Finals Rodeo.
Nicely finished first overall at state on June 23, which puts him among the top four in the state headed to the nationals.
Team participants can improve their roping, bareback-riding, pole- bending and barrel-racing skills, or compete in those events if they wish, said adviser and sponsor Kathy Miller.
“We let the kids and families choose to go whichever way they want,” she said. “They don’t have to compete.”
Many students aim to be proficient enough to participate in competitions and eventually good enough to win competitions that lead to scholarship offers.
Miller credited the Colorado State High School Rodeo Association’s effort to further kids’ education opportunities. There are 18 registered teams that are part of the association.
Miller said the experience may lead to a rodeo career or a job in agriculture, veterinary practice, land management or horse training.
Although this is Nicely’s first year in competition, he’s already heard from a few colleges, including an offer from Three Rivers Community College in Missouri. He said he intends to spend two years at a junior college before transferring to a university program and begin studying to be a large-animal veterinarian.
Nicely started practicing rodeo events when he was sophomore and began going to rodeo meets in January.
“I’ve been around horses all my life. It’s something that stuck with me once I started doing it,” he said.
If he places in the top 10 at nationals, there are a lot of colleges that will show interest in him.
