story by by Naomi Loomis,
WSRRA Association Representative
In 2013, the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association added a women’s division that brought 8 women’s teams to the finals. The WSRRA continues to experience rapid growth in the women’s division. At the 2016 WSRRA National Finals 22 women’s teams had qualified for the finals. The WSRRA currently has sanctioned events in thirteen states plus Canada.
One of these cowgirls that qualified for the 2016 WSRRA Nationals rodeo is Alesa Jones. You can’t miss this cowgirl from North Platte, Nebraska. Her smile and never-give-up attitude is contagious. In fact, I have seen this cowgirl get bucked off her horse as she was competing. She didn’t throw up her hand, she caught that big Quarter Horse she was riding and finished the rodeo.
“When I was 7, I got my very own horse, Bud.” He was fast and taught me a lot. My mom used to haul me to all girls rodeos, junior rodeos, and nightly rodeos. She would enter me against the big girls. It taught me not to worry who I was competing against but to go do my best.”
Alesa is a mother to a full-of-life 8 year old son named Quinten who is following his mother’s footsteps. Alesa rides and trains horses on her ranch north of North Platte, Nebraska.
Alesa Jones – Mary Williams Hyde
“Training horses is similar to creating a masterpiece, it takes natural talent, patience, bonding, diligence and installing a sense of confidence in a horse.”
Alesa first become interested in ranch rodeo’s about ten years ago, when she decided that watching was a little boring. “I just remember going and watching the guys rodeo and thought to myself it looked fun and exciting and anything that I can do with my horse is something worth trying,” says Alesa. That is all that it took for Alesa to hit the ranch rodeo trail. She started competing at sanctioned WSRRA events because of the rules of the association. “The WSRRA follows more of our everyday ranching life and that everyone on the team has to rope at one point in time. I love the aspect of it and the people that I get to meet,” she states.
On the ranch rodeo trail Alesa has a series of rituals that she follows, good luck items, per say. These items include a very special piece of jewelry, a good sharp knife, a written note and a few other little tokens that have been giving to her by a few of her favorite people. “I can always be found with a case of water, a good vet box-just in case, and plenty of back up horse power. Also a little pray to the Lord never hurts,” she says.
Horse training and ranch rodeo have the same aspects as life. Alesa tells me that you have to have drive to make yourself motivated, to push yourself out of your comfort zone to learn more all the time. Ranch rodeo is a very fast paced and things change in a blink of an eye. “You have to learn to except change and adapt quickly,” she says.
At the 2016 WSRRA National Finals, Alesa rode her outstanding bay mare called HCJ NineLiL Buttons AKA Buttons. Alesa got her when she was a weanling from a ranch where she used to break colts. She started her when she worked at a local feedlot. “She is very cowy and extremely athletic. She is sensitive, soft, smooth to ride and gives me her all in the arena,” Alesa states. Buttons has been shown in ranch horse shows, ranch versatility shows, American Quarter Horse shows, 4-H, SHOT, team ropings, cuttings and at ranch rodeos. I would say that Buttons is an all-around horse. Buttons has been named Top horse at several ranch rodeos including WSRRA Top Horse and Double A Feeds WSRRA women’s Ranch Rodeo Top Horse just to name a few. “Buttons is the main reason that I have received several Top Hand awards,” states Alesa.
Alesa’s 2017 ranch rodeo goals include qualifying for the WSRRA National Finals again. The last couple of years Alesa has just been filling in on teams but this year she would really like to get together a team of cowgirls that have balance. “It is pretty fun just to wing it sometimes, but there is also something to be said about having a good team that you trust and know their strong and weak points,” she states. Alesa other goal is to win. “Of course, I would love to win the WSRRA women’s finals rodeo at least once, but a major goal of mine is to receive the Top Horse award. “There are a lot of nice horses at the finals and I couldn’t be more blessed and proud of the one that I ride,” she says. I believe that Alesa has the horse to do just that.
On behalf of the WSRRA, we hope
to see you and Buttons in Winnemuca, November 2-5, 2017.
