story by Lily Weinacht
Ashley Haller won her first title with the GCPRA this fall, crowned the year-end barrel racing champion at the conclusion of the finals, held in Fort Mojave, Arizona. “I’ve been in the top five a lot, but this is the first time I’ve been able to go to most of the rodeos in a season,” says the 26 year old from Marana, Arizona. “It was one of those cases where everything comes down to the last run of the year. I’ve been in that position where I was leading and then bumped to second, so I had mixed emotions about winning since I know how that feels.”
The barrel horse that carried her to the finals is an 11-year-old gelding, Invisible Guy, whom she calls Bentley. “Bentley was bought through the Bill Meyer’s Horse sale by Charlie Kendell as a weanling, then he was broke and sent to my mom for a futurity prospect. But at the end of his five-year-old year he had missed most of the futurities, and we ended up buying him that year. He’s known for a solid first barrel and being able to run lightly on the ground without getting bogged down. For some reason, he usually has trouble at the finals on his first trip out, but he can really smoke a second run.”
Ashley comes by rodeo naturally, attributing her parents, Chet and Twila Haller, with setting her up for a successful rodeo career. Twila qualified for the WNFR in barrel racing six times, and Ashley started junior and high school rodeoing in her teens, running barrels and breakaway roping. She qualified for the NHSFR all four years of high school, and won Reserve Barrel Racing Champion in the AHSRA her junior and senior year. “My parents took me to rodeos throughout high school and taught me how to take care of myself and my horses. I started college when I was 17, so I’m glad they instilled that responsibility in me.”
She college rodeoed for Central Arizona College (CAC) in Coolidge two years and qualified her freshman year for the CNFR in barrel racing. Ashley transferred to University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson and rodeoed with them three years, earning her master’s degree in agricultural education. Presently, she is an agricultural teacher and FFA advisor at Marana High School, teaching freshmen through seniors. “I enjoy the opportunity to take a kid that’s not sure what they want to do with their life, and help them figure out their talents and how to mold and shape them. They might start out not knowing much about Ag., but then they begin competing and learning about the industry and where they fit in.”
Ashley is often travelling with her students to livestock shows and district and state competitions, which is why she appreciates rodeoing in the GCPRA. “I mainly rodeo in the summer since I’m a teacher, so it’s nice to have GCPRA rodeos to enter,” she explains. “Even though I have my pro card, I can’t take time off for slack on a weekday, so I mainly rodeo during school breaks and the summer. When rodeo is what you love to do, you don’t need any motivation, because it’s all internal and you crave it. I don’t need motivation, yet I lack time. But I’m lucky that my mom helps me exercise horses.”
In her very spare time, Ashley enjoys snowboarding, but she’s more likely to be working with her horses – including a colt she’s training – or helping her boyfriend on his family’s ranch. “I’m also deciding where I want to go with my career,” says Ashley. “This is my third year of teaching, and someday, I’d like to teach at a community college. One of my goals is to make enough pro rodeos to qualify for the Turquoise Circuit finals, and find that balance between work and rodeo!”
