story by Kyle Eustice
Hailing from Bono, Arkansas, 28-year-old Ashley Montgomery was born to Marshall and Stacy Poole. At the time, Ashley’s grandparents owned several horses and the first time she got on one she was a baby.
“My parents never rode before, but knew that I had a love for it so they bought me a pony and the rest has been history,” said Ashley. “When I was 7 years old, Bob Wright and Jo Sandborn took me under their wings and mounted me on their horses throughout my childhood. I credit them for the barrel racer I am today. Growing up, we attended a lot of barrel races and big shows. Once I got older I started going to rodeos and realized real quick that the rodeo was the atmosphere I wanted to be in.”
After graduating high school from Westside School District, she attended college at Arkansas State University, where she earned a degree in communication disorders (speech therapy) and was also on the rodeo team.
“I had a friend that was going to a bunch of the circuit rodeos and convinced me that I needed to buy my permit and start going to the rodeos,” explained Ashley. “I filled my permit after the first couple of rodeos and have been a card holder ever since.”
She’s been a member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, International Pro Rodeo Association, and of course, the ACA, where her only event is barrel racing.
“Bob tried to make me a roper, but roping the dummy is about as far as it ever got,” admitted Ashley. “I just wanted to go fast.”
Her love for the sport has been intense over the years and only continues to grow. “With barrel racing, there is always a challenge,” said Ashley. “There are so many variable that play into barrel racing it always keeps you on your toes which makes it very exciting.”
Ashley’s biggest accomplishment was making the College Finals in 2010, which was a goal she had set for herself since she enrolled.
“To accomplish that on my horse Tom was very special for me and my family,” said Ashley. “My favorite horse by far is Tom. I took Tom to my first college rodeo and it was only the second run I had ever made on him. We made the short round and placed in the go and the average. After that I never got back off of him. He has so much heart and runs the same trip every time. He is going to be 24 this coming year and will still hang with the best of them.
“Age is just a number to him he is still young at heart,” added Ashley. “His heart and drive is truly inspiring. I almost lost him in 2010 when an injection went septic. My family and I took him out to Oklahoma State where he had surgery, and was supposed to return to the pasture and never run again. Two years later, he carried me to the ACA three years in a row and was nominated Horse of the Year at the ACA finals. His love for running is unbelievable; he truly loves his job.”
Ashley recently purchased a new horse named Royal French Jet, otherwise known as Chopper, she’s looking forward to their future together.
“I would love to make the circuit finals one year,” said Ashley. “Maybe before I’m 80, I can accomplish that [laughs].”
Now married to Chase Montgomery, she has a 3-year-old son named Ty Marshall, who loves going to the rodeo. Ashley practices every day. She relies on her father a lot for pointers and to help improve her riding. Her favorite part about competing, of course, is winning.
“My dad has always told me if you don’t work at it or put the time in, then you don’t deserve to win,” said Ashley. “I am a firm believer that hard work pays off. If you work hard, believe in yourself, and surround yourself with positive people, I believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”