story by Lily Weinacht
Horses, cattle, and rodeo are the life and breath of Ginalee Tierney’s family from Broken Bow, Nebraska. The barrel racer and roper entered her first junior rodeo when she was four, and grew up on the stories of her dad, Mike Tierney, steer wrestling and riding bulls, while her uncle Paul Tierney is a two-time World champion in the tie-down roping and all-around. Ginalee’s own rodeo accomplishments include winning the year-end in the all-around and second in the mixed team roping in the NSRA, even though she wasn’t able to compete in the NSRA finals. She also won the M-SRA in the mixed team roping, and serves as both the NSRA women’s timed event director and M-SRA breakaway roping director.
Though the Tierneys are primarily cattle ranchers, they started raising ranch and performance horses when Ginalee and her brother, Michael, were old enough to help out. “We stand three stud studs and 20 broodmares, and they’re foundation bred quarter horses. My mom, Kathy, and I handle most of the marketing and sales,” says Ginalee. “We had one large sale in 2006, which was good, but we’ve since tried to do private sales. It seems you get a better fit for the horse and owner when you know exactly what that person wants.”
Ginalee has competed on numerous Tierney Quarter Horses over the years. “Ole is my young breakaway horse, and he’s my hopeful for next year in the barrel racing. I sold both my good barrel horses last fall, so this has been a rebuilding year. Badger is my breakaway horse I’m trying to retire at the age of 22, but I pulled him out for two weeks to rodeo this summer. Casino is one of our studs I ride in the team roping and barrel racing, and Elvis is my other head horse. Riding my own horses is definitely a motivating factor to come home every night and practice. It’s a marketing tool for us to be out there riding horses with our brand, plus I’ve been a pretty competitive person at everything I do my whole life.”
During the week, Ginalee is a physical therapist at McMeen Physical Therapy, an out-patient based clinic in Broken Bow. “We see a lot of sports injuries and rehab patients,” she explains. “Since Broken Bow is so rural, we see everything, and never knowing who will walk in the door next keeps you on your toes.” Ginalee opens at seven in the morning and works through lunch to get off mid-afternoon for rodeos, practice, and helping out on the ranch. “My mom is definitely the care taker of the horses and she’s instrumental in helping me get things ready for practice, or the weekend when my schedule gets tight. I’ll usually call her by noon and let her know which horses I’ll need that night to practice on or take to the rodeo, so she’ll keep them in or have them tied to the trailer. She’s huge in my rodeo career, making sure I have feed and grain loaded for the weekend, and taking care of feeding and doctoring when I’m at work.”
Ginalee, Michael and his wife, Candace, and their parents all live within five miles of each other in what Ginalee calls the Tierney Triangle. “Michael and I are the fourth generation to ranch here – our great-great grandpa and uncle came from Ireland and homesteaded this place in 1896,” she describes. “Our parents’ house is headquarters, and the practice pen is my dad’s and my place. It’s usually the two of us out there, and we’ve had a lot of life chats in the roping pen. Uncle Paul is still my lifeline call, especially when the roping isn’t going good. I’d love to qualify in all three of my events for the NSRA, M-SRA, and KPRA finals next year, and do it all on our horses!”
