story by Ruth Nicolaus
Kate Kelley competes in the barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping and ribbon roping in the Oklahoma Junior High School Rodeo Association.
The 14 year old cowgirl, a resident of Tahlequah, Okla., considers breakaway her favorite event, with barrel racing a close second.
For the breakaway, she rides Willy and Mouse; for the barrels, she rides Babe and Bogie. And for the pole bending and goat tying, she rides John. Of all her horses, John is her favorite. “He’s a heart-ful little dude,” she says. “He gives me everything he’s got, every single time. If I’m having a bad day, I know I can count on him to do his job.”
She is an eighth grade student at Tahlequah Middle School, where she loves math class, because “there’s one (correct) answer every time, there’s a formula” to make things work. She competes in volleyball, basketball, and track, is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, and is on the superintendent’s honor roll.
For fun, Kate loves to shop for boots and jewelry. If she had her choice, she’d prefer to shop at trade shows at rodeos. But the mall in Tulsa will do, too.
One of her favorite foods is salmon, and she loves to make pumpkin rolls.
Kate competed at the state finals both her sixth and seventh grade years, qualifying for the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo in the barrels and breakaway two years ago and in the barrels, poles, breakaway, and goat tying last year. She is thankful for her sponsors: Flaharty Bits and Spurs, OE Nutraceuticals, XN Ranch and Fiber Energy Products.
She has an older brother, Clint, who competes in high school rodeo.
She is the daughter of Dennis and Sherri Kelley.
