story by Lindsay King
Third generation rodeo competitor 13-year-old Libby Berger from Udall, Kansas, has a need for speed. “Barrels or breakaway roping is my favorite because I like to go fast, I just love roping too.” Libby is also a pole bender and heels in the team roping with her partner, Mason Stueve. “He has been a family friend forever; he is like my little brother.” Libby currently rodeos in the CePRA and the KHSRA, along with open rodeos and jackpots sprinkled in. She is most proud of making the CePRA finals when she was only 12 and finishing eighth in the nation in barrels last year. “I started riding when I was only 18 months old and youth rodeos when I was probably two or three. I ran barrels for awhile and then I started doing flags and poles when I got a little bit older.”
Libby’s parents taught her just about everything she knows. Her dad, Monte, was a rough stock rider and her mom, Kristy, was a barrel racer. “My great Uncle Bobby Berger was a bronc rider, he made it to the NFR several times.” Marley, her brother, is a calf roper and a team roper in the CePRA. “My brother is very helpful, especially with my breakaway horse. He is bad in the box sometimes so my brother will get on him and fix him or set barrels for me. He just does everything.”
Libby’s favorite part of rodeo is getting to spend time with her family, they rodeo almost every weekend. “I like everything about going to rodeos with my family: going to new places and helping each other practice.”
Libby will be a freshman this fall in Andover E-Academy, her homeschooling program that allows her to rodeo full-time. Her favorite subjects are math and history. The very little down time Libby has she spends with her family, sometimes they like to go fishing. “We practice something every single day. We rope calves every day and team rope probably twice a week. I exercise my barrel horse everyday and then run him twice a week before a rodeo.” Libby has three sorrel Quarter Horse geldings, she runs Twister in barrels, breakaway ropes on Rascal and heel off Lunch Pail.
“He came with that name because his dad, Snack Box, won quite a bit. So they called him Lunch Pail.” With four all-around titles and saddles to her name, Libby is no stranger to the winner’s circle. “I was the all-around cowgirl at the Border Bash last year and reserve all-around this year.” Named the Kansas state champion barrel racer and pole bender, Libby earned another ride to nationals. She also placed third in the state in team roping. Libby ended up third at nationals in the barrel racing this year.
“I look up to Sherry Cervi, she is my idol in the barrels. I look up to Fallon Taylor too, she has done a lot for the sport of rodeo.” This will be Libby’s third year running in the CePRA, very few people her age run in the association. “I like the competition, it is tough and gets you ready for the next level. There are a lot of people that I have made friends with that I will be friends with forever. People that will help whenever they can. I just like the environment of them.” Libby plans to continue competing in the CePRA and maybe add ACRA to the list as well. “Eventually I want to go pro and make it to the NFR, maybe even win the world. I just want to keep moving up.”
