M-SRA member, Hannah Riddle
– TF Event Photography
story by Terry Rhodes
Hannah Riddle is the Mid-States Rodeo event director for the barrel racing. “I was co-director last year and am now the head director working on that this year. I work to get sponsors for the Finals barrel racing. The girls always like to have qualifying jackets. It’s good to have go round prizes, and of course, having added money helps. So it’s really to make sure the girls have a good Finals.”
Hannah has been in the Mid-States organization for three years and is also a member of the NSRA and the NBHA. She says that the level of competition in Mid-States if often equal to many pro rodeos. “It is a really tough amateur rodeo association because a lot of the people that are going up and down the road to regional pro rodeos will compete in Mid-States rodeos too. So if you want to make yourself a better competitor, you should come compete in Mid-States rodeos. The rodeos are close so you don’t have to do a lot of driving either.”
For Hannah starting into rodeo came quite naturally. “I’ve been barrel racing since I was 4 years old. My mom was a barrel racer and my grandpa was cowboy and rancher. My mom taught me everything about barrel racing and she always made sure I was on good horses. She and my dad hauled me up and down the road to make me the barrel racer I am today.” She credits her parents, Marilyn and John with instilling a strong work ethic that has helped in life and in the rodeo arena. Hannah began getting the feel of competition early on. “I was in youth rodeo associations and the MRCA and after high school was the 2009 URA Barrel Racing Rookie of The Year.” She put her rodeo career on hold during her college years. “I had offers to rodeo in college but I knew rodeo would always be there and I wanted to focus on my studies.”
She gives credit to her horses and says, “It helps that I ride two solid horses. I call myself a jockey. I know they’ll do their job if I just sit up there and ride them right. I haven’t trained anything myself. But I do keep them legged up and ready.” Hannah keeps the barrel racing in perspective and doesn’t define herself as only a barrel racer. “It helps me to understand that Hannah Riddle, the barrel racer is not everything that I am. Win or lose, I’m still the same person and I’ll still wake up in the morning. In rodeo you can be on top one day and on the bottom the next. If you’re only doing it for the money, you probably won’t be doing it too long.”
She now calls Kearney, Neb, home. “It’s kind of ironic because this area is where my horse, Barney is from and I’m a transplant from Missouri. We came up here 10 years ago and got him and I have been riding and competing on him since then. The other horse I rodeo on is Jake and he’s a brother to Barney. They’re Firewater Flit bred horses.” Hannah is a seed representative for Mycogen Seeds and covers a five county area that keeps her on the road and on the phone talking with growers. “I’m fortunate to have a very flexible job and management that understand my passion for rodeo.”
She says that her mom was her biggest influence in the early part of her rodeo career and that now her boyfriend, Lukas Rupprecht is her biggest influence. “He’s a bareback rider, roper, and rancher. He has taught me that my horses and I can do more than barrel race and that has helped me strengthen my abilities and ride better at rodeos.”
