story by Lily Weinacht
Kalli Jane Criswell from Mason, Texas, is the AJRA World Barrel Racing Champion in the 9–12 division for the second year in a row. The 11-year-old cowgirl was also the Reserve World Barrel Racing Champion in 2016, and this year she was the Reserve World Goat Tying Champion and tied for Reserve Breakaway Roping World Champion with Lucy Richards. Overall, Kalli Jane’s hard work put her second in the world all-around standings, and ready for another season of AJRA rodeos this fall.
“What keeps me doing rodeo is the nice people, and my horses. I love my horses, and I just like working with them,” Kalli Jane explains. “I trained my roping horse and pole horse, and my sister trained my barrel horse.” Kalli Jane’s older sister, Kody, was the first in their family to rodeo in the AJRA, and Kalli Jane followed suit when she joined the association seven years ago. Their dad started the rodeo tradition when he rode saddle broncs, while Kody is now college rodeoing for South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. In addition to the AJRA, where Kalli Jane also competed in ribbon roping last season, she is starting her first season of junior high rodeo in TJHRA Region 3, where she’s pole bending, goat tying, barrel racing, ribbon roping with Dalton Huston, and team roping with Sterling Hopkins.
Along with her parents, Shane and Misty Criswell, Kalli Jane’s rodeo career has been influenced by numerous people. “Larry Rogers has helped me in the team roping and Rusty Felts has helped me in the breakaway roping. Lynn Smith helped me with goats—I went to her clinic when I was little, so I learned everything there—and Lari Dee Guy has helped me in breakaway. I have a 4-year-old still in training, and she gave me a lot of tips about my horses and getting better in the box.”
Kalli Jane rides her mare Nellie in the goat tying and team roping, and Peppy in the ribbon roping and breakaway roping. “He was a cutting reject, and my dad bought him when he was 1 or 2 and rode him, and I got on him and trained him from then on. Peewee is my pole horse—I think I trained him to poles in about 20 days—and I have Pokie for barrels. I practice every day pretty much unless it’s too cold or wet, and then I rope the dummy in the barn or tie my foot for goats. My sister usually rides and practices with me.” Kalli Jane’s miniature pony, Presley, keeps her horses company, but stays home since Kalli Jane hauls four horses to rodeos. “I mainly get my horses loaded and get all my stuff ready, and I usually take my Bible.”
A sixth-grade student at Mason Junior High School, Kalli Jane has several classmates who also rodeo. She enjoys math, and takes basketball, gymnastics, and tennis lessons. “Rodeo helps you with interacting with people, like for basketball,” says Kalli Jane. She’d like to spend a day riding with professional barrel racer Hailey Kinsel, and enjoys going shopping in San Antonio with her grandma.
All of the buckles Kalli Jane has won are displayed in a case in her house, while she rides the barrel racing or goat tying champion saddles she won in the THSRA Region 3 youth division. She also won the barrel racing at Texas Cowboy Reunion Rodeo in Stamford, Texas, in 2016, and her latest goal is making it to the arena floor of AT&T Stadium. “When I won the (AJRA) barrels, I qualified for The American Semi-Finals, so I’m working on getting to The American.”
