story by Lily Weinacht
Katherine Quast of St. George, Utah, is running barrels in her first RMPRA Finals this November. The 21-year-old also competes in the WPRA and joined the RMPRA this year to help build her horse’s confidence. That decision turned into one of the highlights of her year, and Kate climbed the standings to 6th place going into the finals. “Kelly Roberts and her son Caide have been a really big driving force behind me sticking with it,” says Kate. “They’ve been a big help with the ground and knowing where to enter and keeping me chill—I have a lot to thank them for.”
Originally from New York, Kate wasn’t born into a rodeo family but she found her way to horses as soon as possible, taking her first riding lessons in second grade. She started with pleasure riding and found her competitive side in gymkhanas and NBHA races, then discovered rodeo at Double M Rodeos and Painted Pony Championship Rodeos. “I had a 3D paint horse so I didn’t get very far with it, but we moved to Utah when I was 17 and I was excited because there’s a bunch of rodeos out here,” says Kate. “I didn’t high school rodeo because I didn’t have the horse for it, but my black horse started coming along and I started jackpotting on him and doing really well. I went to Texas for an internship and started rodeoing there in the WPRA. I qualified for San Angelo and a couple other places but I needed to work on my horse’s confidence. That’s how we found the RM’s and I’m really happy because everyone is really nice.”
Kate’s parents, Ken and Lisa Quast, will be in the stands at the Finals. “My mom is the reason I’m into horses. She’s helped me do all this, and she ‘lost’ her horse to me when I was 9. I took off with it and then that’s the horse we traded for my horse Banker.” Kate’s black gelding, EB Bank On The Money “Banker,” stands 16.3 hands high and loves smaller pens. “He’s half thoroughbred and everyone told me he was too tall to run barrels, but it’s been a really cool journey figuring out how to make him turn and work. He’s led me to a lot of opportunities. I don’t want to do it if he’s not in the trailer—he’s really the life force. I’ve done everything on him. All his good habits and bad habits I take credit for.”
Kate and Banker spent several months in Decatur, Texas, this winter, where Kate interned with futurity horse trainer Ryann Pedone. “I like where it put me and what I learned, and the opportunities it granted me,” says Kate, who now trains horses for her client Tara Coughlin and also works for a landscaping business. “The company is real understanding about rodeoing because they’re rodeo people too.” When she’s not running barrels or riding colts, Kate also wants to learn to rope and start breakaway roping off Banker in the RMPRA someday.
“I’d like to get into futurities, and see where things go with my horse. He’s getting real comfortable with everything, so we’ll hit the winter series and if we’re doing well, we’ll go harder,” says Kate, who hopes to run at Reno and Pendleton in the future. “I’d like to get a bigger name for myself and get a program going buying young horses and working with them. Rodeo is definitely something everyone should get in to. With its heritage in America, we wouldn’t be here without all those things. I consider myself very blessed to say I rodeo and that I’m always learning from it.”