story by Lindsay Humphrey
When Katie Richmond was six years old, she was quite literally just a blur of blond hair and bay pony. “I was running Little Bit when I was only 6 years old,” said the 17-year-old. “She was full mustang and wild as can be. Her and I won just about everything we ever entered together.” Before Little Bit, Katie learned to ride on a few older, “kid safe” horses. But it was the spunky mustang that fueled Katie’s fire for rodeo and taught her how to be a competitor. “She helped me learn how to enjoy the sport and to love everything about it. I sold her a few years ago and now she’s helping another little girl learn about rodeo and they’re still winning just about everything on her.”
After selling Little Bit, Katie was basically starting at ground zero. “It was quite the reality check for me to go from winning everything to starting over. I struggled to love the sport for awhile and it was hard to work hard at it when I had lost so much self-confidence.” Despite the struggle, Katie charged ahead and finally came out the other side. Lessons in perseverance have probably been the most valuable assets Katie’s gleaned from her time in rodeo. “You’re always going to struggle at some point, but if you don’t give up on your horses or yourself, you’ll get through it.”
It was during her sixth-grade season with the OKJHSRA that Katie found herself on a new barrel horse. “When I first got Pistol, we trained her for barrels. But then my pole horse got hurt my eighth grade year and Pistol had to do poles too. She picked it up super-fast and now it’s her favorite event.” Like most speed-event horses, Pistol gets amped up in the alley before a pole run. However, she knows when she’s loaded up for barrels and her alley dance takes on a different tone. “She’s such a funny horse; she actually hates barrels. She even hates going down the alley for it.” Luckily, Katie has a second mount – 14-year-old Honky – who now takes on the the barrels.
As a junior at Hartshorne High School, Katie spends most of her time thinking about and working on her events for rodeo. However, she sets some time aside to cheer for her school. “I like cheering on the team with my friends and the school spirit we create as a squad.” Unlike cheer leading, rodeo is a family tradition that Katie’s parents – Chris and Christy – passed down to their kids. “My older brother (Steven) is 5 years older than me, and he started rodeo before me. I was going to his rodeos when I was just a baby. I got on a horse as soon as I could and started competing when I was probably 2 or 3.”
Even though the Gowen, Oklahoma, native only competes in barrels and poles in the OHSRA, she tacks on breakaway and ribbon roping when she’s at an OYRA event. Her packed rodeo schedule wouldn’t be possible without the help of her entire family. “I’m pretty spoiled, my family helps me in any way they can. When I’ve struggled, they’ve always pushed me to do better and be my best.” Katie’s brother used to bull dog, but after a back injury and subsequent surgery he’s now back to team roping. But he’s always been a helping hand for Katie when it comes to keeping all her horses legged up.
As Katie looks forward to the spring season, she’s keeping her mind focused on consistency. She’s come close to making nationals in both events, but this year she’s putting the work in to make it happen. “I’m just making sure I’m riding each of my horses the way they need to be and doing the little things that make my runs good: the basics really.”