NJHSRA member, Madison Stracke – JJJ Photo
story by Ruth Nicolaus
Madison Stracke is a member of the Nebraska Junior High School Rodeo Association.
The 13-year-old cowgirl who lives two miles outside Stuart, Neb., competes in the barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending. Barrel racing is her favorite event, but since she started breakaway roping recently, roping is “growing” on her, she says.
For the barrels, she rides a ten-year-old gray horse named Marvin, who is very gentle and kind “but has a lot of speed on him,” she says. “He doesn’t look like he’s running fast, but he really is.” Her breakaway horse is a 20-year-old sorrel named Tuffy, and her pole bending horse alternates between Ace, a twelve-year-old bay, and Marvin, the barrel horse. For the goat tying, she borrows her brother’s roping horse, Rios.
Of all her horses, Ace is Madison’s favorite, partly because he’s the one she can call her own. He’s not an easy horse, but he’s a good one. “He has a lot of talent, but he can be a real tough horse to ride. It’s his attitude that grows on you.” Ace loves to be petted and is very affectionate.
Madison is an eighth grade student at Stuart Public School, and she loves her small school and its excellent teachers. One of her favorite teachers is Mrs. Dvorak, the reading director, because “she’s a really fun spirited lady, who is always there to help or listen,” Madison says.
In addition to rodeo, Madison is a member of the student council and is on the Principal’s Honor Roll, plays volleyball and basketball, and does the triple jump, long jump and high jump in track. Her favorite sport after rodeo is volleyball.
She loves to watch movies, and likes to buy five at a time and watch them over and over. Lately, she’s been hooked on the Divergent Series and wants to read the books someday. Her all-time favorite movie is “A Walk to Remember.” Romantic movies are her favorite genre of movies. Even though Stuart, Neb. has a population of 593, it has a movie theater, which Madison frequents about twice a month.
When she grows up, she’d like to be an architect or a children’s doctor. She loves designing dresses and thinks that will translate nicely into designing buildings. She often draws wedding and prom dress patterns, and when her older sister Allison goes prom dress shopping, Madison is on hand to help. “I give her my advice,” she says, and Allison is glad to take it.
The Stracke family has a pet dog, Molly, who is a lab (but thinks she’s a horse), and a pet cat, Pumpkin. Molly is an outside dog but sometimes she is allowed in the house to keep her family company.
Madison has competed at state finals both her sixth and seventh grade years in the ribbon roping, poles and barrels.
In addition to her older sister Allison, who competes in high school rodeo, she has a brother, Tyson, who is eleven, and a sister Reagan, who is eight.
Madison is the daughter of Mike and Jenny Stracke.
