story by Lily Weinacht
SDHSRA member Megan Adams
– Courtesy of Family
Megan Adams from Buffalo, S.D., has two great loves in life – rodeo, and her family. The two are woven into Megan’s days like a three stranded rope as she cheers on her younger brother while he competes, ropes with her dad, and works side by side with her mom on the family’s ranch. “Rodeo goes back to my dad competing in high school,” says 18-year-old Megan. “My older sister (Abbie) did rodeo when she was younger, and then I started when I was pretty young.”
Megan competes in the SDHSRA in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, goat tying, and team roping as a heeler, though she can also head. “High school rodeo went by quick,” says Megan. “I’m pretty sad it will be over!” She graduates on May 16, and is savoring the rest of her summer with the SDHSRA and roping with her dad, Dwayne. “I really look up to my dad. He and my mom, Ruth, are my number one supporters. My dad has been there for me every single rodeo, and he knows how to keep my nerves calm. When I go into the arena, my dad is either standing by my horse in the box, pushing my calf, or walking along giving me words of encouragement. My mom is in charge of photos and videos and writing down times – she’s my personal secretary,” Megan says lovingly.
The Adams’ ranch is 15 miles north of Buffalo, and it is there that they raise their beef cattle. Megan and her 13-year-old brother, Sam, help their parents, and have a number of horses to move cattle with. Megan’s rodeo horses are Doc and Spanky. “I use Doc for barrels and poles. I got him just two years ago, and we’re still doing a lot of connection with each other. Spanky is my breakaway, team roping, and goat horse, and I’ve had him all four years of high school. Sam will be using him for tie-down roping eventually.” Both Megan and Sam have competed in 4H rodeo, with Megan enjoying all of their speed events. The Adams family often enters rodeos that both Megan and Sam can compete in together, ever tight knit.
With only a matter of weeks before she graduates from Hardy County High School, Megan admits she will miss her favorite FFA and Ag. classes, but she is eager for the next phase of her life which begins in the fall. “I’m going to attend Black Hills State University and go into the pre medical field and nursing,” Megan explains. She has done basketball, volleyball, and track through high school, and anticipates that rodeo may have to take a backseat for a time, but she has no intention of letting her roping fall to the wayside. She plans to continue entering team ropings with her dad, and says, “I’ll always choose team roping over a day at the lake!”
Megan further enjoys being an active FFA member, participating in youth group, and lending a helping hand wherever needed. She and her friends meet for their rodeo club’s practices several times a month and attend clinics together. “I’d like to make it back to state finals again this year in more than one event. Last year I qualified for the first time, in breakaway, and I’ve also competed at the 4H state finals.”
Off to college, Megan may not always have her rope and horses at her side, but she plans to take the lessons they have taught her and do as well outside of the arena as she has inside.
