story by Billie Franks
What we do for a living, is also what we do for fun! The Limon, Colorado Smoky Trail Rodeo is a good example of who the WRRA family is and it brought good friends together. The ladies that live the every-day ranch life look for any excuse for a fun get-together to compete in events that reflect their lifestyle. This rodeo brought new members to a few of teams with the WRRA, think they’ll be hooked now?! A wise man once told me “Billie it’s just like showing up to day-work for a new outfit, you’re going to be working with people you have never worked with before but if you all know how to read a cow, then you’ll be fine.”
Heather Grokett, captain of the Cactus Flowers team and husband Gary hosted three performances at their ranch arena, with the help of the teams’ husbands and neighbors. The team won the average in the 2nd and 3rd performances, 4th in the first perf and won the average for the weekend. Heather and LeAnn Perry have competed together since 2017, this weekend was the first time competing with Jessica Mosher, Katelyn Rusher and Lindsay Sumpter. While talking with LeAnn you can feel the passion she has for the Association, the friends she has made, and for her teammates. She commented, “We just have so much fun doing what we love. We all do cowgirl stuff like this everyday and have competed in other ranch rodeos. Our team always has a game plan before we ride in the arena, but what I feel makes our team have an advantage is that we are all totally team players. It also helps to have handy husbands that coach us in the pasture and on the rodeo road!” The 2017 team made for lifelong friends Heather, LeAnn, Joette Schalla, and joined by good friend Denise McClurg.
Joette and Denise have put a team together this year as the High Plains Cowgirls. Their placings during the Smoky Trail Rodeo 3rd in the first perf, 2nd in the second perf and 4th in the third perf.
T&M Cattle Company from Texas and New Mexico placed 2nd in the first perf, 4th in the second and 5th in the third. With Stacy Derrick, coming back from Lone Oak, Texas women’s ranch rodeo where she sustained a knee injury, to win top hand for the weekend at Limon.
No Bull Breeding team from Nebraska placed 5th in the first and second perf and 3rd in the third perf.
Push Hard Cattle Company went into the Smokey Trail WRR coming off of a three out of four average winning weekend at Lone Oak, Texas WRR. They came home from Limon with a 1st in the first perf, 3rd the second perf and 2nd in the third perf. Team members Jenna, Neesa and Billie have been rodeoing together since 2010 with Lori filling in as a sub off and on during these years. Jenna and Nessa have taken off some time to start families and the team doesn’t travel as much as they did in the “old days”. Billie being the “senior” of the group went to her first women’s ranch rodeo in 2004 and hasn’t missed a rodeo season since. As far as Lori can remember her first WRR was the Cedar Vale, Kansas Spring Fling in 2005. Jenna and Neesa weren’t able to make the Limon rodeo. Billie and Lori were joined by friend Ashley Temple that started women’s ranch rodeos back in 2007 and has competed off and on since. She competes in the open ranch rodeos with her husband Scott. Also joining the team in Limon was 15-year-old Skyler Vice a Limon, Colorado cowgirl and family friend of Heathers that had been wanting to try her hand at women’s ranch rodeos, after the weekend she was hooked and already thinking of girls she could call to put a team together.
