Anna Wilder started her career in rodeo in fourth grade. The 18 year old from Millington, Tenn., grew up around horses. Her mom, Bebe, barrel raced in college and her dad, Keith, started roping after he met Bebe. When she went to high school, she competed in all the timed events, barrels, poles, breakaway, goat tying, and team roping. “I started doing them all and wanted to be my best at all of them; goat tying, and breakaway roping are my favorite.” She uses the same horse for both events, Sadie, a little bay mare. Anna uses another horse, Movin, for barrels and poles.
She just graduated from Tipton-Rosemark Academy, a small Christian private school; there were 23 in her graduating class. “That’s where both my parents went and it’s only about 20 minutes from home.” She has friends through high school rodeo as well as school. There are a few others in school that share her interest in running the barrels, but for the most part it’s just her and her brother, Daniel, who also goes to that school and competes in all the timed events. Anna has an older sister, Emma Kate, who competes in breakaway roping and ties goats. Emma Kate goes to UT Martin, which is where Anna will go in the fall. They will live together. Both girls are getting their college education thanks to scholarships.
Rodeo has taught her a lot. “Definitely to trust God’s timing and patience. I’ll have my plans and goals and it doesn’t turn out how I envisioned,” she shares. “I have to think that it’s not my time it’s His. It happens a lot. It’s a continual thing – and it’s always just trusting in His plan.” Her plan is always to give it her all and leave it all in the arena; and give the glory to God.
After the finals, she will go to little jackpots and she is hoping to go to the CINCH world championships at the Lazy E. She and her sister have been doing goat tying clinics around her place and they will have a few over the summer. She plans to college rodeo and see where that takes her. Her major is going to be in accounting and finance. “I’ve always been somewhat good at math, and it’s been suggested to me. I I shadowed someone that was an accountant and thought it would be interesting.”
Anna has been part of the Cavender Team for a year. “It’s helped me in many aspects of life. I’ve learned about sponsorships and how the rodeo world works.”
