For senior cowgirl Jacee Williams, Team Cavender’s feels a lot like home. The Coweta High School student joined the team as a sophomore after watching her older brother, Kade, serve on the original roster. She said the family atmosphere drew her in from the start.
“My brother was actually on the first Team Cavender’s,” Williams said. “I went with him to one of the summits and met Jennifer [Green], who was super sweet. I liked how everything felt close-knit and like family. When I got to high school, I applied and got accepted.”
Now in her senior year, Williams said the experience has helped her grow beyond the arena. Her favorite part has been the Cavender’s Summit held each August.
“I use those three days as personal growth days,” she said. “They bring in leaders from rodeo who share lessons about life and leadership. It’s helped me with interviews and confidence.”
Williams said the summits taught her how to communicate under pressure. “When I first joined, I didn’t know what to say in interviews,” she said. “Now I’ve learned how to talk with people and represent myself well. It’s made a big difference.”
Rodeo has always been part of her life. Her father was a calf roper, her mother a goat tier and breakaway roper, and her grandparents spent decades raising cattle and training horses.
“I’ve always been around rodeo, but in the last 10 years I’ve gotten more competitive,” she said.
Williams competes in breakaway roping, an event she said highlights both the athlete and the horse. “I tried barrels, poles and goats, but breakaway stood out,” she said. “It takes timing and trust with your horse.”
Her most significant influence is her mother, Janna. “My mom has always been my coach and my cheerleader,” Williams said. “She’s the one who got me into breakaway, and she pushes me to get better every day.”
Alongside rodeo, Williams plays volleyball and runs track for Coweta High School. She said managing it all takes strong time management and focus.
“It’s hard if you don’t stay organized,” she said. “I’m taking college classes, so I rope in the mornings before school. During volleyball season, it gets busy, but I make it work.”
Williams plans to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma, where she hopes to major in elementary education with a minor in psychology. She said college rodeo is her next goal, followed by competing professionally.
“I had some college volleyball offers, but roping is what I want to focus on,” she said. “After a couple of years in school, I want to hit the pro rodeo trail.”
Her main horse, a veteran gelding, will retire soon. She’s training a young mare named Jenny to take over next spring, with another two-year-old in the works. “My grandpa starts all our colts,” she said. “It’s special to ride horses our family raised.”
Williams still ropes with her brother when he’s home from college. “He comes home in the summer, and we jackpot and go to some local rodeos,” she said. “It’s something we’ve always done together.”
Her dream is to compete in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a rodeo that’s long been on her bucket list. “It’d be amazing to rope there one day,” she said.
For girls who hope to follow in her footsteps, Williams offers simple advice.
“Be yourself,” she said. “People can tell when you’re genuine, and that’s what will get you far.”
