Vest earns both rookie, all-around nods
San Benito County native Katie Vest, 14, recently won the
2005
”
Rookie of the Year
”
and
”
All-Around Cowgirl
”
saddle for the Senior Girls (age group 14-18 years) for the
Northern California Junior Rodeo Association.
The season ran from February through this past September, but
Vest is always riding. In fact, while she wasn’t competing this
year, she was gearing up for the start of her high school rodeo
career.
Vest earns both rookie, all-around nods
San Benito County native Katie Vest, 14, recently won the 2005 “Rookie of the Year” and “All-Around Cowgirl” saddle for the Senior Girls (age group 14-18 years) for the Northern California Junior Rodeo Association.
The season ran from February through this past September, but Vest is always riding. In fact, while she wasn’t competing this year, she was gearing up for the start of her high school rodeo career.
Vest competed in 12 rodeos during her time with the Junior Rodeo Association this past year and qualified for the finals in four events: Barrels, pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping.
For Vest, who has been riding since the age of five and competing in rodeos since she was in the third grade, rodeo is her life.
“The first time Katie got on a horse my husband and I knew we were in for it. We’ve got seven horses now and she’s always been in love with them since the very beginning,” said Wendy Vest, Katie’s mother.
Through rodeo, Vest has discovered her passion. “I love this; it’s my life. It’s what I live for. From here (high school rodeo) I want to go to college and then possibly even go on to professional riding if that is possible.”
This was only Vest’s second year in the 14-18 year-old category of the Junior Rodeo Association, and her rookie year for seniors.
Vest said that the competition in her division was tough this year. One of her competitors was actually involved with the professional association, but Vest was dedicated and came through in the end.
Three different times last year she took home saddles from events and in each rodeo where she competed she made it all the way to the finals in every event. The hard part for Vest is getting in sync with her horses. It’s important to keep them in shape and take proper care of them.
There have been many people who have helped Vest along the way, from Susie Lomanto who taught her how to ride when Vest was only 5, to Carl Donley who sold Vest the barrel and pole horse she uses now, purchased back when she was only 11.
Vest upholds a strict training regimen that helps her to do her best. Every morning before school she has to get up and feed the horses. Then she goes to school all day and after school, depending on how much homework she has she’ll ride two horses an average of 45 minutes to an hour each.
During the summer, Vest rides all day long, five horses per day. She says that she has so many horses because certain horses are best for certain things. Some are better for pole bending and barrel riding; still other horses are better for roping and other events.
Vest and her parents agree that rodeo has developed her into a mature and organized young woman. In fact, she says that this is one of the most rewarding aspects of rodeo, the fact that you know you’re doing it on your own, without help.
“It’s so exciting to know I worked hard and got here on my own,” Vest said.
Now that she’s through with Junior Rodeo Association, she’s started competing in high school rodeo. This is also a new challenge since high school rodeo also requires that Vest keep track of and submit all her own paperwork and in addition she must keep a high grade average or she isn’t able to participate.
Despite the fact that Vest hasn’t been doing high school rodeo long, she’s already making a name for herself. The district has had four or five rodeos already this year, the largest of which is in Paso Robles. This is the largest rodeo in the district and it was here that Vest won another Rookie of the Year award amongst more than 100 competitors from three districts.
She’s currently attempting to qualify for the state finals in three events and if she is successful and achieves her goal, she’ll go to the nationals.
Katie’s parents couldn’t be happier for her.
“Through rodeo, Katie has become a responsible kid. It’s motivated her to get good grades in all her classes and helped her to become a well-rounded person,” said Wendy Vest.
