Cheyenne with her horse, Rudy. Rudy is 21 years old. Cheyenne along with her brother, Sutton, have trained the horse for rodeo after being given to them by their father. (Photo submitted by Roxie Adams)

Local rodeo athlete Cheyenne Adams placed eighth at the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association Finals this past June in Belle Fourche, South Dakota.  Including Adams there were 80 athletes competing in the breakaway roping category. 

Adams was also able to collect three scholarships for college based on her performance and academics.  Adams will be attending Mitchell Tech in the fall where she will continue with rodeo along with her older brother, Sutton Adams.  C. Adams will be majoring in Animal Science at MTI.   

“My dreams are to work with animals. It’s a given that I love horses, but I also really like cattle. Someday I want to live in western South Dakota with cattle of my own,” C. Adams said.  “I’m not sure as of now what specific career I want to hold, but I do find animal nutrition interesting.”

Adams has been active in the rodeo since the sixth grade. 

“I enjoy rodeo most for a couple reasons.  The friendships I have made through rodeo are by far my favorite.  You meet so many other kids/adults from all over, and you share a hobby and so much in common which I think helps to keep those friendships. Unlike many friendships in high school that may fade away as you go to college and grow apart from each other, rodeo friends seem to be more your lifelong friends. I also really like the fact that in the sport of rodeo everyone is your competitor. You don’t have to rely on others to do their part. You’re also friends with every one of your competitors, and everyone cheers each other on. No one really hates another person for beating them. From parents to other competitors, anyone and everyone is willing to help you in any way that you may need, from letting you use their horse to something as simple as helping you get set just perfectly to make a run in the arena. In rodeo everyone is one big family, and I really like that. Also, there aren’t many sports out there that take the time to pray before a performance, but in rodeo, along with the national anthem, we all pray before every single rodeo no matter where you go,” C. Adams stated.  “I’ve probably been in 200 or so rodeos.  I have numerous top four winnings from coats, tack, horse supplies and monetary winnings.  However, I have only won six buckles.”

When C. Adams was asked what she would have to say to the younger kids looking to get involved with the rodeo, she was very passionate about her answer. 

“Definitely worth the try! I guarantee you’ll love it. It’s one of the most humbling sports, and it’s going to teach you many life lessons. Rodeo takes a lot of hard work and effort. You have to make time for it like all other sports, and you have to be willing to put in all the hard work to really succeed,” C. Adams stated.  “It’s not a cheap sport, so make sure it’s what you really want to do. I encourage everyone with an interest in horses and rodeo to try it! Each day the sport of rodeo is threatened by those who don’t understand the sport and are trying to take it away from us. The more people involved and educated on the sport and all of the care we give to the animals the better. It’s life changing, and like I said before, rodeo gives you your lifelong friends.”

Roxie Adams, C. Adams’ mother, has nothing but great things to say about her kids being active in rodeo. 

“As a parent what I love about rodeo is the many lessons it has taught our children, from the responsibility of taking care of their horses, to having them saddled and ready when it is their turn to compete in the arena, it has also taught our kids how to win and lose graciously and to be humble. Rodeo is a very humbling sport. One weekend everything goes right and you place in or win all your events, and the next weekend nothing goes right. The most important to me is the friendship and respect these kids have for each other. When they are in the arena competing, they are fierce competitors, but outside the arena they are good friends who are willing to help each other do better the next time. We experienced this first hand when our son’s horse had a bad accident while Sutton and Cheyenne were team roping, and his horse broke it’s leg. The love and support given to our kids by the other competitors and their families was overwhelming! Those same kids who were competing against our kids offered up their horses for our son to use so that Sutton and Cheyenne could compete again that night. I truly love these friendships that are made both for the kids and the parents. I know that if our kids ever needed anything, there would be someone who could help them if we weren’t around. This is definitely a sport where the whole family gets involved from helping the practice, to helping at the rodeo, to taking pictures, and cheering them on. We all have enjoyed this sport very much. Both of our kids were able to qualify for State High School Rodeo all through high school. Those rodeos are ones we will always remember and be proud of. This sport, because your main piece of equipment is your horse, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and practice not only for the kids but their horses as well,” R. Adams said.

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