Name: Abby Steelman, 18
Parents: Guy and Gina Steelman
Education: 2012 Graduate from Rogersville High School
Future Plans: “Going to OTC for two years and hopefully getting my teaching degree from MSU. I think I want to teach elementary.”
How are you involved with the Saddle Club?
“Last year my dad was the president of the Finley River Saddle Club in Ozark, and I helped do all the office work. We handed it over probably three months ago.”
How are you involved in ag?
“I have three Quarter horses and one Arabian. I do barrel racing and pole bending. I would say pole bending is my favorite even though it’s not very common. It’s more of a challenge and my horses are better at it. I started riding when I was 7 and started barrels when I was probably 13. I was terrible at all sports and I begged for a horse. My parents finally got me into riding lessons and I did Western Pleasure for probably three years. I got bored with that and decided I wanted to do the fast events.”
What’s the farthest you’ve gone for a rodeo?
“I’d say Nebraska. I’ve been to a lot of places; Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. But my favorite is the one in Oklahoma. It’s called the IFYR (International Finals Youth Rodeo). I just got back from there a few weeks ago.”
How much of the performance depends on the rider and how much depends on the horse?
“I would say 75 percent horse and 25 percent rider. But if you get a bad rider and put him on a very good horse, they’re going to be bad too. So it could be 50/50, but if you don’t have a fast horse under you, you’re obviously not going to go fast either.”
Story and Photo by Brenda Brinkley
