A pair of Carbondale teenagers took their show to Las Vegas this week, rodeo-style.
Roaring Fork High School junior Grace Freeman and her 17-year-old horse, John Henry, recently qualified for the Junior National Finals Rodeo (Jr NFR) in Barrel Racing.
The Jr NFR event takes place annually in Las Vegas in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, gathering top young athletes from across the United States to compete in Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Breakaway Roping, Team Roping and Rough Stock competitions.
Freeman does both Barrel Racing and Pole Bending through the Colorado State High School Rodeo Association, as a member of the Northwest Rodeo Club. She concluded the fall season ranked in the top 10 statewide for Barrel Racing, out of more than 80 riders.
She also competes each summer in Barrel Racing and Dally Ribbon Roping at the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo, and is proudly wearing her Carbondale Rodeo logo patch at this week’s national competition as a show of gratitude for their sponsorship and support.
After two unsuccessful tries at qualifying for the Jr NFR at events in Montrose and Farmington, New Mexico, the third time was a charm for Freeman and John Henry when they finally finished in the top two at a qualifier event in Castle Rock.
The horse/rider relationship is key in rodeo equine skill events.
Freeman has been riding for over 10 years, but only started doing rodeo in 2020 and began competing in 2021.
“I was doing English [style], and then in 2019 I bought my first horse and ran her until I sold her before this season,” Freeman said.
She acquired John Henry in April of this year, and throughout the summer and fall season got used to the faster, veteran competition horse.
“He’s 17, so he’s been running his whole life and he knows what he’s doing,” Freeman said. “It took me a little bit to get used to him and adjust to that kind of horse.”
She continued, “He knows his job, so I just kind of hang on and let him do his thing.”
Their training typically involves riding five or six days a week, with rest days for John Henry.
“He is older, so it’s important that I keep him in better shape so he’s more resilient and can hold up,” Freeman said.
Freeman added that she likes the competitive nature of rodeo, and the community of people that it attracts.
“I have a lot of really good friends that do rodeo. It’s just a different lifestyle, and I like it.”
Her enthusiasm for the sport has also served to bring some of her friends into the rodeo, she said.
“Now they’re doing Barrel Racing, too, so that’s fun,” Freeman said.
Freeman went into the Vegas event hoping to make it into Thursday’s final round. She sat in 43rd place out of 62 riders after the first of two preliminary rounds on Tuesday, 1.13 seconds off the lead pace.
“I just want to have clean, safe runs, because a lot can go wrong,” she said.
Results from the event can be found at the www.saddlebook.com rodeo events website.