By: Samantha Smith
Now that the college rodeos are over for the semester, what does a college rodeo athlete do? After three years of attending ENMU as a rodeo contestant I am still trying to figure this out.
Before the college rodeo season, time at school is spent getting ahead in schoolwork, saving money to travel between rodeos, getting horses in top physical condition and mentally preparing for the season to come.
When the college rodeos begin, life becomes chaotic for many. Professors become irritated, students do what they can to keep up in schoolwork, and many athletes struggle to stay afloat while others thrive. Waking up on Thursday morning and loading up the trailer to leave to a rodeo and not returning until Sunday morning if you’ve done good, is the life every college rodeo athlete lives. Every year, it seems that once you get used to the the rush and the never-ending list of things to do, suddenly the season is over.
I often find myself asking, “Now what?” a few weeks after the rodeos conclude for the semester. I’ve caught up on my schoolwork, my grades are good, the house is finally clean, and my horses are getting some well-deserved time-off. Though it’s only a few weeks until we go home for Christmas, the “break” from rodeo seems to be never ending… So here’s what I’m doing! I’m spending more time with my little sister who also goes to school here. I’m spending more time playing with my dog when I get home from class. I still ride my horse in the afternoon, but now we are on a less-intense workout plan. I flew home to Canada to see friends and family during the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Now, I’m working on articles for HoundBytes, and finishing up some final projects. I may not be traveling as much, and I may be spending less time playing catch-up on assignments, but I am still just as busy trying to live my life to the fullest. If there’s one thing I do know, it’s that I cannot wait for the spring rodeos to start up because I am ready!