Season opener for Tarleton rodeo team at Odessa College

BY KILEY MORGAN / Multimedia Journalist

The road to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming is a long and tough road and it all starts this week at the Odessa College Rodeo. 

Tarleton State University’s rodeo team is less than a day away from kicking off their spring semester of college rodeos. The athletes will travel to Odessa, Texas where they will compete against 15 other teams in the Southwest Region. 

“We are very excited to get the spring season started and continue where we left off in the fall,” said Head Rodeo Coach Mark Eakin. 

At the conclusion of last semester’s rodeos, both the men and women’s teams were sitting first in the Southwest Region standings and they hoped to keep their spot in first place heading into Odessa College.

With the Southwest Region being one of the toughest there is and CNFR coming up in June, the pressure is on for the athletes wearing purple vests. 

“Our athletes have been practicing hard and going to other rodeos to stay sharp,” said Eakin. 

The Odessa College Rodeo will take place Feb. 22-24 at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, Texas. Make sure to head west to support the Tarleton rodeo athletes in the purple vests.

To stay up to date with results from the Odessa College Rodeo and more upcoming rodeos, visit https://southwestregionrodeo.com/home.