The spring season for Tarleton college rodeo is officially underway

BY MACKENZIE JOHNSON

Managing Editor

After nearly four months of swinging ropes in the practice pen with frozen fingers and keeping barrel horses in shape beneath many layers, the spring season of college rodeo for Tarleton athletes has made its anticipated return.

The Tarleton rodeo embroidered vests living in the closets of contestants have been collecting dust since Nov. 7-9 – the weekend Tarleton concluded their fall season of rodeoing in Vernon, Texas.

Now, as of Feb. 27-March 1 at Odessa College in Odessa, Texas, these famous purple vests have been busted out of dark closets and back into the bright lights of a college rodeo arena.

In the time between the ending of the fall season and the beginning of the spring, Tarleton rodeo members haven’t slacked off in the slightest.

Jordan Driver is a Tarleton rodeo member who spends her off season still rodeoing, just not collegiately. Instead, she’s consistently hitting the professional trail.

“I have been super blessed with, I believe, the best coaches, coaching staff and university in general for working with me while I am professional rodeoing,” Driver said. “My school work is all online, and it helps make the education side of it all much easier. Everyone is just a phone call away when I have a question or need help with a class or anything. Tarleton truly has been the best at working with students to help them achieve their goals.”

According to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s (PRCA) standings, as of Feb. 19, Driver sits in the 17 position in the world for barrel racing. In order to make the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December (the esteemed championship rodeo for the PRCA held in Las Vegas, Nevada), you must be top 15.

Alongside that professional rodeo standing, Driver also sits second in the barrel racing and first in the women’s all-around standings for the Southwest Region of college rodeo. In order to make the College National Finals Rodeo held in Casper, Wyoming, in June, you must be sitting top three in your event for your region—which is based upon where the college you rodeo for is located on the map—when all points are tallied and accounted for at the last rodeo of the year in the spring.

Landris White is yet another Tarleton rodeo member holding both a PRCA and a National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) card.

“I am currently in the top 20 in the PRCA world standings and second in the Southwest Region (for steer wrestling),” White said. “In order to maintain that and rise in both standings, I plan to take it one steer at a time and do my job to the best of my ability. God already has a plan for me, I just need to do my part, and he’ll take care of the rest.”

Where you’re ranked in the region at this midway point of the college rodeo season gives athletes a decent idea at the shot they have of making the CNFR. As a result, the remaining five rodeos of the spring can feel especially weighed down with higher stakes.

Before the recent first college rodeo of the spring semester in Odessa, Texas, Tori Brower was sitting second in the region standings for goat tying.

After winning the goat tying at Odessa, Brower then moved up to the first place position. However, she’s not letting that pressure cloud her progress.

“You know, I used to be one that would get worried about the standings and points and all that, (and sometimes still do) but this year especially, I’ve been trying to just go and have fun and soak it all in,” Brower said. “It’s going by fast, which is sad, but it’s not over yet, and I’m still just focusing on enjoying it. God has a plan so I’m just going to trust in that, keep working hard and see what all I can accomplish.”

Brower has been to the CNFR twice already in her collegiate career, and ranked right there beside her in qualifications is Bailey Small. Currently, Small is tied for first in the saddle bronc for the Southwest Region, and he has his eyes set on a third CNFR qualification.

“Looking back on those two experiences, my favorite thing about making the CNFR was being with all my great teammates and family,” Small said. “The amount of great support and drive they all give is incredible. With all the support, our (men’s) team was able to become champions, and our women’s team reserve champions (at the last CNFR). I think we all hold one another to a standard.”

One of the great teammates Small receives this support from is none other than the Tarleton rodeo member ranked right there beside him in the standings, Coleman Shalbetter.

After securing the saddle bronc win at Odessa, Shalbetter moved from second in the region to being tied with Small for first – and although both roughstock riders want to be the one in the front seat heading to the finals this summer, the two celebrate each other’s individual successes.

“I always have my sights set on winning, but it’s awesome to compete against my good buddies like Bailey Small that’s leading the region (with me) at the moment,” Shalbetter said. “I plan on doing my job and having fun but most importantly keeping a good attitude. That’s how I intend to secure my spot to the college finals.”

Freshman Waitley Sharon, sitting third in the saddle bronc, is another Tarleton rodeo member grounded in team success, and this focus on camaraderie may be the very edge that gets him to his first CNFR.

“Making the college finals would mean a lot, and I would be very honored to represent Tarleton,” Sharon said. “The team we have right now is awesome and pushes me to get better every week. (Head rodeo coach) Mark (Eakin) has helped me with my bronc riding so much and has given me so many opportunities.”

Early college rodeo success as a freshman must be a common trend this season as Kaylie Garza is also a Tarleton rookie sitting nicely going into the spring semester. Garza is positioned second in the women’s all-around behind Driver and third in the goat tying.

“I believe all of my success is due to a number of things,” Garza said. “Competing on big stages in high school definitely prepared me mentally and physically to be able to compete in college with these other incredible girls in this tough region. My coaches have been absolutely amazing as well, and I definitely also owe being able to practice with teammates to my success since they are more experienced and very tough to compete against. They push me to be better everyday.”

Beyond Driver, White, Brower, Small, Shallbetter, Sharon and Garza, the remaining Tarleton athletes sitting top three in an event to make the CNFR at this midway point of the season are Roedy Farrell, sitting second in the bareback riding (propelled by his bareback riding win at Odessa); Tuker Carricato, sitting third in the bareback riding; Tayler Audrey, sitting second in the breakaway and Hadley Tidwell, sitting third in the barrel racing.

Tarleton rodeo’s men and women’s team are both ranked first in the Southwest Region looking ahead to the rest of the season, and the winners of the first spring rodeo at Odessa—Farrell in the bareback riding, Brower in the goat tying and Shalbetter in the saddle bronc riding—all played a large role in keeping Tarleton ahead in the ranks.

However, there’s still plenty of rodeo left. The season will forge ahead to Ranger College in Sweetwater, Texas, March 27-29; Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas, April 3-5; Howard College in Big Spring, Texas, April 10-12 and followed by the season finale at the Tarleton Stampede in Stephenville, Texas, April 24-26.

Although the season is not finished yet, and the contestants on the final’s bubble have several more weekends left to battle it out before spots are officially crowned, there’s a reason the Tarleton vest is so prevalent on the national stage of college rodeo – and based off the start of the spring season, the color purple may just shape up to shine several contestants brighter under the CNFR lights this June.