The future of rodeo is officially here! Meet a few of this year’s competitors at the 2024 College National Finals Rodeo.
On the eve of the 75th anniversary of the College National Finals Rodeo, we spoke to five magnetic competitors about their personal stories, balancing academics, and what it takes to win big in Casper, Wyoming.
Weston Timberman, age 19, Clarendon College
From a lineage of rodeo athletes (father Chris Timberman, uncle Kelly Timberman), this Montana bareback rider refined his skills at the famous rodeos in Cody, Wyoming. While many of his peers competed in high school rodeo, Timberman competed against the adults in Cody as a teenager. The 2023 CNFR bareback riding reigning champion shared, “You’re only as good as the work you put into it. Bareback is a sport you must work at — very few people can ride a bucking horse with ease. It’s all about how hard you work, and it shows when you compete. I ride best when I show up to a rodeo confident I’ve put in the most work.”
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Opal Harkins, age 24, South Dakota State University
Harkins is the quintessential all-around cowgirl. The horsewoman’s accolades span almost a decade, from the 2016 – 2017 National High School Rodeo Queen to her current status as a fourth-year CNFR qualifier. Harkins has competed in team roping, breakaway, goat tying, and barrels. This year, she defends her status as one of the top 20 goat tiers in the nation in addition to competing in the breakaway. A soon-to-be lawyer (she takes the bar this summer), she attributes her success to meticulous time management as well as a stellar support system (most notably her parents and the Donnelly Family in Elk Point, South Dakota, who care for her horses). For Harkins, training is reduced to one simple but significant concept, “It’s all about quality over quantity. Have a schedule, stick with it, and focus on the fundamental purpose of each event.”
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Kiara Begay, age 23, University of Arizona
Begay is an accomplished barrel racer (this is her third CNFR) pursuing a Master of Professional Sciences. A Navajo and Tohono O’odham Nations member, she is passionate about connecting Indigenous youth to STEM and rodeo opportunities. In high school, she participated in the Native American Science and Engineering Program (NASEP), where she had the opportunity to stay on a college campus and network with companies, including RTX and IBM. This experience motivated her to pursue an undergraduate degree in microbiology. She now serves as a mentor for students interested in STEM programs as well as rodeo. For Begay, getting involved with academics or athletics begins with a curious mindset. “For aspiring athletes or academics, I think a simple phrase is just go for it. Ask for help. Most people will more than likely give you tips and advice.”
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McKenna Wood, age 23, California State University
Wood, a college athlete, full-time kindergarten teacher, and full-time student (with a 4.0 GPA), is an exceptional example of NIRA’s mission to foster both academics and athletics. A second-time CNFR competitor, Wood is a highly competitive team roper (header) who placed second in her West Coast region. Along with her heeler partner, Spencer Gordon (UNLV), Wood follows a sensible but effective training program that celebrates progress, not perfection. “Set goals for yourself. Just keep going, just keep trying. There have been many times I have failed, but it’s not even truly a failure; it’s a lesson learned. Remember never to give up. Find a goal you have your eye on and just run after it.”
Cash Owens, age 19, Iowa Central
Owens is a Minnesota saddle bronc rider studying industrial business at Iowa Central. Though only a sophomore this year, he has been pursuing his education for decades. Owens went to auctioneering college at the ripe old age of 10 and has worked for his family’s Blue Earth Stockyards sales barn ever since. He’ll be competing at the CNFR along with his old brother, Cody Owens. “Cody and I have been wanting to ride in the finals together since we were in fifth grade. It’s a dream come true.” A goal that Cash and Cody have clearly manifested. And their long-term goal? “For both of us to make it to the NFR. To just be out there under the lights of Vegas. I want the Owens boys to go out there and rock the world.”
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