By Deb Kroon
Review Staff Writer
Kassidy Peters, a 2017 graduate of Adrian High School, has earned a position on the Minnesota State National High School Rodeo team and will be traveling with fellow teammates to Gillette, WY., July 16-22 to compete at the 69th annual National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in the Reining Cow Horse and Breakaway Roping competitions.
Kassidy, the daughter of Merle and Lisa Peters, rural Adrian, started riding as an infant with her parents. By two years old she was riding on her own. After her accident in 2003, Kassidy used horse back riding as her core therapy. She’s been riding ever since.
Kassidy also trains horses. She gets up early every morning to ride the horses and do chores. She has broken approximately 30 horses for others as well as train her own competition horses. She uses several horses when competing, but her 5 year old “Yogi Bear” is the horse she will take with her to nationals.
Besides the time she puts in daily with the horses, she has to maintain a place on the A or B honor roll to be able to rodeo in the MSHSRA. She has nothing but great things to say about her high school principal, the late Tim Christiansen and superintendent Roger Graff. They understood her love of rodeo and fully supported her and worked with the family on schedules for competitions. Rodeos-her sport, her passion. Her mom, Lisa, said Kassidy’s favorite answer to why she didn’t participate in high school sports. “I love rodeo. I never have to go through all the practices and then be told I can’t ride. Everyone gets to ride, unless your grades aren’t there.” Kassidy has been involved in the Minnesota State High School Rodeo Association (MSHSRA) for all 4 years of high school. Her events are Barrels, Pole Bending, Goat Tying, Breakaway Roping, Team Roping, and Reining Cow Horse Competition. She has qualified for State finals in Minnesota all 4 years, and has always finished in the top 5th to 10th position in her events, but they only take the top 4 in each event. This year she won Reserve Champion in Breakaway Roping and Reserve Champion in Reining Cow Horse which earned her a position on the Minnesota National High School Rodeo Team. Kassidy is ranked 2nd in overall points in the United States going into finals. She ranks in the top 10 in all her events.
Featuring more than 1,750 contestants from 43 states, five Canadian Provinces and Australia, the NHSFR is the world’s largest rodeo. In addition to competing for more that $200,000 in prizes, NHSFR contestants will also be competing for more than $350,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named an NHSFR World Champion. To earn this title, contestants must finish in the top 20 based on their combined times/scores in the first two rounds-to advance to Saturday evening’s final round. World Champions will then be determined based on their three-round combined times/scores. Again this year, the Saturday championship performance will be televised nationally as a part of the Cinch High School Rodeo Tour telecast series on RFD-TV. Live broadcasts of each NHSFR performance will also air online at NHSRATV. com. Performance times are 7 p.m. on July 16, and 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day after. Along with great rodeo competition and the chance to meet new friends from around the world, NHSFR contestants have the opportunity to enjoy shooting sports, volleyball, contestant dances, family-oriented activities, church services sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys and shopping at the NHSFR tradeshow.
Earlier this month Kassidy qualified for the National Little Britches Finals Rodeo in Gutherie, OK. The events she qualified in were Barrels, Pole Bending, Goat Tying, Breakaway Roping, Team Roping, Dally Ribbon Roping and Speed Trail Course. Her younger sister, Kayla, also qualified for National Little Britches Rodeo Finals. Kayla’s events she qualified for are Barrels, Pole Bending, Goat Tying and Speed Trail Course. National Little Britches Rodeo has 3 divisions to compete in for ages 5 – 18 years old. They competed against 1400 participants. Both the girls finished in the top 20. The two girls shared horses in this rodeo.
In addition to the great experiences, Kassidy has already received several scholarships from the Minnesota High School Rodeo Association Alumni for use to further her education beyond high school. She is planning on going to SDSU and compete on their rodeo team. She will pursue pre-vet and animal sciences. Congratulations to Kassidy!
