The Murray State News

Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Agriculture

Media Credit: Picasa 2.7

Riding a bucking bronco for eight seconds doesn't phase Derek Lawson.

"I've been doing it for so long, it's almost second nature when I get in the bucking chutes," he said.

Lawson, senior from Murray, began competing in rodeos when he was in second grade and has been a member of Murray State's rodeo team for four years. His father participated on the team as a student at the University, and Lawson followed, competing in some of the same activities including saddle bronc riding and bareback riding.

"It's a major adrenaline rush," Lawson said. "It's something I find fun and something I've been doing for a long time. In some events you're putting your strength up against the horse's. It's really challenging."

For Amber Boyers, barrel racing, goat tying and bull riding run in the family.

"Pretty much everybody in my family rodeos," Boyers said. "I just kind of grew up around it I guess."

The junior from Poplar Bluff, Mo., began competing in rodeos at age eight, so it was only natural she join Murray State's rodeo team and eventually become president.

Boyers said in addition to competing in rodeos, team members help with fall on the farm and read to area students.

The rodeo team is a member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and participates in 10 regional rodeos. Rodeo Coach J.D. VanHooser said the team of about 45 members is in the Ozark Region and competes against 17 other colleges. Men can participate in six different events like bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf tying, steer racing and team roping. Women compete in four activities including goat tying, saddle breakaway calf roping, barrel racing and team roping.

At rodeos, members can compete as individuals or on small teams selected by VanHooser prior to the beginning of the rodeo. Participants can earn individual points, but if the person is selected for the team, individual points earned go toward the team total. At the end of the year, the top-three competitors in each event and the top-two men's and women's teams can compete in the College National Rodeo in Wyoming, VanHooser said.

VanHooser said the team's dedication and perseverance make it successful. The season started a few weeks ago and already Murray State members have taken positions in the NIRA rankings.

"We have a really strong team work ethic," VanHooser said. "They do really well coming to practice and coming to practice with a purpose. … Any sport you get into, you get out of it what you put in. With rodeo, there's an extra degree of difficulty associated with it because you are dealing with animals and animals are typically unpredictable to deal with."

Murray State's rodeo team is a draws students from places like Maine, Virginia and Canada. The group is the only organized college rodeo team in Kentucky, VanHooser said.

Weather pending, the team practices four days a week at the EXPO Center. The next rodeo is Nov. 8-10 in Alabama. The following week, Murray State will host their 32nd annual rodeo.

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