LASSOING STARS

Rodeo prowess takes Valley duo to national ring

By DENISE DICK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

Riding, roping and wrangling constitute a family affair for Sarah Montgomery and Kyle Smith.

The two were among high school students from across the country and parts of Canada and Australia who competed last month in the weeklong National High School Rodeo Association Finals in Farmington, N.M.

Sarah, 16, of Petersburg, competes in breakaway and goat tying. Together, she and Kyle, 14, of New Springfield, compete in team roping. Both will be sophomores this fall at Springfield High School.

“We did OK for our first time,” Kyle said. “We placed 92 out of 250 teams.”

Sarah followed in her parents’ boot steps.

“I got into it because my dad [Bryan] does rodeo, and my mom [Mary] shows Western Pleasure and English,” said Sarah, who also shows horses.

Their fathers, Bryan Montgomery and Ken Smith, comprise their own roping team, competing in adult rodeo events.

“It’s just a fun sport,” Sarah said.

She likes the speed and the adrenaline rush she gets from riding in the ring.

They’ve also made a lot of friends in the sport, Kyle said.

Corrine Hammerle and Margaret Bookman, both of Negley, and Alex Pryor of Rogers were other Mahoning Valley residents who participated in the national competition.

Jared and Logan Jarvis, both of Salem, competed in the Wrangler Junior High Rodeo Finals.

Both Sarah and Kyle have been participating in rodeo events for years, but last month marked their first entry in the national event. To compete nationally, contestants have to rack up points throughout the rodeo season, which coincides with the school year.

They then compete at a state event, and the top four contestants in each category go to nationals.

“They placed second in the state,” said Ken Smith.

“Sarah was fourth in goat tying and third in breakaway,” said Bryan Montgomery.

The two families travel throughout the state to the weekend competitions.

“We take two dogs, three kids and 12 neighbors,” Bryan Montgomery quipped.

Competitors have to keep their grades up, too. Each quarter, they must present their report cards to state officials to ensure they don’t fall behind.

“It’s like any other sport — you have to be eligible,” Kyle said.

Both earn As and Bs in school, their parents said.

It’s not the only sport they practice, though. Sarah also runs track, and Kyle plays on his school’s football and basketball teams.

In team roping, two riders, a header and a heeler, rope the head and the back legs of a steer in the arena. Teams with the fastest time win.

Time is taken when both ropes are tight and both horses are facing the steer, according to the Web site of the Ohio High School Rodeo Association. There are strict rules defining a fair head catch. The rope must be around both horns, the neck, half a head, the site says.

Penalties are applied for starts or catches that don’t adhere to the rules.

Though they like the speed and camaraderie associated with the rodeo circuit, it’s not just about fun and games. College scouts, mostly from colleges and universities in the southern and western parts of the country, attend the national competition, and scholarships are available.

“Sarah is looking at Tennessee and Alabama,” her father said.

“Kyle wants to go to Texas Tech,” said his dad.

With one national competition under their belts, Sarah and Kyle hope to do even better next year.

“We got all of the nerves out of the way,” Kyle said.

“Now we know what to expect,” Sarah added.

denise_dick@vindy.com