Page 74 - May_2023

From the rodeo ArenA to the ClAssroom
Oklahoma State University’s Kate Kelly balances athletic and academic pursuits
Kby Michael Compton
ate Kelly, a second-year pre-vet student at Oklahoma State University and a member of OSU’s rodeo team, is a shin-
ing example of how dedication and hard work can take you far in the exciting world of barrel racing and in life.
Kelly has already achieved a great deal of success in the sport of barrel racing and will graduate college next year after just three years, but her passion for running barrels—which stems from her family, mainly her mother Sherri— extends beyond the thrill of competition.
“My mother and grandmother both ran barrels and I think it was just one of those deals,” Kelly said. “Maybe it is something you’re born with. I have always loved horses. I like to run barrels and I like to go fast. I have been around the rodeo scene for as long as I can remember. I love it. This is the thing for me. Barrel racing was always something I wanted
to do. When I was young and got a pony, I wouldn’t even let my mother take my boots
off and I would wake her up in the morning as soon as I could. I would ask her, ‘The sun is up, can I go ride?’
“As time goes on, you learn more and more about winning,” she added. “For me,
I enjoy the training process of it all, and I have had several horses. My parents have bought some nice horses, and I have had the
72 SPEEDHORSE May 2023