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and trained. He was accustomed to running so much and I had to dial that back down a bit. He had to learn to turn circles instead
of just racing in a straight line like he was used to. I had to retrain his brain a little. I learned more patience working with him. All horses feel different, so he certainly taught me some things. He was so young, and I was inexperienced as well, but he was a high- caliber horse.”
As for her feelings about Graves, Kelly said, “I can’t even come up with the words to describe Lance or to properly thank him for the person that he is. He is an outstanding human and an outstanding mentor. He is one of those people who is loved by everybody. I am always so happy to see him or hear from him, and he is always so eager to give, and he wants to be that person for you. He is a big person in my life.”
Kelly’s vast horsemanship skills have served her well in an accomplished career
as an equestrian. Among the training techniques she emphasizes with the horses she works with is teaching them to keep their ribs up, which is an important aspect of training. Essentially, it refers to the horse’s body position during the turn around the barrel.
When a horse is turning the barrel, they need to be able to lean into the turn while keeping their ribcage up and engaged.
This allows the horse to maintain balance, control, and speed through the turn.
To achieve this, trainers use a variety of techniques to encourage the horse to engage their core muscles and lift their ribcage, such as exercises that involve circles and lateral movements, utilizing specific cues while riding.
Another key to Kelly’s training is teaching her horses to be soft on the bridle, a term used to describe a horse’s response to rein pressure. It means that the horse is responsive and receptive to the rider’s cues through
horse that is soft on the bridle is considered well-trained and is highly desirable in barrel racing because they can respond quickly and smoothly to the rider’s cues during turns.
“The things I do with all of my horses is teach them to keep their ribs up and to be soft on the bridle,” Kelly related. “I want them to know to listen to me and my cues. Once they know to listen to me, they can do anything I ask of them.
“I also use a lot of positive reinforcement. I hardly ever use a whip on a horse. I
make sure it’s a lot of rewards and positive reinforcement. Going around and around with the barrels, I don’t want them to get sick of it and I don’t want it to feel like punishment. I want them to know exactly what I’m looking for.”
Kelly strives to balance her academic pursuits with her love for rodeo. After one year at Weatherford College in Texas, she transferred to OSU.
“OSU is amazing,” said Kelly, an Oklahoma native. “I’ve grown up kind of around
campus, just here and there,” Kelly said. “It’s always been something I saw myself doing. There are so many people here and so many opportunities. On top of that, I have the rodeo team. Every day, we come out here and rope calves and ride horses. I have met many of my best friends here.
“One of my biggest priorities right now is to do everything I can to get into vet school, so I can become a veterinarian,” she continued. “I wake up every morning and go to class after I feed and do all the things at the barn. Practice (rodeo team) starts at 3:30 p.m. every day, so I get here at about
2 p.m. to clean all the pens and everything. Honestly, it’s hard. I stay kind of stressed. I’m always in a hurry, it seems, but I want to make sure everything is taken care of properly, including my horses. We have practice, and sometimes team meetings, and then immediately after that, I go home,
two hours, minimum. Last year, I was a freshman and this year I am a junior because apparently, I take heavy workloads. I’m going to graduate in my third year, so I can apply to vet school earlier. I am very driven. I just want to get to my goal.”
Among her immediate goals, Kelly, who won three State Championships in high school, wants to make the college finals in rodeo before becoming a veterinarian.
“Last year I was just outside of making the college finals with the team at Weatherford,” she shared. “That was a big heartbreaker
for me. In high school, I won three State Championships and went to nationals in three of my four years. I missed it my freshman year by just one point.”
Speaking from experience, Kelly has simple but powerful advice for up-and-coming barrel racers.
“I think the best thing that anyone can do is to ride as much as they can and work at feeling their horse,” she said. “Always be willing to teach yourself new things. No matter what’s going on, all of us are always learning in this sport. Most of your high-level professionals would love to give you advice. Just work hard and keep going through all the challenges. You will get there, just keep after it.”
Judging by her own academic achievements and her success training and riding horses, it’s clear that Kelly applies
her hard-earned philosophy to her own life. Kelly knows the value of persistence, hard work and seeking guidance from experienced mentors. Her success in academics and rodeo has come from a combination of natural talent, dedication, and a willingness to
learn from others.
“I will apply to vet school this summer,” Kelly related. “That’s my goal, in addition to making the College Finals in rodeo. My biggest aspiration, though, is getting into vet school and learning as much as I can so that I can be
“the bit and will yield to pressure without take a shower, and then go to the library the best veterinarian that I can possibly be for
resistance or tension in their mouth. A
and study and do schoolwork for at least
future people like me.”
“I can’t even come up with the words to describe Lance or to properly thank him for the person that he is. He is an outstanding human and an outstanding mentor.”
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