Shelby Osceola, 2006 Breakaway Roping Champion

By Tabitha Osceola

SPRINGFIELD, IL — National High School Rodeo Association Finals were held in Springfield, Ill., July 24–30 and Shelby Osceola was there to represent Florida in breakaway roping. Many states across the country, Canada and Australia was represented by their top four cowgirls in breakaway roping at the national finals; Shelby was Florida’s fourth place breakaway roper and about to face 180 of the top breakaway ropers.

The cowboys and cowgirls competing at the finals arrived a couple days before the rodeo started in order to get their horses settled and get rested up for a full week of rodeo and tough competition. The contestants each got two go-rounds and then only the top 20 came back for the final third round. The final round would decide who the best roper in the nation was.

In the first go, Shelby had her game set and looked relaxed; she patiently waited on the side with her horse Yeller until it was her turn to compete. When her name was announced that it was her turn she entered the arena, backed her horse in the box, gave a nod to release the calf and came out with her rope swinging. But it only took Shelby two swings of her rope, stopping her horse and seeing that flag at the end of rope go flying.

Then it was waiting to hear her time for the first round. “Two-point-six seconds…” said the announcer. Shelby walked away with a smile on her face. Shelby commented on her state and nervousness after this.

“I just told myself I was going to have fun and that was fun,” she said.

By the end of the first go-round and after 180 ropers, Shelby was holding the second place spot in the nation.

Shelby had a whole day till she had to compete again. She spent her time shopping at the trade show and watching the other competitors from the Florida team. By two hours before it was competition time her work was starting.

Her typical routine before competing was finding out what calf she drew for the round, watching a tape of how the calf ran so she could gather a game plan together in her head. Then it was off to get her horse Yeller groomed, saddled and ready for the competition. Shelby always made sure she had plenty of time to get Yeller warmed up and then go to the arena, find a quiet spot where she and Yeller could mentally prepare for what needed to be done.

The second round started and Shelby was one of the first to rope; but the pressure certainly didn’t show on her. Shelby’s second round was like watching the first round all over again–two swings and calf caught. Shelby waited patiently for her time to be announced.

“Two-point-six seconds,” said the announcer.

Shelby gave a proud pat to Yeller and walked away again with that same smile on her face. Shelby commented on how she felt to have a two-point-six second time again.

“It was great,” she said. “I told Yeller before we went in, ‘Let’s do it again girl’ and we did.”

By the end of the two rounds, Shelby was still holding on to the second place spot in the nation. She was going to the third and final round with a chance to be the national breakaway champion.

The final go-round wasn’t until Sunday afternoon which gave Shelby two days just to sit back relax and prepare for the toughest competition… the other top 19 ropers who also made it to the final round. During the two day rest Shelby stayed relax by doing more shopping, hanging out with her friends and taking a lot of naps.

July 30 finally came around, the final round, and with temperatures at 100-plus degrees didn’t help any of the competitors. By the heat didn’t stop Shelby from doing her usual routine before competition. When the competition started all the competitors were competing hard and going for it all–they were holding nothing back.

Shelby was second to last to go in the final round and a 3.8 second run was leading the round and holding the first place spot in the average. When it came to Shelby’s turn she looked relaxed and ready to rope; she backed up in the roping box, gave a nod and came out swinging. After two swings Shelby had thrown her rope but her rope sat on the calf’s nose; she had to ride Yeller up a couple steps to get the rope to fall over the nose; when it finally does she stops her horse.

Shelby had to rope a 3.8 seconds or quicker to take that number one spot and be the national champion. The announcer yells out Shelby’s time, four-point-four seconds. The disappointment on Shelby’s face was obvious; knowing that all she needed was 3.8 seconds or quicker and she had trouble with the calf and roped a 4.4 second was heartbreaking.

But after all the disappointment of not claiming the number one spot Shelby realized that she just won second place. She came out in second place against the best high school ropers in the nation, Canada and Australia.

At the awards ceremony that followed the rodeo that evening they announced the 2006 National High School Rodeo Association reserve champion breakaway roper was Shelby Osceola from Hollywood, Fla. Shelby claimed her buckle, scholarship money and other prizes with pride. She said she was happy with her second place finish.

“My goal was to just get here and I did that,” she said. “I never really expected to get as far as I did but now I am only thinking about next year and bringing home the championship and being number one.”