Written by Assistant Editor Jerry Lindsey; photo provided by the Wiersema family.
When the subject of “rodeo” enters a conversation, one does not usually think of High School boys and girls competing on horseback. The Wiersema family of Erie, IL, has taken the business of ‘rodeoing’ to another level, reaping the rewards through their daughters. Kasey (father) is Vice-President of the State Board of Directors, and Samantha (mother) is Secretary of the Illinois High School Rodeo Association (IHSRA.) The story of real accomplishment has evolved around their daughters, Addison (Addi) and Shelby.
Shelby, the younger of the duo, currently holds the top year-to-date ranking in the event of Barrel Racing. Addi ranks second in the year-to-date totals for Break-Away Roping and fourth in Goat Tying.
In All-Around girls’ events, Addi ranks third among 51 State competitors, and Shelby ranks eighth. Their results within the recent IHSRA rodeo competition qualify both sisters for entrance into the National competition in Wyoming later in the summer.
The ratings mentioned above and accomplishments are very impressive, but the real story is the effort and commitment each girl has made to achieve such rankings. Many sports combine one’s talents with other individuals to establish a team result. Rodeoing only involves the individual and the horse and how each can perform together.
Both Wiersema girls began rodeoing at the age of 12. Both admit that the current expertise of their specific event did not come without trials and failures of other events. They admitted that the failures made them more committed to the challenges of their selected events. The sistes also admit that success does not come without much sacrifice of time and some additional chores. However, the end results are more than worth the altered lifestyle often required. The unspoken reward of rodeoing is the friendships built with competitors. Such friendships continue to grow, even though they only interact a few times each season.
When asked about the challenges of their sport, both girls extended similar responses, noting the need for self-confidence and self-assurance. “No team member is there to assist, if you do not make the effort” was the theme of their answers.
“The rewards to date have made the efforts and sacrifices worth it,” added Shelby. Addi commented that she has learned not to take anything for granted and to accept all responsibilities. Dealing with animals reminds her that you cannot control everything, but you must be able to accept responsibility for the end result.
Additional rewards may be in the future. Addi will apply for college funding from Kansas State University, based on her rodeo efforts on the KSU Rodeo Team in 2024.
The Wiersema family will journey to the National Rodeo in Wyoming, anticipating Shelby, left, and Addi will perform at their best. The hope is their performances will be good enough to add to the siblings’ current list of achievements and collections of award hardware!
