By Laurie Dineen
Alex Odle, an 18 year H.S. Senior from Brush, CO is on track to graduate High School this May and will also compete in her last year as a CJRA member. “A lot is happening this year, and I’m really excited for it all,” says Alex. “I have been going to school in Brush since I was 5 and competing in the CJRA since I was 8. It’s hard to imagine that I am now reaching this point in my life, but you can bet I am going to make the most of it.”
Alex and her sister Sydney are the only two in her family of 6 (Mom-Amber, Dad-Tom, Sidney -16, Olivia – 13 and Percy -9) with interests in rodeo, however all are very active in other sports through school. Alex also plays softball for Brush HS, which works out well with her rodeo schedule.
“My love for horses probably stems from my mom who had horses growing up. My dad was always around them as my grandpa, Jim Odle, bred and owned great ranch horses. However with neither parent involved in rodeo, I probably wouldn’t have chosen the path I’m on if it weren’t for Quincy Segelke. I went to school with Quincy and our mutual interest in horses lead me to go with her to a CJRA rodeo one year and my desire to rodeo took off from there,” said Odle.
This past summer Alex was the CJRA Reserve Campion All-Around Senior Girl (a title she won the previous year as well). She was champion ribbon roping runner for Jase Staudt, 3rd in barrels, 4th in poles, 7th in mixed roping as header and 13th in the open roping and 10th in breakaway.
Currently, Alex has 10 head of horses in her ramuda – her main rodeo mounts, a lot of young horses and a few outside horses, with most of them in training to sell. She works hard to keep them all going and during the winter she rents a barn in Brush so she and her sister can ride and practice. “I practice every day whether it is roping the dummy or working with my horses,” says Alex. “I also feel to be at the top of my game I need to stay in shape as well as my horses so I work out and lift all year long, which also helps for softball.”
Of all the events Alex competes in, poles and team roping are her most favorite. “When I was 15, I went to a Martha Jose week long as a gift from my Grandfather. That was the greatest gift and it gave me the training skills to ride younger horses and compete even harder.” Alex is also a member of CSHSRA and Mile Hi Barrel Assoc. She also competed at the IFYR on the Bloomer team last year and won the pole bending and reserve champion all-around. She has set her goals high this year and hopes to win the CJRA Sr. Girl All-around title. “I take this sport seriously,” she said. “Of all the rodeo competitions I do, I feel CJRA is the best for competition. One has to work hard to get better – to get to the top. I feel this is why I have gotten better in my events overall. I also like the fact it is family oriented, offering events from 5 yrs – 18 yrs, and allowing parents to rope with their kids. With the mixed and open team roping events you also can have multiple runs which I like.”
After graduation, Alex plans to continue with her rodeo career while earning a degree in Ag. Business or Pre Vet. “Eventually I would like to end up somewhere warm where I can have my own training facility,” she exclaimed. “I would like to thank my parents for giving me the opportunities and support to make it this far, to the Segelke family for introducing me to the CJRA and rodeo. Also I would like to recognize my sponsors, Bloomer Trailers, Zach’s Dog Food and Pala Mountains for all their support and encouragement throughout these past years of rodeo.”
Alex Odle is proof that where there is a will, there is a way. Her passion and hard work will take this cowgirl a long way no matter what road she travels. We wish her a safe and prosperous journey.
