story by Michele Toberer
Addison Overman is an 8-year-old, All-Around Champion Cowgirl competing in the Junior Southern Rodeo Association. Competing in rodeo is not new to the 3rd grade, Bennett Elementary student, as she has been entering rodeos since she was just four-years-old; but this year she was on a mission that she successfully completed. At the beginning of the season, Addison expressed to her mom, Angela Overman, that she wanted to win the all-around title. Angela told her, “It’s going to be tough, there are a lot of really good cowboys and cowgirls that want to win it too, so you’re going to have to work really hard.” Addison accepted that challenge and showed her determination to work towards her goal, as she practiced five days a week on her horses; and if she wasn’t riding she was practicing on the goat tying dummy in the house. The tenacious little cowgirl worked towards her goals and finished the 2017 season as the Champion Pee Wee Goat Tier, Champion Pee Wee Pole Bender, Reserve-Champion Pee Wee Barrel Racer, and 3rd Place Mutton Buster, all leading to her goal of winning the 2017 Pee Wee All-Around Champion title.
Addison lives in Bennett, North Carolina with her parents and her 11-year-old brother, fellow JRSRA competitor, Zane Overman. Rodeo is a way of life, and somewhat the beginning of this Overman family, as Angela and Addison’s dad Steven, met while they were competing in rodeos, and are both JRSRA and North Carolina High School Rodeo Association Alumni. “It’s nice because now our kids are competing at rodeos with the children of friends that we used to rodeo with,” said Angela. Now, Addison’s parents spend most of their time hauling their kids to rodeos, as well as sporting events. They have made efforts to offer Addison and Zane a well-rounded lifestyle, so in addition to rodeo, Addison plays softball and basketball, and Zane is an avid baseball player on a traveling team. Steven, works for Angela’s parents, restoring antique horse-drawn carriages, and Angela is the Nursing Director of Surgery Services at UNC Hospital.
In school, Addison loves reading, and she is often either reading books about horses, riding horses, or dreaming of being a horse or dolphin trainer in her future. She doesn’t have any classmates that rodeo, but she enjoys sharing her love of horses and rodeo with them, and has brought a horse and buckles to school for show and tell. She is grateful to have three horses to compete on when she goes to rodeos. Goat tying is Addison’s favorite event, and she loves to ride her 9-year-old, bay roan gelding named Elmo to get down to the goats as quick as she can. Addison said, “Elmo is nice and he’s fast.” Addison uses a 16-year-old Quarter Horse named Deuce for pole bending, and the sorrel gelding also is used by her brother, and Addison’s cousin, Trevor Kirkman, for breakaway roping in the junior division. Lily is the speedy, gray mare that Addison uses for barrel racing. Addison mentions a special friend that has helped her with barrel racing, “Melody Langley comes over and helps me practice barrel racing, and I go with her to barrel racing jackpots sometimes.” She is also very grateful to her Aunt Nancy for all the help she gives her in preparing for her rodeo events.
When Addison is at home, she helps with many farm and house chores, such as feeding horses, cows and goats, cleaning out trailers, helping with housecleaning and preparing meals. She and her brother also like to ride their 4-wheelers around the farm and play with their dogs. The family owns Izzy, a Labradoodle that sleeps with Addison every night, and a Great Dane-Labrador mix named Hooey.
Addison looks forward to the 2018 JRSRA season, and her first year of being in the junior girls’ division. She will be adding breakaway roping to her list of events, and plans to use her mare, Lily for the new event. She enjoys being a part of the JRSRA, and especially going to rodeos to see her friends.
