story by Lily Weinacht
“The community and the family feel of rodeo are the things I enjoy most,” says Josey Schomp. The 25-year-old roper originally from Nebraska has competed in the NSRA the last several years, while working her way through grad school. Josey graduated in December from the University of Nebraska Medical Center with her Physician Assistant degree, and has since moved to Pueblo, Colorado, to work in family medicine. Through it all, her rodeo family has been at her heels providing encouragement.
Josey started riding even before she was walking, and she and her sister competed in junior high and high school rodeo for Nebraska. “Both our parents grew up rodeoing, and our grandparents, so it’s been in our family as long as I can remember,” says Josey. “My parents, Ben and Marilyn Schomp, and my sister, Trey, have been the biggest supporters, and God has played a really big role in my life. I had a couple offers to college rodeo, but I decided to do basketball and track in college. I figured I had the rest of my life to rodeo, but I really missed it, especially since it’s such a part of my life.” Once Josey finished playing for Hastings College – the women’s team qualifying for the NAIA Finals twice – she bought her cards with the NSRA and M-SRA. Both a breakaway and team roper, she found it easier to enter the mixed team roping during school.
“I’ve always been a really competitive person, and it’s nice to challenge myself – it’s kind of like an addiction in my family! A lot of people in my family are team ropers, and I grew up around guys who helped teach me how to rope,” Josey adds. “In the last few years of being in school, everybody in the association has helped me in one way or another. Whether it’s getting me to a rodeo, hauling my horse, telling me the draw, or pushing my steer, everyone has been so great. Now that I’m done with grad school, I’m ready to pay it forward and help others along the way.”
Josey’s main rope horse, Rex, has been with her since junior high. Her dad found the now 21-year-old gelding at a feedlot and trained him. “Then I took him from my dad,” Josey says with a laugh. “He’s my breakaway and head horse, and he’s been pretty good to me.” Rex is finishing out the winter in Nebraska and will join Josey in Colorado in the near future.
“The weather here in Pueblo is amazing, and it’s nice being done with school so I can rope more. It’s been a little frustrating getting back into it, but that is to be expected. I also like to go hunting and fishing sometimes, and I still like to pick up a basketball and play some games.” Josey plans to start breakaway roping again, and anticipates joining the CPRA. “All my family still lives in Nebraska, so I’d sure like to get out to Nebraska for a Fourth of July run. My goal is make a name for myself in a new association, and work-wise, to be a good family medicine provider. My parents and my sister and God have done the most for me and helped me go as far as I have.”
