story by Kyle Eustice
With her bubbly personality intact, 32-year-old Lindsey Hughes is a force of nature all her own, which makes her a fierce rodeo contestant. As a member of the ACRA for the past 10 years, the Douglas, Kansas, native has cultivated her love of the sport for most of her life. Her parents, Lori McCune and Rocky Wagner, were always supportive of whatever their young daughter wanted to do, but her father was the most influential.
“My dad was a bull rider and he got us started when we were young,” said Lindsey. “I’ve been riding horses since I could walk.” As someone who “loves to go fast,” barrel racing was the perfect event for her, but she branched out into pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping, as well. Now the director for the ACRA in breakaway roping, Lindsey and her husband, Nathan Hughes—who she met while attending Fort Scott Community College and married in 2011—spend ample amounts of time driving from rodeo to rodeo. Nathan is a calf roper and team roper.
“On average, I feel like we live in the truck,” admitted Lindsey. “We’re on the road all the time. For the most part, at beginning of summer, the rodeos were close, but as summer goes on, they get further and further away.”
The Hughes try to constrict their driving to five hours each way, but occasionally, they have to drive a little more to reach their destination. They will make a 30 hour trek to St. Tite, Quebec, Canada for a big IPRA rodeo in September. To them, it’s worth it. Lindsey just won the IPRA Breakaway World Championship in Oklahoma City in January.
“It felt amazing,” said Lindsey. “It was a dream come true to me.”
Before the season is over, she plans on competing in the Claremore, Oklahoma ACRA finals this November. To prepare, she is still rodeoing full time and hits two to four rodeos every weekend with her husband. “I love to rope and getting to see friends,” said Lindsey. “I love spending time with my husband and getting to do what I love.”
As an ACRA director, she is also in the thick of things and appreciates having a strong presence in the association. “I go to all the monthly meetings,” said Lindsey. “I make sure our event is offered at as many events as possible and make sure our cattle good. I also address any problems the girls may have, collect awards for the finals and collect donations.”
Lindsey holds various jackpots a month before the finals to raise money for the awards. She aims to raise between $2500 and $5000 each year, and she usually hits her target.
With 12 horses and two French bulldogs to take care of, rodeos to win, and a job as long term substitute teacher, she’s still aiming to get her teaching license on the side. This year is her 10th consecutive year she’s made the ACRA finals and the only woman to do so. Eventually, she’s like to nab the ACRA breakaway championship title. She’s prepared to do anything she has to in order to make that happen.
“You have to have a really strong mental game,” said Lindsey. “If you’re strong mentally, you can do just about anything. You have to tell yourself you can do it.”
