story by Lily Weinacht
Sheyenne Jacobson of Gillette, Wyoming, is living the life her mom dreamed of growing up, and savoring every moment. “My mom grew up playing basketball and not being involved in ranching or barrel racing, but she met my dad at a vet clinic she was working at and instantly fell in love with his horse – and him,” 17-year-old Sheyenne explains. “She wanted to have a girl that would grow up around horses, and ever since I can remember, I’ve been barrel racing and rodeoing.”
Sheyenne’s dad, Mark, comes from a ranching family, while her mom, Heidi, went on to futurity several horses after they were married. “My mom is my biggest idol I look up to, and I really look up to Sherry Cervi and get pointers from her videos. I also look up to a friend of mine in Casper, Wyoming, Gordon Bray, who is a professional cutter. He’s helped me a lot these past few months with improving in the rodeo world, and working on my horsemanship.” Sheyenne competes in barrel racing, pole bending, and breakaway roping. She was beginning a promising goat tying career as a freshman when she broke her ankle getting off her horse at the first spring rodeo of the season. “I was just getting good at it, too!” she says. “I was off that whole summer until fall rodeos started, and missed a chance to go to Nationals my freshman year since I was sitting good in the barrels.” She qualified the next two years for the NHSFR, however, and plans to finish her senior year with one more trip into her hometown of Gillette for Nationals.
“I’ve grown to like breakaway roping more – I started it my sophomore year – but barrels are still my number one favorite,” says Sheyenne. “I like waiting my turn, going fast around all three barrels, and seeing what my time is after I cross the finish line. In a standard pattern in an outdoor arena, my fastest time is a 17.04.” Sheyenne’s 12-year-old sister, Maddie, also competes, entering junior high rodeos, and also riding jumping and pleasure horses. “She likes to goat tie more than I do, and she’s practicing breakaway on my old horse, so she might have to follow in my footsteps with that. We practice and ride together, and I have a calf roping sled my dad pulls for me. I also go to Jerry Means’ house to rope with some of the college guys.”
The Jacobsons have four dogs, two cats, and 15 horses, three of which are Sheyenne’s rodeo horses. Buster is her main mount in the barrels, while Miss Pig is her all-around horse, which she also uses for smaller pens and rougher ground. “My mom did all the training on her, and I also trained a horse that I’m pretty proud of, and I sold it to a friend in South Dakota. Peso is my breakaway horse, and I got him last year just before the fall rodeos started. We clicked instantly, and he’s super cranky, so I give him lots of treats.”
A senior at Campbell County High School, Sheyenne is enjoying her speech class. “We recently finished reading a book on money planning, and we’ll give a speech about it,” she explains. “When I drive home, the first thing I do is pull up next to my horses and tell them hi, and they whinny. Then I know I’m home!” Sheyenne and her family take time to visit relatives in North Dakota, and enjoy riding horses and watching movies together.
“I haven’t made up my mind about college yet, but I am interested in photography,” Sheyenne finishes. “My goal in life is to be happy, healthy, and wise, and see where life takes me!”
