story by Lindsay King
It’s the thundering hooves and adrenaline rush sending 13-year-old Staheli Adams down the arena flying towards the goat she is about to tie in record time that wakes her up excited to rodeo each morning. “I like to breakaway rope and heel in the team roping but goat tying is my favorite by far,” said the eighth grader from Cedar City, Utah. The fourth place goat tier at junior high nationals this year, Staheli set a goal to make it to the short go after a tough first year at nationals in sixth grade and that is exactly what she did. “I worked really hard and ended up winning the state goat tying. Winning that saddle was probably my biggest accomplishment so far.”
Ashlee, her mom, an accomplished team roper, breakaway roper and goat tier, is credited with getting Staheli started in rodeo. Ashlee took her to see Tony Cannon to help with Staheli’s competitive edge in goats and breakaway. “Tony and his wife, Cindy, are the reason I got to go to nationals. Anytime I have a problem they just seem to know how to fix it. They taught me a lot about both events.” Staheli finished seventh in the state in breakaway this year.
Kirby, Staheli’s dad, is a construction foreman for Mel Clark, Inc. but also helps run the 200 head of beef cattle on the family ranch. “We have quite a few acres on Cedar Mountain with a cabin that are all part of the ranch that my family has owned and operated for a few generations.” Ashlee works as a secretary for the same construction company but also takes Staheli to all of her rodeo events. “My mom pushed me to try it and I have loved it from the start. She practices with me but does not really compete anymore.” Staheli first got on a horse when she was three and learned how to rope and rodeo at six, running barrels, poles and tying goats. “I like to put my three-year-old sister Stevee on my horse and walk her around. She gets pretty excited about goat tying and I hope she rodeos some day too.” Staheli runs her eight-year-old, sorrel mare, Lena, in the goat tying and ropes off her 16-year-old, sorrel mare, Smash. “Lena is a beast, she is stubborn and can be mean sometimes but I love her and she took me to nationals. Smash is my favorite though, she is just a solid horse and I know I can always trust her.” Oddly enough, she bought Lena to be a barrel and pole horse but secretly started training her on goats until she showed her mom and that is what they have ran on her ever since.
Staheli’s favorite class at Caynon View Middle School is math. “I have had to work pretty hard at it to be good.” She started learning the game of basketball and how to “post-up” just last year. “I like how I have made good friends with my teammates and then I really like being a post.” She loves listening to music, especially if it is country. “We are all fans of the Pittsburg Steelers. My dad has always been a fan and then he just brainwashed the rest of it.” If Staheli did not love to rodeo so much she would like to be able to play volleyball and softball but the seasons just overlap too much to make it work. In the summer, Staheli maintains the yard for Mel Clark, Inc. and works at the Cedar City Livestock Auction every Thursday. “Cedar City has a stock show every year in September and I have shown a 4-H lamb at it since I turned eight. I work with my lamb every day and then I sell it for market at the fair.” A muddy year at nationals gave Staheli the opportunity to sink or swim. “I just went out there and knew that I could do it.” She has hopes and the work ethic to go back next year and win the goat tying at nationals. She would like to rodeo in college and become a dental hygienist one day. “I really like the level of competition in the UJHSRA, it definitely helped prepare me for nationals. I have made a lot of good friends, everyone is nice and they will help with anything.”
Staheli Adams – Western Edge Photography
