story by Ruth Nicolaus
Carleigh Laible is a good traveler, and she’s had plenty of practice at it.
Not only does she travel to Nebraska Junior High School Rodeos as a barrel racer and pole bender, but she travels with her dad as he hauls cattle.
In fact, she’s visited 25 states with him.
For her events, the Merna, Nebraska cowgirl rides a black gelding named Smoke who is thirteen years old. She considers poles her better event of the two she does.
She finished her eighth grade year at Callaway Public Schools, where her best subjects were Algebra I and animal science. Reading is her least favorite, and school lunches are just “ok,” not great.
She participated in cross country, volleyball, basketball and track, and was a member of her school’s FFA chapter and was on the honor roll.
The best meal her mom makes is sloppy joes, washed down with her favorite beverage, Sprite. Strawberries and green beans are her favorite fruits and vegetables, and for dessert, she prefers vanilla ice cream.
For fun, she likes to spend time with friends, playing X-Box or watching a movie. Her favorite movie is Spirit, which she has seen more times than she can count.
The Laible family has two pet dogs, Bella, an Australian Shepherd and pit bull mix, and Blaze, a kelpie, Catahoula and collie cross. They have cats, too, but none of them are named.
When Carleigh travel with her dad, she often helps unload cattle. They listen to her dad’s favorite music, which is rock and roll. She loves spending time with him.
Her favorite trip was when she went with him to Montana two years ago, to haul cattle to Texas. They got snowed in, in Deer Lodge and had to get a hotel. Montana is her favorite state to visit, because of its scenery. “It’s just pretty,” she said.
Carleigh is the youngest of six kids; being the baby of the family is “pretty good,” she says. She has her parents broken in, to where they’ll do most anything she wants, “most of the time,” she said.
She’s close to one of her brothers, Parker, who team roped in high school, and he was an influence on her competing in junior high rodeo, which she started as a seventh grader.
Her siblings include Tyson (age 30), Shaelynn (22), Parker (21), Calyn (18), and Delaynie (15).
Her parents love Carleigh’s perseverance, her mom said. “She tries her hardest at everything, and she doesn’t quit. She’s good at everything she does.”
When she grows up, she’d like to be a veterinarian.
Carleigh is the daughter of Tom and Gina Laible.
