story by Riata Cummings
Thirteen year old cowgirl and rodeo athlete, Kadence Martin hails from Evanston, Wyoming. She is the oldest child of Kade and Nicole Martin, and her siblings are Kash, Oaklynn, Maycee, and Kassidy. As a family they enjoy spending time camping, traveling, and competing in rodeos. Kadence does her schooling online through the Liahona Preparatory Academy and will be an 8th grader this year. She loves that online schooling gives her the chance to ride and rope the dummy between her classes.
Kadence started rodeoing when she was about 9-years-old. She has been roping for the last three years, and currently competes in the ribbon roping, team roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying. Her favorite is the breakaway roping where she has, “been working really hard at it and can really see improvement as hard work pays off.” Though the family has 10 horses, Kadence uses three to rodeo on, namely Skeeter, Copper, and Barry. Skeeter is her 13-year-old breakaway horse, Copper is the 12-year-old horse that the family raised and trained that Kadence uses to head, and 12-year-old Barry cleans house in the pole bending, barrel racing, and goat tying. Those horses have helped Kadence become the 2018 Utah Youth Rodeo Association Breakaway Roping Champion, 2019 Silver State International Rodeo Breakaway Roping Reserve Champion, and a Mike Johnson Junior Toughest Rodeo Qualifier. This year Kadence has a goal to qualify for state in every event, become the breakaway roping state champion, and make it to nationals.
Kadence was recently elected the Utah Junior High School Rodeo Student Secretary. She is looking forward to meeting new people and becoming a helpful member of the Board of Directors. Her father has taught her that, “We compete in rodeo to have fun, but we do it because it teaches us how to control our minds and how to work hard.”
Kadence lives by the saying, “If you want to look good in front of thousands, you must out-work thousands in front of no one.” The quote reminds her that, “Most people hear the big names in rodeo and all they see is the success and winning without thinking about the work that goes into it. Until you put that work in yourself, you don’t really appreciate the winning.” One of Kadence’s heroes is Jackie Crawford who has, “Won just about everything a girl can win in the breakaway roping.” Kadence has been to some of Jackie’s clinics and interacted with the kind and inspiring woman. Another of her heroes is her mother, whose tireless work and helpful nature inspires Kadence to be a better person. One day Kadence would like to be remembered not only by her achievements, but also by her willingness to work hard and help those around her.
Kadence would like to thank her parents, Jackie Crawford, and Matt Cumbie for all of their support, their effort to teach and coach her, and for pushing her to be the best that she can, in and out of the arena. She would also like to give a special thanks to her father who is the, “best dad and coach ever.”
