story by Lindsay Humphrey
“I’ve always said ranching and rodeo is all I’ve ever known,” said Kim Coleman from Ackerly, Texas. “I’ve worked on the family ranch my whole life. That and training barrel horses has made up my whole life.” With a lifetime spent in the saddle already, Kim has never felt like she rides too much. It’s her entire life. “My mom (JoAnne Coleman) was hauling to rodeos before I was born. So, when I arrived, she took me with her, and my options were to get a horse and join her or sit in the truck.” At age 14, Kim joined the WPRA and just two years later she started training her own futurity horses. She’s been winning on self-made mounts ever since.
“When I was younger, I was riding 7 or 8 horses every day but now I usually get on 3 or 4 every day of the week. I’ve never had a ‘real job,’ I’ve always been on the ranch. It’s been a fun life.” A true gypsy soul, Kim can only spend a week or two at home before she gets the itch to hit the rodeo trail again. As it turns out, she really doesn’t know how to take a trip without a trailer following behind her. “A lot of my friends go to rodeos and that’s about the only time I get to see them. When we go to a rodeo, we do a lot of socializing and some sight seeing when there’s time.” JoAnne is Kim’s constant companion both at home on the ranch and on the road.
“I have to give my mom all the credit because she makes every mile with me. She helps me drive and take care of the horses. As she’s gotten older, she’s taken up ranch sorting and we get to do that together some, but we’re also gone a lot at rodeos.” When they’re destined for mountain country, Kim and JoAnne take their trail horses along for the ride. They’ll spend days at a time camping out and riding trails together. “People always ask why I want to ride more when that’s all I really do every day. But we get to see a lot of stuff that you can’t see in cars. We just really enjoy it.” Both Arizona and Colorado are favorite rodeo destinations that also have great trail riding. Estes Park is one of Kim’s favorite NSPRA events to enter each year.
It was just three years ago that Kim first joined the Texas Senior Rodeo Association. She was quickly introduced to the NSPRA and bought her card right away. She’s spent her life surrounded by rodeo competitors of all levels as well as barrel jackpots and futurities, but Kim has probably enjoyed her time in the NSPRA the most. “I’ve met so many great people and gotten to be good with friends with a lot of them. Out of all the groups of people I’ve been around, these [NSPRA] people are the friendliest and nicest.” The fact that the association tries to schedule several rodeos close together is also a draw for Kim. She doesn’t have to drive hundreds of miles just to make two NSPRA rodeos.
“I also really enjoy the NSPRA because it caters to the 40 and over competitor. I never thought I would say that, but as we get older our reactions are slower. It gives me somewhere to run and compete that won’t be against these 18-year-olds that are riding really aggressively.” On the road, Kim is the trail boss and in the last few years she’s also become ranch manager as her mom has handed over the reins. Kim runs the operation almost entirely on her own. “I have one good dog and then my son (Colten, 24) that can help me when I need it. And my mom still helps out and drives the feed truck and all that. Mainly my son and I take care of most of it.” Kim’s step dad, Mike, keeps the ranch running and the horses fed while everyone is away at a rodeo. After a dry start to the summer, Kim had to reduce her Brahman and F1 cow herd to 150 head. Keeping her herd mostly intake proved beneficial when the rain finally came and Kim heads into the winter months looking to replenish her cow herd when the market prices drop back down again.
