M-SRA member, Krista Kubik – Peter Hammer
story by Terry Rhodes
Krista Kubik is in her first year as a full member of the Mid-States organization. “I’ve run in Mid-States rodeos before, but just once in awhile. This is our only rodeo association and we’ll get to about eight rodeos since we both are getting to know our new horses. My husband, Grant competes in the team roping and I’m in the barrel racing.” Krista says the Mid-States association is a great one to belong to and enjoys going to the rodeos. “It’s a great association and I like that the rodeos are close and fun to go to. The crowds at the rodeos are great and that gets me going when they’re cheering and tend to ride more aggressive than I do at jackpots just because the crowd.”
She says that rodeo atmosphere helps to get her horse going too. “I need to get him fired up otherwise he’ll just lope a nice pattern and not really run.” Krista has a work ethic that keeps her training for the rodeo. “I am dedicated to the sport and work to get better at it. I’ll ride four to five times a week and I mix it up between relaxing trail rides and hard conditioning rides. He’s pretty well seasoned so I don’t need to do a lot of tuning on him.” She has only had her horse, Cutter (Dash Ta Carlito) for four months but the team has been getting along great. “I have always wanted to have a gray horse and he is amazing. He’s off the track and is double bred Dash For Cash.” Krista gives credit to Summer Gengenbach for helping her take her barrel racing skills to the next level. “I told her that I really wanted get into barrel racing and she helped me to get started.”
Krista grew up in a ranch family from western Nebraska and learned her riding and horsemanship skills at an early age. “I started barrel racing about 10 years ago when I was in the 7th or 8th grade. I started doing some jackpots and then rodeoed in high school. I just bought a seasoned horse this year and have started going to rodeos.”
She and Grant live in Valparaiso, Neb. with their two French Bull Dogs and two horses. Krista is a surgical technician and works at Nebraska Oral and Facial Surgery. “I work about 60 hours a week and that allows me rodeo on the weekends.” Grant works at DNA Genetics. Goals for the future are to get a place of their own. Free time is spent hunting or just having down time with the family, dogs and horses.
Krista appreciates what she has and doesn’t take things for granted. “I got very sick when I was in high school and was in the hospital for some time. I wanted to get into barrel racing and just couldn’t. I wanted to buy another horse and that gave me the inspiration to get well. So I try to live each day to the fullest.”
