story by Siri Stevens
Melissa Wanger is one of the barrel racing directors for the KPRA. “This is my third year to rodeo like this, I always loved it – I grew up on a cattle ranch. I joined the KPRA and thought there’s a lot I don’t know and this is a way for me to learn what goes into it – and I am willing and glad to help. I’m excited to be on the board.” She went to Northwest junior rodeos in high school, competing on her ranch horse. “I did all the events on that horse and loved it. I never got the chance after that due to work on the ranch and starting our family.”
The 35 year old grew up north of Gate Oklahoma, an hour from where she lives now, Ft. Supply, Oklahoma. She lives on her husband’s, Kirby, family ranch. “I grew up on Smith’s grandparents (her mother’s parents) and now I help, Kirby, with his family ranch.” Kirby stays busy at home on the ranch and his spur shop. He helps the boys (Luke, 10, and Lane, 5) rodeo. “He’s the one that gets us there and makes sure everything else gets done. He’s the one that knew what to do to get me started.” They started with a ranch horse that had potential and it went from there. She went to her first rodeo in Meade, Kansas. “I called and entered and decided if I was competitive with these girls I’m going to try it. When I went to pay my fees, the secretary encouraged me to buy my card. I didn’t but I won the rodeo. It was a lot of fun.”
The KPRA has made it so much fun. The boys love to go. “They go to all of them with me, it’s a great family time and something I’ve wanted to do my whole life and now I get to.” The boys participate in anything the rodeo has from calf scramble to boot scramble. They help their mom put boots on, fill water buckets, and whatever she needs to do. They take their roping dummy and have their own little rodeo with other kids. “They have a time.”
Melissa works side by side with her husband. “We run a few stocker calves, grass yearlings, and mostly cow calf pairs. “I mainly take care of the cattle while the guys are in the field.” Every day is different and she likes that. “I don’t know if I’m going to be fixing water gaps or riding – I love getting to do different things. I ride horses every day and get to go to the rodeos on the finished horses – that’s fun.”
Melissa competes on horses that they train on the ranch. “I’ve had a couple that other people have put a few rides on, but the rest of them are started by me. They start on the ranch – they are like me. I like to do different things and I’m sure they do too.” Riding in the pasture and learning different ground helps them learn where their feet are and how to take care of themselves and the rider. “We keep our horses forever – that’s fun too.” She competes on two different horses – her sorrel horse is her main horse, Jessie. Her boys ride him on the ranch and her oldest boy, Luke, competed on him at the National Little Britches rodeos. The gray horse belongs to her husband. “I actually bought him that horse as a three year old. He’s been a ranch horse and my little boy needed something to ride at the junior rodeos and he runs really good pole and barrel patterns.”
She is a day by day person, and doesn’t plan too far ahead. “I love what we do and I want to bring more attention to how great it is. Farming and ranching is so important and there are so many people that have gone away from it – I hope we can keep taking care of the land and pass that on to our boys.”
