story by Lily Weinacht
Montana Heller from Meridan, Kansas, is leading the goat tying in the KJHSRA. The 13-year-old rookie is new to the KJHSRA but no stranger to the rodeo world, which she started competing in five years ago. Her dad rode bulls, and many of her cousins have rodeoed, inspiring Montana to do the same. “You get to do what you love, and meet new people,” she says.
Montana also competes in the Christian Youth Rodeo Association in goat tying, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and pole bending. She runs ribbons for Pete Peters and ropes with her ribbon runner Cooper Hewitt. “Goat tying is my favorite. I just like how competitive it is, and it’s all on you and you learn to trust yourself more. And I like how fast it gets your heart going. I practice two to three times a week, and usually my cousin Kassie Adams helps me with goat tying. She’s the one who has helped me be where I am today in goats, and when she doesn’t come, I have a goat dummy I tie at my house. My parents, Jessica Bingham and Jared Heller, are very supportive, and my grandma, Debbie Adams, will take me to practices and barrel races to help me get better. My aunts and uncles and cousins all help me and are supportive even when I don’t do the best. They come to a lot of my rodeos, and my aunt Stacie Adams and uncle Brian Adams are taking me to a lot of the junior high rodeos. I really appreciate them, because without them, I would not be able to have this opportunity.”
For goat tying, pole bending, and barrel racing, Montana rides a 15-year-old mare named Shay. “She always wants to go no matter how much you run her, and you can always count on her. She was my birthday present for my 13th birthday. We bought her from my cousin Kassie, and everyone got together and surprised me with Shay. My rope horse, Zahn, is 16, and he’s been in the family since before I was born. I can always expect the best out of him. This past year I did not have a barrel horse, so I used him, and even though we weren’t the fastest or the best, we still made a solid time.”
Montana’s dad also has 100 head of meat goats, cows, bucket calves, and roping calves, which she helps care for. She took a year off showing in 4-H, but starts again in October and plans to show goats and possibly pigs. Montana also enjoys riding horses and swimming with her friend Dali Reser, who competes in the CYRA with her. An eighth-grader at Jefferson West Middle School, Montana loves her math class, where they’re learning about square roots and converting fractions to decimals, and she enjoys working with her teacher and classmates. She also plans to do track and field again this year, where she does shot-put, discus, and relay. Her younger brother and sister, Becka and Clayton Trusberry, play softball, and the siblings support each other at their softball games and rodeos.
If she could spend a day with a rodeo athlete, Montana would choose Lisa Lockhart or Lane Frost. “I would want to practice barrels and have Lisa Lockhart give me tips on how to be a better barrel racer. And I would want to know from Lane Frost what it’s like to be a bull rider. It seems so fun because they keep getting on,” she explains. “This year in the Christian Youth Rodeo Association I’m trying to win the all-around and get a saddle, and I’m just trying to do my best in the junior high rodeos and be in the top three.”
