Mid States Rodeo Association - East (MSRA-E) Archives

Associations

Mid States Rodeo Association - East (MSRA-E)

Phone: (810) 252-4732
Email: midstatesrodeosecretary@gmail.com

Visit Our Website

Members

Meet the Member Madison Iager

story by Michele Toberer As a first-generation rodeo athlete, Madison Iager got started in rodeo after first being interested in the rodeo queen life. “I didn’t have anyone in my family that rodeoed but in high school I wanted to be a rodeo queen; and while I was the Maryland High School Rodeo Queen in 2013 and 2014, I started barrel racing. I figured I could surely run a barrel pattern, but never really thought…

Meet the Member Jake Hawkins

story by Michele Toberer “Jake The Snake” Hawkins is a 21-year-old Goshen, Indiana cowboy that mainly has roping steers on his mind. One of the main things he loves about roping, is the family time he gets to spend with his parents and three younger siblings. “When I was younger, I had to make a choice between soccer and rodeo, and I liked that with rodeo I spent more time with my family, so stuck…

Meet the Member Kayla Keller

story by Michele Toberer In her fourth season of rodeo competition with the Mid-States Rodeo Association, Kayla Keller is looking forward to the rodeo season picking up again after a mid-season break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hastings, Michigan cowgirl competes in barrel racing and breakaway roping in the MSRA and is grateful to have rodeo as a part of her life. “I’ve made it a conscious decision to keep rodeo in my life.…

Meet the Member Claudia Freier

story by Michele Toberer Claudia Freier was excited to finish 2019 as the Mid-States Rodeo Association Rookie Champion Breakaway Roper and reserve champion breakaway roper for the season after winning the average at the MSRA finals rodeo. Born and raised in Birch Run, Michigan, the first-generation cowgirl started out riding dressage horses when she was 10 years old, but once a friend from school introduced her to rodeo, there was no turning back. She started…

Meet the Member Samantha Courville

story by Michele Toberer Samantha Courville of Kankakee, Illinois is very appreciative of her supportive family as well as the encouraging barrel racers of the Mid-States Rodeo Association. She was excited to step into the world of rodeo competition after barrel racing at jackpots for four years; and qualifying for the 2019 MSRA season finals her rookie year was icing on the cake for the 18-year-old cowgirl. “The MSRA made my first year of rodeo…

Meet the Member Dakota Warnken

story by Michele Toberer With bull riding on his mind, Dakota Warnken of Wakarusa, Indiana couldn’t wait until he turned 18 so he could fulfill his adrenaline filled dreams. Rodeo was not a part of his upbringing, but somewhere inside, Dakota knew he was destined to be climbing in the bucking chute and chasing gold buckles 8 seconds at a time. Greg Warnken, Dakota’s dad, works as an RV hauler, and his mom, Lorie stays…

Meet the Member Neal Borntrager

story by Michele Toberer “My whole life all I wanted to be was a cowboy, riding the ranges, and working cattle on a big ranch,” explained Neal Borntrager of Middlebury, Indiana. However, being a cowboy seemed like only a dream to Neal as he grew up in Riceville, Iowa as a part of the Amish community. He was surrounded by farms and animals, but thought being a cowboy was something that wouldn’t materialize for his…

Meet the Member Rob Black

story by Michele Toberer Rob Black grew up on a family ranch in Bruneau, Idaho as one of the 9 children of Joe and Margaret Black. He and his seven brothers and one sister, spent their time riding, roping, and using all the skills needed to get the ranch work completed. In 1970, his senior year of high school, he started competing in rodeo, and rodeo has been a part of his life, off and…

Meet the Member Sam & Cassidy Beasley

For Mid-States Rodeo Association members, Sam and Cassidy Beasley, rodeo and horses are a major part of life. Sam’s family transplanted to Michigan from Illinois 11 years ago, and Cassidy came to Michigan with her family close to 15 years ago. The couple married two years ago and have a one-year-old daughter named Abilene Rose. The couple has taken the experience they gained from their own families and upbringing with horses and combined it to…

Meet the Member Emily Botsford

story by Michele Toberer Botsford Performance Horses represents a lifetime of horse passion for Emily Botsford of Sparta, Michigan. Horses have been a constant in Emily’s life, which started out in Bailey, Michigan where she competed for many years in Appaloosa breed shows in multiple disciplines. However, she moved to Sparta 12 years ago, and in addition to showing, Emily started barrel racing approximately 7 years ago, and rodeo has become a major part of…

Meet the Member Cheyenne Honigman

story by Michele Toberer The Morrison women of Cheyenne Honigman’s family have passed on the barrel racing gene to the 21-year-old Mid-States Rodeo Association cowgirl. Growing up in Seville, Ohio, Cheyenne was surrounded by horses and her mom and aunts racing them around the cloverleaf barrel pattern. “I have been riding on a horse with family members since I was in a baby carrier, and long before I could walk or talk. It has been…

Meet the Member Colt Hayes

story by Michele Toberer Colt Hayes is competing in the Mid-States Rodeo Association for the first time this year and has hopes of qualifying for the season finals his rookie year. He is no stranger to rodeo competition, and as a second-generation calf roper, he’s been surrounded by it most of his life. The MSRA seemed like a perfect fit for him this season, as he now lives in Brownsburg, Indiana and has a multitude…