Written by: Siri Stevens

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Cindy Wall is no stranger to the top of the standings within the Central Plains Rodeo Association (CePRA), having qualified for the finals all three years of her membership within the organization. The mother of five has burst out of the gate to take a strong lead in the barrel racing for 2014, having already surpassed her total 2013 year-end winnings by approximately $150. “It’s the people that make the organization. They are run well and they are willing to work with the contestants,” she said of what keeps her coming back to the CePRA. “Of course, I like that they are located great for me, but all year-round they do a great job.”

With a father in the military, Cindy spent most of her childhood overseas, and wasn’t able to get on her first horse until she was ten years old. “I was an army brat and never had horses,” she explained. “I finally got on my first horse in Berlin, Germany with the British. I rode off and on from there, but never rode western until after college.” Upon getting married and moving to Kansas, where western-style riding is almost mandatory, Cindy began her new journey. “I guess I was around 26 years old when I started running barrels,” she said. Through her progression and climbing the ranks through 3 and 4D barrel races, Cindy found comfort in the rodeo arena and was found capturing the fastest time of the 2013 CePRA finals, along with being a recent pistol winner of the KPRA/CePRA Gunslinger Rodeo Series. “It’s definitely the atmosphere, my adrenaline really gets running at rodeos and I think that they make for grittier horses that run harder, compared to the well groomed ground at barrel races,” she said.

To add to Cindy’s remarkable tale, she has the unique opportunity of hauling with her daughter (Katie, 21), who finished second in the CePRA year-end standings last year. “We are each other’s biggest supporters and biggest competition, which makes us a great team,” said Cindy. “While Katie will always be my daughter, she is also my best friend, which is a nice new stage in our relationship.” The pair have set a busy schedule for the rest of the season, having filled their WPRA permits on the last race together in the previous season, they plan on hitting the road hard to earn their way to the Prairie Circuit Finals as rookies, along with qualifying for the CePRA finals. “We have fun, but stick to business. It’s a special thing to be able to compete and share the experiences together,” she said. Katie is currently attending the nursing program at Newman University and will graduate next year. “She’ll move into the real world and have to get a job, so this may be our last chance to go at it hard,” said Cindy. “We’ll just have to really take advantage and enjoy the moment.

Outside of the arena, the Mulvane, Kan., resident earns her way through a 10-year partnership with her husband (Mike) in a consulting company (Better Enterprise Solutions). “It’s been great. We’ve scraped through the tough times and are still going strong,” she said. While Mike works in the field with nuclear and power plants all over the country, Cindy runs the office and heads up all of the administration work.

When it comes to the arena, Mike has picked up the title of “coach”. “He has an amazing eye for technique and helps Katie and I through it all,” she explained. “He also has an amazing eye for horses and, actually, hand picked the ones that we each compete on. It has truly been a blessing to have found the horses that we have, and it will be hard to fill their shoes.”

The couple of 25 years, have a total of five children between them. Their four sons, an age difference of 20 years from oldest to youngest, have all enjoyed the horse experience, but focused a majority of their time on wrestling. “I have been a wrestling mom for 23 years,” said Cindy, while standing outside of the practice room. While three (Tyson, 30, Isaac, 27, and Chris, 23) are no longer on the mat, Cindy continues to attend the meets for her 10-year old son (Carson). “My family are as much supportive of me as I am of them. I couldn’t do it without them,” she stated.