Taking the reins and whizzing through the cloverleaf pattern, Sherri Odell dominated the barrel racing competition in the Kansas Professional Rodeo Association (KPRA) and won her first year-end title by close to $4,000 above her closest competitor. “I have an awesome horse,” she credited to her animal athlete.
Her 11-year old partner (Bully) has been a part of Sherri’s string since he was a two-year old and Sherri says that it has taken a lot of years to get him where he is today. “We spent a lot of time working cattle. Between shagging in the feedlots and ranch work, Bully and I have spent quite a bit of time together,” she said of the training process. “When I was younger, my parents would never buy me a started barrel horse and said that if I wanted to run, then I had to train my own and for that I am very thankful.” Her race horse has also racked up a reserve-champion title in the KPRA and a year-end title within the Texas Cowboy’s Rodeo Association (TCRA), along with winning Horse of the Year in 2010. “He finally decided that he would much rather run barrels and he has proven that,“ she said. Tearing up the competition, Bully created a cushion for Sherri in the 2013 KPRA standings and allowed for enough space to be turned out. “I didn’t even run him at the finals. Instead, I ran colts and gave Bully a little vacation,” she explained.
Sherri has been a member of the KPRA off-and-on since 1993, where she qualified for her first finals. Since that time, she has been a finals contender four times. “They do a great job with the rodeos and ground conditions, but I was really impressed with the payout. They pay as well as the pro circuit rodeos,” she said of the organization and her $9,723 season winnings.
The Liberal, Kans., cowgirl got her start in the arena through her parents and she was entering her first junior rodeos by the age of four. “I’ve run forever,” she said. While her dad (Melvin Odell) worked as a pickup man, her mom (Linda Smith) ran barrels. “Through my family, I‘ve always been around rodeo. It is something that I‘ve always done and I can‘t imagine a life without my horses,” she said of why she likes to rodeo. Both parents continue to be very supportive of Sherri. “Mom is very instrumental in my rodeoing. She helps with the daily grind of taking care of our 20 head of horses and, at times, will travel with me,” she said. While Linda lives with her daughter and will occasionally still run, her ranching father made the trip to the KPRA Finals to support her. “I was the first time that he has watched me rodeo in about 20 years,” she said while explaining that he has thought himself to be a jinx to her.
Outside of rodeo, Sherri and Linda are partners in a cattle processing business (L and S Processing) that they started about 15 years ago. “There are a lot more women in the cattle industry and we have been very successful with our business,” Sherri said. The business partners have opened the door to Sherri’s husband (Ty Crutchfield, a team roper within the KPRA) and he has taken on a lot of the responsibility to allow Sherri to chase her dreams inside of the arena. “He doesn’t get to go as much, because of his support of me,” she said. The couple will celebrate their one-year anniversary in December and Sherri says that they have plans on spending it at a Denver Broncos game.
A cowgirl through-and-through, Sherri’s list of associations expand into the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), where she has been a member since 1990. With only ten days of riding Bully prior to the 2013 WPRA World Finals, she was able to place in the second-go. “My goal has always been to make the NFR and hopefully 2014 will find us there,” she said and will travel outside of the Prairie Circuit that she designates.
Setting a high standard for herself, Sherri still plans on hitting the KPRA rodeos as often as she can. Her and Ty plan on kicking off the 2014 season by hitting the “Gunslinger Series” and have hopes of coaxing Linda to go along with them. “She has fallen in love with one of the younger horses around here and hopefully we’ll get her to go as well,” she said.
