Sawyer gilbert breakaway roping1/16/2024 ![]() ![]() You had to be on your game if you were going to win anything there,” she says. “That’s where so many of us got that competitive mindset. ![]() Williams also gives credit to the Buffalo Youth Rodeo Series, held on weeknights during the summer for local rodeo kids. “When you deal with everything on a large cattle ranch in South Dakota, then the practice pen seems easy,” she said. Working through adverse weather conditions, days in the saddle, the mental challenges of ranching, and “growing up tough” helped her to put rodeo into perspective. Even though Joe built an indoor barn for practicing their events, there was still the running of the ranch to be done. She learned to rope and ride from her father, Joe, and sister, Jessica. Growing up on a remote cattle ranch in Harding County helped to shape Williams, whose maiden name is Painter. Growing up on her family ranch helped shape her into the competitor she is Jackie Jensen Courtesy photo Joey Williams' exciting last-minute qualification to the National Finals of Breakaway Roping is in part due to her husband's encouragement. “I wouldn’t miss those for the world,” she says. She attends as many football and volleyball games and youth rodeos as possible. “They knew what the WNFR was, and they wanted us to get there just as bad as anyone else,” she says. Her oldest was in junior high when she first qualified for the Finals, and her second-born just a fifth grader. The past Reserve World Champion has unique challenges going down the rodeo road, as not many professional rodeo athletes compete while mothering five children. She gives much credit to her horse “Missy”, owned by Gary Westergren: “Missy is the one and only that I’ve won money on all four years. Jessica Routier is the veteran of the trio, this year being her fourth qualification to the WNFR in barrel racing. Three women from Harding County, South Dakota will compete at the 2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada this December: Jessica Routier, Joey Williams, and Sawyer Gilbert.
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