Moses Lake teen heads to national rodeo
Matea Frensdorf of Moses Lake will compete in a national youth rodeo this month. It will be her second time competing in the cow cutting event.
Matea Frensdorf will compete for the second time at the National High School Finals Rodeo.
MOSES LAKE — At 18 years old, Matea Frensdorf will compete for the second time at the National High School Finals Rodeo.
The Moses Lake resident will compete at the national program with the Washington State High School Rodeo Team.
Frensdorf leaves for Gillette, Wyom., July 16 and will be gone until July 26.
She is competing in the cow cutting category, she said. During the finals rodeo, the event is referred to as “girls cutting.”
During the event, the horse and rider enter a ring and select a cow in a herd. While the cow tries to return to the herd, the rider loosens the reins allowing the horse to keep the cow separate from the herd on its own. Frendsdorf will have two and a half minutes to show the horse during the event.
She competed at the final rodeo in New Mexico last year in the same event.
In the high school division, teams are divided by state. Only the top four riders in each event get the opportunity to head to nationals.
She is among the top 20 in the nation for her event in the largest youth cutting event in the world.
“There’s tons of scholarship opportunity,” she said.
This year she received a $2,000 scholarship through the Washington state program and $250 “Top Hand” scholarship from Teskey’s Top Saddle Shop, in Moses Lake, over Memorial Day weekend. The $2,000 scholarship was the second highest scholarship awarded in the state.
“National High School Rodeo is the biggest rodeo in the nation,” Frensdorf added.
She described being able to go to the national competition as an honor. In addition to competing in the national program, Frensdorf has trained exclusively in cow cutting for two years.
She decided to try cow cutting after a friend won awards in the category. She borrowed her friend’s quarterhorse named Lucky and has had success ever since.
Although she will ride Lucky at the competition, her favorite horse is hers, Smokum, a 14-year-old quarterhorse.
“I’ve had her since I was seven and she was four,” she explained. “We pretty much grew up together. She was the first horse I rode by myself. I could swim in the lake with her.”
Smokum is also the first horse she rode in a rodeo.
“We have this connection,” Frensdorf continued. “I will never have a connection with a horse like that again.”
She explained being able to work with such a large animal that could take advantage of her as amazing because she has earned its trust and it follows her commands.
She first became interested in rodeo because of her mother.
“I’ve had horses all my life,” Frensdorf said. “My mom was really into rodeo. I just picked it up too. My mom’s had really good success. She taught me everything she knows.”
She guessed she was probably an infant the first time she sat on a horse. Her first barrel race competition was when she was 9 years old and her first rodeo was at age 12.
Frensdorf plans to continue competing in rodeos independently while she studies aviation at Big Bend Community College.
Become a Subscriber!
You have read all of your free articles this month. Select a plan below to start your subscription today.
Already a subscriber? Login
