Local girl PRs at National Little Britches Rodeo finals

Seventh-grader Joslyn Pischke has grown up riding horses on her ranch outside of Newcastle, and this summer she really began to take the reins herself when she qualified for the National Little Britches Rodeo Finals held July 3-10 in Guthrie, Okla.
“I like the competition. I like going out there. I like when all the work does pay off. It’s an awesome feeling that can’t be replaced with anything else,” Joslyn said.
This was her first year competing in the Little Britches series, and she qualified in goat tying — her favorite event — and put up her best time of 9.6 seconds at the Oklahoma event. That was her first time under 10 seconds, and next year, she hopes to be in the 8-second range. 
“It was really cool to qualify my first year,” Joslyn said. “I want to improve my time in goat tying again.”
In order to qualify, Joslyn had to attend qualifying rodeos and place in the top seven at six of those rodeos in each event. She competed in goat tying, barrels and breakaway, and she aspires to qualify in all three. 
Joslyn knows it will take a lot of work to get there, but she is determined to put in the effort because she loves doing it. Joslyn even began raising her own goats, according to her mom, Jill, to ensure she has enough stock available to practice on.
“I’m really excited. I like just going all summer. … It’s super busy, but it’s a lot of fun,” Joslyn said. “We practice as much as we can, whenever we can.” 
Jill is the advisor for the local FFA club, and she said their summers fill up quickly between preparing for and traveling to rodeos, but they’ve found a system that works and still allows them to get the chores done. Growing up competing in rodeos herself, she said that it has been very rewarding watching her daughter excel in something for which they share a love. 
“She has a passion for it, so she has the interest to do it. I think she’s been successful because she puts in the time and effort — it’s not me dragging her out of bed,” Jill said. “I know how hard she works, so I’m always glad when I see her make good times.”
Joslyn’s natural competitive spirit, which she credits to her mom, makes rodeo the perfect fit. She loves the speed and the adrenaline rush, always striving to “be the best that I can be.” She explained that goat tying is her favorite event because there are several steps involved, including rushing down, sticking the landing and making sure the goat remains tied. 
“I just like going down there really, really focused, really fast. It’s one of the hardest events,” she said. “It makes it a really fun challenge.” 
Teamwork is often the only way success is possible, and a rider can only be as good as her horse. Jill said Joslyn has an amazing horse — a 12-year-old mare named Holly, who always works at the pace Joslyn goes. 
“You can tell she gives this girl her heart every time. We’re very blessed with this mare,” Jill said.
“A lot of people don’t think of it as a team sport, but you’re bonding with your animal  … When we go to the rodeos, she’s just dialed in. She knows where we’re at,” Joslyn said. “She’s just the coolest mare. She’s just so sweet — she’s awesome.”
Joslyn loves the thrill of the rodeo, and she also loves the bond with her horse. But there is another key bond that she’s grateful for, and that is the support of friends and family. She has role models in the rodeo realm she enjoys watching and learning from, and local rancher Craig Deveraux has been a huge help in developing Joslyn’s roping and riding skills in the breakaway event. 
“He’s always willing to help,” Joslyn said, adding that Ashten Marchant also poured many hours of coaching into her. 
Joslyn said there is always room to improve, and rodeo has taught her to have an open mind, be persistent and push herself in ways beyond what she thought possible. She said her mom also pushes her to do her best, “growing that competitive spirit.” 
Jill said that it has been rewarding to watch Joslyn when she succeeds, but also gratifying to see how she responds when things don’t go as planned. There is a growth of character development, she said, as Joslyn strives to learn from her mistakes.
“I see a lot of potential in her when she puts in the effort and the drive. When it all comes together, she is going to be very tough to beat. Right now she is still learning and growing in her abilities,” Jill said. 
Joslyn is also very grateful for the support of her dad, Brian, who has taken on a coaching role, even though he didn’t grow up with rodeo experience. He encouraged his daughter to practice away from the arena with agility and sprint exercises.
“That’s all thanks to him. I never would have thought of that,” she said. “He didn’t grow up riding a horse, but he cared so much he learned it.  … He’s great support.” 
Joslyn has a busy year ahead, but she is excited to compete with the Junior High Rodeo for the first time as she continues looking for ways to improve and pursue her passion.