Pipkin follows aunt’s lead, chooses rodeo over traditional high
school sports
Other high school girls choose cheerleading, swimming or volleyball as their primary sport. Ashley Pipkin, a Gilroy resident who attends Sobrato High School, chose the rodeo.
Her choice did not surprise her family or friends, as Pipkin has been riding horses since she was 4-years-old. Besides, Pipkin pointed out, “My aunt rode high school rodeo and that’s what helped me decide to do it.”
“Personally, I think she’s crazy to fly around those barrels on that 1,000-pound horse, but she and Gizmo (her horse) are a great team,” says Dina Pipkin, Ashley’s mom.
High School rodeo in California is a little different than other high school sports in that it is not done by the school, and is broken up into districts. Pipkin represents District Four that includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and San Francisco counties.
There are six girls’ events, including barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying, pole bending, cutting, and team roping.
Participants are assigned points throughout the season based on how they place in their event. The five with the highest point totals in the district at the end of the season are invited to the California High School Rodeo Association (CHSRA) State Finals, which will be held this year in Bishop in June.
Those who qualify can asvance to participate in the National High School Rodeo Association Finals held later in the year.
Pipkin, a sophomore, is somewhat of an anamoly at school. Her classmates “are shocked when they find out I ride in the rodeo. They don’t see me as a country person.”
After she proved it to them with pictures and video, they thought it was cool, Pipkin noted. While none of her friends at school participate in the rodeo they attend the closer events to show their support.
Pipkin is in the top three in the district for points totals and has earned a place in the Challenge of Champions, an invitational event for the top points holders that will take place March 23-25 in Plymouth.
Also qualifying from District Four for the Challenge of Champions are Katei Vest of Hollister and Brittany Knapps of Salinas.
Because the sport has such large districts it requires a lot of travel, but Pipkin does not mind spending her weekends on the road traveling from rodeo to rodeo, “I study a lot while we’re traveling so it doesn’t affect my school work and I love the events.”
Pipkin attributes her love of the speed and danger to her father who raced motorcycles for years.
When she is not competing she participates in Future Farmers of America and focuses on school. She hopes to keep riding into college, and beyond. “I would like to get a scholarship for college rodeo, hopefully for Cal Poly,” Pipkin said.
Interested boys and girls can start competing as early as junior high in the Wrangler league, Pipkin said, and high school rodeo is open to all students.
There is little training or coaching and all students have to provide their own animals and transportation, but to Pipkin “It’s all worth it.”
