Nineteen-year-old cowgirl Callie Griffith has a passion for horses, and it’s no surprise given her family’s equestrian ties.
“My dad was raised on a ranch in South Dakota where he grew up riding and training cutting horses along with my grandfather,” said Callie. “My dad continued training until I was eight, and that’s when I fell in love with horses and roping.”
A Decatur, Texas native, Callie is taking the rodeo circuit by storm and she has the buckles, saddles and cash prizes to prove it. During high school, she participated in the Texas High School Rodeo Association and went to the state finals before moving into the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) sector.
In 2008, Callie was named Breakaway Champion at the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Her total competition time on her three runs totaled 9.4 seconds, earning her the coveted title and a cash award. Breakaway roping requires competitors to be fast-acting, and it’s imperative that they possess a high level of skill to win.
Now a freshman at Western Texas College in Snyder, Callie got her first breakaway horse at age 13. “It was a miracle we ended up with Hummer,” she recalls. “I felt like he was teaching me how to rope. He had the intuition to take care of me and help me learn.”
Callie notes that there are many great competitors that she looks up to in the rodeo circuit and values the way everyone pitches in to help one another.
When she’s not perfecting her passion in her backyard arena, Callie enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews, with hopes of getting them into the rodeo action.
Be on the lookout for more great things from this rodeo superstar as she prepares to speak about matters close to her heart at churches across Texas.
| Date | Location | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 9/17/2009 - 9/19/2009 | Eastern New Mexico University - Portales, NM |
3.0 + 10 seconds in Breakaway 9.8 seconds in Goats |
| 9/24/2009 - 9/26/2009 | Sul Ross State University - Alpine, TX | 10 seconds in Goats |
| 10/01/2009 - 10/03/2009 | Frank Phillips College - Perryton, TX | 10.2 seconds in Goats |
| 10/08/2009 - 10/10/2009 | Vernon College - Vernon, TX | 2.5 + 10 seconds in Breakaway 8.7 seconds in Goats |
| 10/15/2009 - 10/17/2009 | Texas Tech University - Lubbock, TX | 2.4 + 10 seconds in Breakaway 10.2 seconds in Goats |
| 3/18/2010 - 3/20/2010 | Weatherford, TX | No time |
| 4/1/2010 - 4/3/2010 | Snyder, TX | 3.0 + 10 seconds in Breakaway 9.3 seconds in Goats |