Whitman County locals to compete at Silver State Rodeo

LACROSSE — Whitman County will see some of their youth compete in the Silver State Stampede Rodeo, taking place July 14-16 at Elko County Fairgrounds in Elko, Nevada.

Among the Whitman County locals is Rowdie Jo Broeckel, whose mother, Kelli Broeckel, is on the board for the Silver State Stampede.

Kelli Broeckel, shooting director, has been on the board for the last two years, and their family have been members for the last three.

To be able to compete in the Silver State Stampede, you need to be active in local rodeos, and score enough points to qualify for nationals.

“We have four rodeos in the fall we travel across Washington for. The kids take the points they earn through the weekend, where the top four go to nationals, then the next five through 25 go to silver state international. Kids all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico compete,” Broeckel said.

The Silver State Rodeo last year had around 550 kids, with more than 600 expected for this season.

One of the local competitors from Whitman County will be Rowdie Jo Broeckel, of LaCrosse. She was third in average for goat time, and sixth in the state of Washington.

“This event is great. It’s a bigger platform, bigger stage for the kids to compete against kids all across the U.S. and North America,” Broeckel said.

Another event Broeckel is passionate about teaching and having kids learn is the sport of trap shooting and light rifles.

“With sports like these, it’s a competition, but also a lifelong sport for these kids. It’s something they can respect and cherish. As a parent, it’s an opportunity and avenue for kids to be competitive on a bigger platform,” Broeckel said.

For Broeckel, the sport of rodeo and outdoor sports is all about the family atmosphere and camaraderie, especially in the Silver State Rodeo. The competitors from Whitman County will travel to Nevada to compete in a rodeo where likely they will have family traveling with them, making memories that can last a lifetime.

“ Its such a family affair, rodeo has been a family atmosphere. We travel as a family, we compete as a family,” Broeckel said.

Broeckel explained that the rodeo season is a year-round activity for her and the Broeckel family. The high school and Jr. season starts in August, with the first rodeo in September. Then, after four rodeos in the fall, they will travel to Spokane, Lewiston, Deer Park, Moses Lake, and Colfax to compete in more rodeos during the winter months.

Broeckel has high praise for the Silver State Rodeo, and sees this as a stepping stone for her family and others to reach a new level of competition in the rodeo world.

“It’s a great association, brings another level of competition, it’s a great stair step. State level competition prepares them for the next ranks of college or amateur competitions. Competitors helping competitors be better is why we raise our kids in this sport,” Broeckel said.