goat horse during the year, and I've been tying on him ever
since."
Snoozy and Clingman dominated the Rocky Mountain
Region, in both the breakaway and goat tying. Clingman
was the 2024 Rocky Mountain Region Women's All-Around
Champion, and the region's champion goat tyer.
"He's probably as honest as a goat horse as you can
come. He's crazy, but he's honest as all get out."
adVice from a chamPion
"I hate to say this, but there's more to life than just what
happens in the arena," explained McKenna, "If your joy is
determined by what happens in there. And then you're
going to be depressed all the time."
McKenna's positivity and optimism towards life in general,
and not just life in the arena, have helped mold her into the
athlete she has become.
"I think it's really important to take a step back," she said,
"It's so hard because we dedicate so much of our lives to
the crazy sport that we love. And it's hard to be like, well,
it's not everything."
Coaching is also an essential piece to one's success in
college. For McKenna, finding a program with a coaching
program that fit her style was vital to her success.
"A good coach is open-minded and versatile. They have
an open mind towards everybody. When you're coaching,
you're not just coaching one type of a person. There are
millions of different types of people."
As an athlete, Clingman recommends "going against the
grain".
"You know what works for you, but also go against the
grain as in, go workout almost every day. Go to church, go
and practice instead of going to the bar and playing pool.
Maybe limit yourself to how much you drink and watch
what you eat," she explained, "Do what you know allows
you to win. It looks different for everybody, but make sure
that you stay true to yourself and true to what allows you
McKenna & Snoozy running through the mud at a college rodeo.
Photo Credit: Jay Drowns Photography @jaydrowns
to win. Because if you go with the crowd, you're going to
be just like everybody else."
McKenna has an exciting future ahead of her. She just
graduated with a bachelors degree in business, and is
currently in Moorcroft, Wyoming, working for Jordan
Thurston-Miller. McKenna isn't exactly sure yet what
career path she'd like to pursue but knows that she wants
to be her own boss, and hit the pro-rodeo scene within
the next few years. We wish her the best of luck in her
endeavors, her future is bright!
