Sitting in her saddle behind the roping box, Amy Jo Freeman, 27, waits for the signal to go. Her mission? To rope a calf as fast as she can at the Lone Star Rodeo finals.
Freeman, a resident of Morganfield, has been roping for almost 20 years now, getting her start in break away roping in the Indiana Junior Rodeo Association. Several years later and a few buckles more on her shelf, Freeman can now add one more buckle to her collection. After successfully roping all of her calves, she came in first place at the Lone Star finals this past weekend in Cullman, AL.
Freeman made it to the Lone Star finals after participating in a year's worth of rodeos and keeping up with her standings. The officials of the Lone Star Rodeo notified her after she came in second monetary wise, $800 behind another Kentuckian, Codi Chandler.
"I was excited," Freeman said. "I knew I was behind her and I wanted to come out on top. I was what they call a spoiler - I was in second with a chance to come out in first if she (Chandler) didn't rope her calf both nights."
Accompanied by her mother and boyfriend, Freeman had a lot of support from family as she competed.
Having to be checked in by 6 p.m. on Friday night, Freeman was ready to go. Coming in second place that night, she had to win money the next night if she was going to win. After missing her calf, Chandler opened the door for Freeman to the first place spot as Freeman was able rope her calf.
"I couldn't quit smiling," Freeman said, with a smile. "I unofficially figured that I had won first place but when they announced it, it was still exciting to know that I had won first place.
After paying $200 in entrance fees, Freeman won it all back with her prize money. With a total of $1,347, plus a nice, shiny belt buckle, Freeman had several things to be proud of.
"I was the only one that had came into finals that didn't already win it," Freeman said, referring to the first place finalists from other rodeos. "I came out as a spoiler and took first place."
Freeman credited her win to the fact that she practiced once or twice a week and was consistent when she roped her calves. The horse she rode was her 18-year-old quarter horse, Jet. Freeman is the daughter of LeAnn Freeman of Bloomington, IN.
