Michael and Nikolette Clark used to run Pine Grove Riding Center at their home in southwestern Bartholomew County, so it only made sense that their kids Dillon and Madelyn grew up riding horses.
When Madelyn was in kindergarten, her parents began taking her to Southern Indiana Junior Rodeo Association in Salem. Madelyn, who will be an eighth-grader at Central Middle School, has been doing rodeo ever since.
"My family has always ran horses," she said. "My brother started showing (horses), but I wasn’t really into the slower kind of stuff, so I started doing barrels at the fair. I started liking that a lot more."
Last year, Madelyn competed in the National Junior High Finals Rodeo. She said that didn’t go too well, but that the experience she gained helped her this year when she competed in the event last week in Huron, South Dakota.
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The National Junior High Finals Rodeo features competitors from 43 states, five Canadian provinces, Mexico and Australia.
Madelyn qualified at the Indiana Junior High State Finals to compete at the national finals in barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying. She was in 10th place after the first two runs in goat tying, and finished 14th after the finals, known as the "short-go."
"My first two runs, I was extremely happy after I ran them," Clark said. "Then with my last run, I was really angry. But I still placed in the short-go, so I was happy."
Madelyn has been back practicing since returning from the national finals. She plans to compete in rodeos Aug. 10-11 in Connersville and Aug. 24-25 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds. She also has a couple events coming up at the Southern Indiana Junior Rodeo Association.
"Normally, when rodeos are happening, I’ll ride at least every day and practice," she said.
Michael and Nikolette still have an arena on property and are planning to build new and bigger one. Madelyn is hoping to go back to the National Junior High Finals Rodeo next year, then the National High School Finals Rodeo when she is in high school.
After that, she hopes to possibly land a rodeo scholarship.
"I want to have something to do with animals when I get a job," she said.
