Cal Poly Rodeo’s women’s team currently leads the national standings with more points from the fall season than other schools.
The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association will announce the national title winner at the College National Finals Rodeo at the end of the spring season.
Cal Poly Rodeo Women’s Team earned the highest number of points, 2,120.5, from the fall season, according to the NIRA’s West Coast region standings. Cuesta College earned the second highest with 718 points.
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Ben Londo, university rodeo coach, said more rodeos can improve point totals. At this point of the season, Cal Poly’s ranking is a good bragging point for the team, Londo said.
“It’s good for the morale of the team,” Londo said. “It’s a great gauge of where we’re at and what kind of competitive team we have.”
At each rodeo, the coach chooses four women to tabulate the points. Different women may make up Cal Poly’s points team each rodeo, Londo said.
This is not the first time the Cal Poly Rodeo’s women’s team led the national standings during the competitive rodeo season, Londo said.
The Cal Poly Rodeo program competes in the West Coast region of the NIRA. Cal Poly competes against nine other schools in the region, which encapsulates all of California and Nevada, according to Londo. The region hosts 10 rodeos, with four in the fall and six in the spring.
“It’s amazing to me how dedicated these student athletes are,” Londo said. “To be a top-tier athlete of any kind and keep up with your studies and classwork here, that’s a huge feat for anybody.”
The Cal Poly Rodeo’s women’s team competes in four events: barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying and team roping. The competitive rodeo season spans fall and spring seasons, beginning in September and running through May.
Londo’s goal for the spring season is consistency and to continue working hard.
“It’s a good place to be as we go into our spring season,” Londo said.
Cal Poly will host the annual Poly Royal Rodeo in April, a three-day event where college rodeo athletes from across the West Coast showcase their skills.
“There’s not a lot of bragging in rodeo, it’s still a very humble sport,” Londo said.