“My dad got a horse out of college… and they always had horses for us… and it kind of just blossomed from there.”
That turned into something more intentional early.
“They dropped me off with a horse… an insurance card… and I spent the summer just riding barrel horses, going to jackpots, riding sale horses…”
Being around that level early set the standard.
At the time, barrel racing wasn’t even the plan.
“I can remember watching the NFR… and being like, ‘I’m never going to do that.’”
A few months later, she was taking lessons with Fallon Taylor and fully committed.
That influence carried into how she approached pro rodeo.
“Go enter… no one remembers the rookie. Just start entering, start failing… you’re going to fail either way.”
It showed up quickly once she stepped into that level.
“You’re not going to accidentally win a check at a ProRodeo.”
From there, the system became simple. Step up, learn what breaks, and fix it.
“I know I’m comfortable at this level… let’s go fall on my face… fix it… and try again.”
That balance between jackpots and rodeos gave her a way to keep building without losing confidence.
The shift came through the WPRA Tour, where consistency mattered more than anything.
“I wanted to be dang sure that I won it… so that I secured my spot at Houston, at San Antonio…”
It wasn’t about one run. It was about putting herself in position.
San Antonio was the first time it clicked on a bigger stage.
“I was pinching myself… like, I’m getting ready to get on a victory lap horse at San Antonio.”
RodeoHouston demanded even more, but it was sweet for Ward.
Through it all, the expectation hasn’t changed.
“I want to win every single time I go down the alleyway… the pressure’s always come from myself.”
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She gets into how she built her path, how she balances confidence and correction between levels, and how she’s learning to make the most of the chances she’s earned.
