She may not be allowed to drive a truck without an adult present, but at 15-year-old, Avery Foegelle will be backing in the box to compete for her share of $750,000 under Vegas lights.
The Durango, Texas, native has punched her ticket to the Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC) thanks to a Fast-Track heading qualification at the X-Treme Team Roping Finals in Hamilton, Texas, on Aug. 24.
Foegelle and Jessy Remsburg roped together for the first time at the X-Treme Team Roping Finals, but to any onlookers, they looked like veterans. The pair ended up third in the first round with an 8.93-second run, worth $450. An 8.99-second run in the second round landed the ladies high call back in the short go, where they defended their average position with a smooth run.
“I got very lucky with the runs that I had,” Foegelle said. “I just roped normally, and Jessy cleaned it all up for me.”
Ropers Earning a Position in the 2021 Women’s Rodeo World Championship
Their time of 26.56 seconds on three head in the average was good enough for $2,600 and a punched ticket to the WRWC.
Foegelle doesn’t remember feeling pressure throughout the event. She simply relaxed and took care of business—a trait that makes her one to watch on Oct. 26–29, when the second annual WRWC will be held at the South Point Arena, with the final round being broadcast on NBC, Sunday, Oct. 31.
The high-school student competed aboard Guys Smashingly Yours—a 13-year-old gelding called Murphy that the family purchased for her father.
“We got Murphy a few years ago,” Foegelle said. “When my old head horse got hurt, my dad let me try him. I was actually scared of Murphy at first, but we bonded, and I’ve loved him ever since.”
The young header has looked up to and learned from pros like Kelsie Chase and Jackie Crawford, but now she is looking forward to traveling the path that women like them have blazed for the next generation of team ropers, and she feels grateful to the WCRA for making dreams come true for young women like her in the sport.
“There’s a lot of money involved. They’ve made it such a good association for everybody, especially for young kids being able to go out there and do big things.”
With a background in high school rodeo and competing in junior events, Foegelle is looking to the future now that she has proved she can hold her own in the open ranks. She has dreams of excelling in the rodeo arena, but is also laser focused in the classroom and her aspirations to become a veterinarian someday.
“I’m excited for school and college. I’m hoping when I grow up, I can do big things.”
With the clock ticking down on the time that is left to nominate for the WRWC, Foegelle is now looking to secure leaderboard spots in both team roping and breakaway roping before she packs up and, with the help of a fully licensed adult, makes the drive to Las Vegas on Oct. 26.
Ropers looking to clinch a spot and compete for a share of the guaranteed $750,000 payout at the WRWC need not panic—you have until Oct. 3 to virtually nominate and earn points.