Sarah Toole is in the midst of her freshman year in high school, but the 15-year-old switch-ender is no stranger to the roping arena, or winning, for that matter.
August’s USTRC Alabama Championships, produced in Montgomery, Alabama, by Allen’s Roping Productions, earned Toole a total of $5,905, also earning her a comfortable No. 1 spot above the Cinch Ladies Standings field, with a nearly $3,000 lead over Boone, Colorado’s Holly Ricken at No. 2.
Winning the #8.5 heading for Nick Conner, in which the pair took a time of 26.97 on three head, garnered Toole her biggest check of the event in the amount of $5,180 for the team. On the head side, she also cashed checks for taking second in the #10.5 with Cal Green, as well as winning fast times in the #10.5 and #12.5 each.
On the heel side, Toole caught four in 48.06 seconds behind Treyton Faulk for a team check worth $2,490 in the #9.5.
“It was a good weekend for me,” said Toole, who took her state’s All-Around Champion title in the GJHSRA in 2019, where she was named Champion Team Roping Header, Ribbon Roping Champion, and Goat Tying Reserve Champion. Then she competed at Nationals in South Dakota.
“We won [third] in the World for team roping two years ago—me and my partner, Luke Denny. We was 10th in the first round in the team roping, and then we came back second in the second round, and he roped a leg and we wound up third in the World.”
This year, Toole made her high school debut at Nationals competing in the breakaway, where she had an impressive first round and earned a decent callback in the short-round.
“I didn’t do no good in the short-round, but it was an amazing opportunity for me, just a freshman, to be able to rope with them girls out there. That was in Guthrie, Oklahoma.”
Toole considers herself a pretty solid header, especially with the help of her main mount, Twister, who her dad trained, but plans on focusing a bit more on her heeling in the team roping.
“I heel at the high school rodeos we go to, and I’ve been struggling just a little bit here lately. Me and my dad will sit down here at the arena. At Montgomery, I won a heeling sled, and the feet move on it, so I’ve been trying to work on my timing and just my swing and stuff. Trying to get ready for when I do want to start heeling more at big ropings like that.”
2021 Cinch High Money Ladies Award Update
Current rules, per the USTRC: For the award in April 2021, winnings will be counted from USTRC Signature Events beginning Aug. 22, 2020 thru March 31, 2021. Also included are any winnings at the US Finals in April. This will determine the winning header and heeler to be announced at the conclusion of the Finals event.
USTRC Cinch Ladies Standings —Top 10 (as of 11.3.20)
Rank/ Winnings Roper Home Town
1. $5,905 Sarah Toole, Rydal, Georgia
2. $2,960 Holly Ricken, Boone, Colorado
3. $2,630 Maddie Johnson, Montgomery, Alabama
4. $1,760 Kenzie Gordon, Florence, Colorado
5. $1,575 Carrie Blanton, Montgomery, Alabama
6. $1,470 Melissa L. Terrill, Sedan, Kansas
7. $1,380 Ashley Bentley, Quitman, Mississippi
8. $1,120 Connie L. Harris, Boone, Colorado
9. $1,110 Becky Schaonist, Bloomfield, Nebraska
10. $1,085 Lily Henderson, Meridan, Kansas
