O'Brien Signs With Northwestern Oklahoma State

McDonald County’s Allie O’Brien recently signed a letter of intent to join the rodeo team at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Okla. Front row, left to right: Mary O’Brien, Mindy O’Brien, Allie O’Brien and Jason O’Brien. Back row: Roper O’Brien, Eric Roller, Emily Hutton and Stockton Graves.
McDonald County’s Allie O’Brien recently signed a letter of intent to join the rodeo team at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Okla. Front row, left to right: Mary O’Brien, Mindy O’Brien, Allie O’Brien and Jason O’Brien. Back row: Roper O’Brien, Eric Roller, Emily Hutton and Stockton Graves.

When high school graduates head out for college, they pack a wide variety of things they will need for school and to survive being away from home for what is often the first time.

While most other college freshman will be taking the standard items, Allie O'Brien will also be taking her horse.

O'Brien recently signed a letter of intent to join the rodeo team at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Okla.

"I rodeo all the time and have my whole life," O'Brien said. "It's something I love and want to continue to do. I am pretty excited about going to Northwestern."

Growing up on the family farm in Lanagan, O'Brien said she has ridden horses since before she can remember. She said she was probably five or six years old when she first competed in a rodeo.

"My dad rodeoed and roped and he taught us kids (brothers Roper and Tate) how to do it," O'Brien said. "I really enjoy doing it."

Without having a rodeo team in high school, O'Brien said she competed in rodeos across the Midwest while growing up.

"My parents (Jason and Mindy O'Brien) would haul me all over," Allie said. "We would drive anywhere from three to five hours to get to a rodeo and then you would rodeo that morning and the next day and then you would drive all the way back home. Rodeo is a tough sport -- sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. You just have to come home and practice and fix yourself to do it again the next week."

O'Brien is expected to team rope and break-away calf rope for the Rangers.

"Allie is going to be a great contribution to our women's team," said coach Stockton Graves, women's and men's rodeo teams coach. "She seems like a really, really good girl. We have a very good women's team and I feel like she will come in and contribute a lot towards us being successful."

FFA Star Farmer Award

O'Brien was recently recognized as the Area 11 Star Farmer by the Missouri FFA Association at the 88th Missouri FFA Convention. Her FFA advisers are Robert Hall, Emily Hutton, Eric Roller and Janae Wilson.

Area Star Farmers are chosen based upon outstanding production agriculture in the student's supervised agricultural experience program and active participation in FFA. Area 11 includes 17 chapters in the Southwest District.

O'Brien began her SAE program with 11 horses, 10 Limousin cows and six heifer calves. She has shown registered cattle in local livestock competitions and rides her horses in rodeos across the country. O'Brien's program has now grown to 37 cows.

"I was kind of shocked when I heard," O'Brien said. "My advisers helped me a lot this year with my record book. I also had a really big essay project to show the area."

O'Brien served as second vice president, chaplain and treasurer at MCHS' FFA chapter. She has competed at the state level in the dairy cattle evaluation and horse evaluation career development events. O'Brien also won the area beef entrepreneurship proficiency award.

In addition to FFA, O'Brien is a member of the National Honor Society, Drug Free Scholars program and the A+ program.

Sports on 05/26/2016