Since she began competing in rodeo as a third-grader, Rochelle Township High School senior Megan Seebach has earned several accolades through various riding organizations. One of those prizes was a Green River Saddle Club series championship buckle, which Seebach wore proudly as she participated in the RTHS Athletic Signing Day on Thursday.

Seebach will be attending Kansas State University, where she intends to study animal sciences and industry while competing as a member of the K-State Rodeo Team. Seebach’s speciality is barrel racing, one of the many events that made up a rodeo competition. Seebach has been involved in both athletics and extracurricular activities during her time at RTHS, as she played two years of varsity basketball and earned her Illinois State Degree as a member of the RTHS FFA.

“The family environment was something I really wanted to be a part of,” Seebach said. “It’s a beautiful campus with great people. Competing at the collegiate level is definitely going to be a big step up for me and my horse, but I think that being in a new environment will be a lot of fun, especially since I’ll get to work with the coaches and travel with the team… As a freshman coming in from a small town, I’m hoping to bring both my skills and my knowledge to the team.”

The K-State Rodeo Team is a coed team that competes during both the fall and spring semesters, traveling to different locations throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. The 2024 K-State College Rodeo is scheduled for Sept. 6-8, 2024 at Kansas State University and serves as the first event of the 2024-25 season. Seebach said her primary focus is on barrel racing, which requires riders to race their horses around a pattern of barrels as quickly as possible.

“I race around three barrels as fast as I can and with as much precision as possible,” Seebach said. “In order to do that, you have to be a really good rider, so the equestrian program and your riding skills all funnel into being successful in competitive rodeo... Rodeo is all about your time and being consistent in rodeo all stems from being consistent in your overall riding skills.”

Other events in rodeo include bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling and more. Seebach said her interest in rodeo originated when she first began attending shows as an 8-year-old. Her competitive spirit has only continued to grow as she progressed through her high school years.

“I fell in love with the adrenaline rush when I was younger and I fell in love with winning as I got older,” Seebach said. “I’ve put a lot of time and effort into being the best I can be and rodeo is a sport that fosters results if you put in the hard work. There are a lot of great people in the industry and I’ve made friends all over the country from rodeo. I’ve met so many great people and it’s not always easy to see your results, but it’s a feeling of euphoria when it all clicks.”

Seebach began competing in rodeo after completing third grade. She’s earned awards from organizations such as the Green River Saddle Club in Amboy and the Diamond G Ranch in Rochelle. While attending Kansas State, Seebach said she intends to major in animal sciences and industry in hopes of pursuing a career in animal nutrition or the livestock industry.

“I’ve always been interested in animals and I’ve taken a dual-credit animal science class at RTHS, which really put me in the direction of animal nutrition because I found it really interesting to see how all of the parts come together to make a product,” Seebach said. “I’ve been riding horses since I was little. My cousin had a horse and my mom thought that if I rode the horse with my cousin, that it would be a cheap form of entertainment during the summer. That has since turned into competing in college rodeo. It’s just always been something I’ve enjoyed.”