High school rodeo athletes rope their way to college scholarships
By MIKE DIPASQUALE
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DAVIE, Florida (WSVN) — In the heart of rodeo country in South Florida, high school students are finding a unique path to college scholarships through their skill in rodeo sports.
Traditionally known for its rodeo-rich culture, Davie has become a hub for students looking to secure scholarships by showing off their skills in various rodeo events.
“With any athletic ability, if you go to a little league baseball game, you see a kid that’s pitching 90 mph, you know that kid can rope a cow,” said Troy Lee Weekly of Bergeron Davie Rodeo. “You know, all you gotta do is teach him how to ride a horse because he’s gonna be able to rope.”
These athletes, unlike traditional sports figures, hone their talents in rodeo competitions in an attempt to garner attention from college recruiters.
Cale Tous, who once attended Cyrpess Bay High School, said growing up around the sport has prepared him.
“I guess since my dad did it and I grew up with [the horses], we’ve just always done it,” he said. “A lot of hand-eye coordination because you got to look at your target. The head is longer than the horns so we focus only on the horns.”
The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association has schools across the country offering athletic scholarships, with Tous securing recruitment when he was a freshman as a roper.
“This is a sport just like anything else,” said Tous. “It’s competition so, I don’t see why you aren’t an athlete.”
Although Cous tried to teach 7News’ Mike DiPasquale, it’s evident that roping is much different on a horse. Rodeo is also not limited to men. The women specialize in barrel racing.
Sloan Schweitzer said she followed in her family’s footsteps, explaining the intricacies of barrel racing and its potential to catch the attention of college rodeo coaches.
“There’s a lot of moving parts in this work,” said Schweitzer. “If you’re not locked in fully, the littlest mistake can mess you up.”
For young rodeo athletes like Schweitzer and Tous, the path to college scholarships spans various levels of competition, from junior rodeo to high school rodeo and beyond.
“They have junior rodeo, high school rodeo, college rodeo. And it’s just all next levels where you go to pro rodeo status and it’s a really fun thing to have,” said rodeo coach, Devon Wood. “To be able to have it your whole life and then bring up the next generation into it.”
The Weekly family, who have been involved in putting on rodeo shows for more than 60 years, hold five rodeos a year in South Florida. The next one will be on April 13.
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