Keeping Stories Alive
NC State student Sara Richardson was crowned Miss Rodeo North Carolina 2025 this past November and is already working to shine a spotlight on rodeo in NC. Sara is a young woman whose quiet confidence and poise point to her deep-seated intelligence and sense of purpose. Paired with her love of horses and willingness to always put them first, she is a natural fit to represent rodeo and serve as an ambassador for a positive, horse-centered lifestyle.
Several years ago, a special young woman named Rachel Gagliardi moved to North Carolina, bringing her unique passions and talents to our great state.
Rachel Gagliardi is a breakaway roper, barrel racer, horse trainer, breeding program owner, and veterinarian-in-training. As if she wasn’t busy enough, she recently defended her thesis and graduated from the PhD part of a dual doctorate degree program after doing groundbreaking research on equine osteoarthritis through NC State University. Now, she continues with the program for another two years at which point she will graduate again with her second doctoral degree, a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).
A talented young woman from Graham, North Carolina has been named Junior Miss Rodeo North Carolina for 2025. This young lady, 13-year-old Rachel Greeson, is a barrel racer, big loop ranch roper, and all-around advocate for the western ranch horse and rodeo industry. On top of it all, she is a great ambassador for her Christian faith with a desire to encourage others.
I discovered Garrett Newton through his performance with his band the Lovesick Drifters at the R.A. Fountain Country Store in Fountain, North Carolina.
Described as a Hank Williams Sr. tribute band, Garrett and his talented team of troubadours brought life to William’s music while adding some comedic flair and down-home hospitality.
Not only does he sound like Hank vocally, but Garrett also remarkably resembles the late singer, being close in age to the last birthday Hank ever saw and has put in great effort trying to learn all about his life and share his story with the public.
Veterans day weekend in Athens, TX has started gaining attention in the past few years with the growth of Pat Hooper Leatherwrks Annual Veterans Day Steer Wrestling Jackpot.
Pat is a guy who is always looking to provide the best quality possible, and contestants at his event are quick to comment on the tough competition, fabulous arena, and great prizes. This year’s big winners were Riley Duvall and Brandon Harrison.
When Mitchell Blake looks at the world around him, he sees the life within it, and pieces together the elements like a graceful detective trying to retell the events of a night through obscure clues.
He sees the ripples of fish rolling, the eagle perched in the distant tree, the seagull on a post eyeing our bait. He feels the brisk bite of the wind and asks if I’m okay, if my place in this adventure is still serving me well. If not, he’s going to adapt to make it better for me–just like he does when he sees how the fish respond to his initial lures. Mitchell knows the curves of the river and how each species has changed in the last ten years. He talks about the fish and birds like they are his colleagues, friends for the day whose home he is always welcome at. Through loving this world and living within it, he has become a part of it. With membership comes the hard truth: the only certainty is change.
Nestled in a quiet wooded sanctuary in little Washington, North Carolina, you’ll find On Point Kennels, owned and operated by Shay Asby and his family.
Shay raises German Shorthaired Pointers with the goal of producing quality hunting dogs, an endeavor that developed out of his own passion for upland hunting.
Joleigh Galloway has a knack for learning new things quickly and then turning around to teach someone else and pass that knowledge forward. A high school junior from Liberty, SC, Joleigh competes in breakaway roping, barrel racing, goat tying, pole bending, and team roping. In addition, she does leatherwork under her business Diamond G Leatherworks.
Joleigh has been around rodeo for many years. She was running barrels on a leadline at 2 years old and sat on a whole bunch of horses before then. Her dad is a long-time pickup man with several different rodeo associations and also judges some. Before she was born, he traveled on the team roping circuit as well. With her dad’s fine teaching, Joleigh began competing in the Foothills Youth Rodeo Association at around three years old.
Sammy and Nida Giddens’ life reflects a journey of loving people and animals well. Living in the moment comes naturally to these two who appreciate the beauty of a classy bird dog, a Tennessee Walking Horse, a well-prepared ( often homegrown) meal, and the fellowship of those who cross their path.
Both eastern North Carolina Natives, Sammy grew up in Newton Grove and Nida in Faison. Their love story started in 1963 when they met in high school. When Sammy and Nida met, Sammy had never seen a bird dog. Nida already appreciated the sport as her uncle and dad both had dogs that they took wild bird hunting. Sammy and Nida began to share this interest and enjoyed time with family pursuing it.
Walnut Hill Kennels is a haven of classy dogs and quality folks. Owned and operated by Rick Hopkins and Brenda Roe, this North Georgia (LaFayette) kennel has been home to countless champions in the ring and the field.
While Rick and Brenda started their bird dog journeys independently, their lives would later merge through that shared passion, meeting one another through mutual involvement in the National Shoot-to-Retrieve Association (NSTRA). Not only were they a natural fit for marriage and partnership, but their dog bloodlines had some similarities that were only enhanced by merging their canine families.
