When the United Rodeo Association (URA) was looking for their next president, Jeanette Jilek stepped up and assumed the role, becoming the first female president since the URA’s inception in 1962.
While new to the leadership role, Jilek’s roots run deep in the URA world as a competitor for over 28 years. Jeanette started competing as a young girl growing up in Missouri. Her father roped and she participated in junior and high school rodeo for years before heading to college at Missouri Valley. She continued her roping journey on their rodeo team and became a part of the beginning of their program. At the time, the small school in Marshall, Missouri only had five students on the rodeo team, but their passion soon spread, with the team growing over the years and now being the foundation of a large, thriving program.
As her own life developed, she found herself in Kansas, married to another rodeo lover and fellow roper. Now with a family of her own, she continues to rope alongside her husband while enjoying the Kansas URA rodeos. In fact, just a few years ago she and her husband both won the average at the finals. Their daughter breakaways as well, leading to a family full of swinging ropes and solid calf horses.
Her presidential duties vary by the week, but she maintains the mindset that she is just another member working for an organization and sport she loves to make it the best it can be. She is an on-call source of encouragement many days and on others a mediator for anyone in the organization needing to sort through an issue. She speaks excitedly of the growth within the URA, acknowledging that years ago there were only 1-2 rodeos a weekend whereas competitors now have 3-4 rodeos a weekend to choose from. She helps fuel this growth by advocating for the best for competitors, with her current project focusing on trying to get bigger sponsorships lined up so that the organization can increase the Final’s funds for contestants.
President or not, her passion for rodeo centers around the people. Rodeo is a family sport; you can bring your own or find one waiting to welcome you in.
For more information on rodeos and the fine legacy of the United Rodeo Association visit URA (unitedrodeoassociation.com)
