By Whitney Thurmond

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo hosted its first annual College Rodeo Shootout and Ranch Rodeo Throwdown between the NIRA Southern and Southwestern Regions on February 12, and 19-year-old Kelsey Brashear was the star of the weekend.

A day after capturing the breakaway title at the Southern Region event in Athens, Texas, the McNeese State University freshman drove to San Antonio and completed an impressive sweep with her championship win at the AT&T Center.

The competition featured one cowboy and cowgirl from each event representing their respective schools. After getting off to such a strong start this semester, Brashear said her first year of college rodeo has been nothing what she was expecting.

So many people told me that it was a big party," she said. "But I haven't experienced that part yet.

Starting her weekend in Athens, Brashear was 2.5 to place fifth in the long go and qualify for the short round. She was a rapid 2.1 in the short-go round for a round win and an average title.

A long late-night drive from Athens to San Antonio was next in store next for Brashear and many other college competitors in the Southern Region that made the short round in Athens. Arriving to San Antonio no earlier than 3 AM, they then had to check their horses in and try to get a few hours of sleep before the rodeo that morning.

Despite the short turnaround, Brashear stayed focused and was a 3.4 in the first round, placing seventh and qualifying for another short round. She stayed on her hot streak in the short round with a 2.0 -- her fastest time of the weekend -- to win another short round and the average championship for the breakaway at San Antonio.

Brashear, a Louisiana native, rode to both wins on Cash, her 12-year-old sorrel gelding that she has been roping on since she was in the sixth grade.

No stranger to the winner's circle, Brashear was the Shawnee breakaway roping champion in 2016 and also qualified for nationals in high school.

Her hard work and dedication have quickly translated to the college ranks, and Brashear already leads the Southern Region in the breakaway.

"I roped every day after school last week, every afternoon I set a goal for myself to work on in the practice pen," she said. "Things like making sure I was up and ready to rope and having a swing off in the box. Along with making sure my horse scored off of my hand and stayed in the corner."

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