Spicer among state’s best in goat tying

    Chase County sophomore Abby Spicer finished in the 2022-2023 Nebraska High School Rodeo season’s top 30 for goat tying, a performance good enough to earn her a trip to the state rodeo.
    Cowboys and cowgirls compete in the fall and spring to try to earn enough points to qualify for state. Spicer competes in goat tying with her horse Piggin’ String and in poles, barrels and team roping with her horse Easy during the spring’s eight-week season. Spicer also competed in the 2021-2022 spring season. Two rodeos were held each weekend this spring, including Hyannis, Arthur, Thedford, Stapleton, Madison, Atkinson, Valentine, Harrison and Crawford.
    State finals in Burwell was June 8-11. In goat tying, competitors were split into two groups as morning and afternoon competitors Friday, then flipped for Saturday. The top 10 moved onto Sunday.
    Spicer finished 20th.
    After this year’s success, Spicer will spend the summer attending several camps and clinics to help her prepare for the upcoming season, which begins in August.
    “We’ll go a little harder this year,” Traci Space said.