ProRodeo Sports News - February 19, 2021

the RAM First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo average with 217 points on three head. “I had never won any of these titles before, so it was nice to get that done,” Stites said. “This year I drew really good, so that helped me a lot.” The performance by Stites qualified him for the RAMNational Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Fla., April 9-10. “I’m ecstatic to get to go to the (RAM) National Circuit Finals,” Stites said. “It’s going to be really neat to get to go down there and ride.” Stites’ journey in his rodeo career has been up and down. “I tried riding bulls for a little bit, and it wasn’t a whole lot of fun,” Stites said. “Even when you ride you kind of run away from it. I kind of like the idea of the horses. My dad (Flint) used to ride when he was young, and my mom (Chris) was a barrel racer when she was young. They didn’t ProRodeo, just did local stuff. My whole family has been involved with racehorses. We sell them, breed them, train them. I break them

Competing in the rodeo arena and training racehorses provide different types of adrenaline rushes for Stites. “I like the rush I get from saddle bronc riding more because I like to compete,” he said. “With horses, every day you get on them and you’re training them, and you work at it little by little. When they run, it’s super exciting, but when you’re on a bronc yourself it’s just you and the horse, and that’s a bigger rush.” Stites and his wife, Tracy, met at Murray (Ky.) State University. The couple have a 7-year-old daughter, Kaylee, and a 3-year-old son, Cole. “I would love to go out and rodeo all the time,” said Stites, who has a degree in equine management. “I have a family, and I try and stay close to home. I’m going out more this year. We are hitting the (regular season) ones in Florida, which I have never done before. I’m also going to get on the spur board as much I can to stay in shape for (the RAM NCFR). When I gallop horses at the track, I will get on 15 to 20 horses a day. That helps me keep a good core strength and balance. I’m super excited to go to Kissimmee to see what I can do.”

“I would love to go out and rodeo all the time. I have a family, and I try and stay close to home. (But) I’m going out more this year.” – WILL STITES

for my dad. I ride them for my dad. We train horses for different owners. I got my horse trainer license six years ago.” Stites’ family trains racehorses at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa. “We run all year there,” Stites said. “There are 20-some barns there and a ton of horses.” Ties to training racehorses eventually inspired Stites to compete in the rodeo

Casey Martin photo Will Stites acknowledges the crowd after his winning performance at the RAM First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo in Harrington, Del., in October.

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“I didn’t really like the idea of wedging my hand in a bareback rigging,” Stites said. “I got on one bareback horse, and I was like this is not going to happen anymore. I didn’t ride a whole lot before I even got on bucking horses. I didn’t really start riding horses until I was like 18 years old when I started galloping horses for my dad at the track. I started riding bucking horses my senior year of high school.” Stites’ trajectory in ProRodeo hasn’t gone unnoticed by his friend TimKent. Kent, a veteran bareback rider, is headed back to the RAMNCFR. “He really wants to win,” Kent said. “There were some very good (saddle) bronc riders at the (First Frontier) Circuit Finals, guys like Clovis Crane, who is very consistent, and Ray Hostetler, who can come through with some great rides. Both of those guys stubbed their toe, and Will picked it up and grabbed the win. Will’s consistency is what counts.”

Photo courtesy Coady Photography Saddle bronc rider Will Stites, who also trains racehorses, stands with Samedi Night, a horse he trains, after winning a race at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa.

ProRodeo Sports News 2/19/2021

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