For most high school athletes it’s just you and your team.
But a special few are lucky enough to have a constant partner, teammate and friend.
Michelle Dunaway and Corey Adkins introduce us to a very special girl who’s a rising star with her horse in today’s Sightseeing in Northern Michigan.
"They’re your best friend, and they’re the one you can go to when everything else is falling apart."
Horses have been a part of KoDee Agema’s life as long as she can remember.
"I started riding since I was born. I would always ride with my mom when she would go, and I got my own about 4 and was able to ride since then," says KoDee.
This year she will be a senior at McBain High School, and she’s fulfilling the goals on her list, one by one.
"It’s always been my dream to compete in high school rodeo, and I got the opportunity two years ago and now I’m here," says KoDee.
She competes in three different events. Barrel racing…
"You can do either one turn to the left and two turns to the right, or one to the right and two to the left," explains KoDee.
Pole bending…
"There’s six poles and it’s a regulations, so you run all the way back to the end pole, then weave through all six of them. You weave back and run back through," says KoDee.
And this year her team made it to nationals in Wyoming for goat tying.
"There’s a goat tied to a rope about 100 feet from the starting line and you have to run the goat, dismount your horse, flip it, tie three legs and after you’re done it has to sit for six seconds before you get your time," explains KoDee.
This year, KoDee is headed back to Wyoming wearing a different hat, representing her state as the Miss Michigan High School Rodeo Queen.
"We have to do a horsemanship pattern, speech and modeling, impromptu questions and personal interview with the judges. There’s a lot that goes into it. I put a lot into it my mom put a lot into it," says KoDee.
Her passion is talking about animal welfare, specifically at rodeos.
"We respect, admire and want to take care of our animals."
And she’s looking forward to another successful season in supporting her friends, her sport and her school.
"I’m excited for my year, all the opportunities that I will have, meeting new people and bettering myself as a person," says KoDee.
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