SPRINGDALE -- Andrea Haden didn't celebrate her 21st birthday by going out with friends or by staying at home and eating cake.
She spent her big day in Springdale at the Rodeo of the Ozarks where she competed in barrel racing.
"That's all she does is barrel racing," said her boyfriend, Logan Goss. "It's the No. 1 thing on her list. She puts a lot of time and effort into it, and she's very good at it."
Fortunately for Goss, the two get to spend a lot of time together at the rodeo. Goss and Haden's father, Allen, are team ropers. Their job is to rope the horns, and Andrea tries to rope the heels of the steer.
"I've been watching this rodeo since I was 3 years old, probably," Haden. "My mom, Amy, competed here about 10 years ago, and my dad is still doing it. It's something our family enjoys."
Competition for the 70th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks begins each night at 7:30 p.m. at Parsons Stadium and concludes Saturday.
Haden graduated in 2011 from Gentry where she played volleyball and was a cheerleader for the Pioneers. But her passion is barrel racing and she posted a 17.88 during her first run Tuesday. The time was an improvement over her first attempt at the Rodeo of the Ozarks three years ago.
"I actually competed the first time here when I turned 18," Haden said. "I hit a barrel, so I didn't do so hot. I'm here to redeem myself."
Haden did not compete for two years after her previous horse was sidelined because of a bone spur in its front ankle. She's returned to competition with a new horse named Superman.
"I haven't quite had Superman a year yet, but we really work well together," Haden said. "You have to practice and be ready for anything whether it's hot or cold, rainy or muddy. It's so unpredictable."
Haden lives in Bentonville where she works full time in the county clerk's office. After work, she pushes everything aside to pursue her passion.
"I get home at 4:30 and go straight outside and start riding," Haden said. "I usually get done at about 9 or 10 o'clock at night. Then, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I go to rodeos. I travel a lot from about May all the way up to September."
Haden and Goss began dating after meeting at a rodeo in Oklahoma. He's from Iowa and went to school at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Okla.
Both of them love the competition and the family aspect of the rodeo circuit.
"If you need something, there's somebody there for you," Haden said. "It's a family thing where somebody always has your back."
Sports on 07/03/2014