Wolkober well decorated in equestrian competitions

Brianna Wolkober, of Brighton, and her friend's horse, Chip, finishes off a National Barrel Horse Association World Championship appearance in late July in Perry, Georgia (Submitted/The Report).
Brianna Wolkober, of Brighton, and her friend’s horse, Chip, finishes off a National Barrel Horse Association World Championship appearance in late July in Perry, Georgia (Submitted/The Report).

Brighton resident competes in World Championships

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
[email protected]

Before Brighton’s Brianna Wolkober learned to walk, the recent Westosha Central High School graduate recalled a time when her parents sat her on a horse, creating an immediate passion for horseback riding and competitive equestrian sports.

“Both of my parents (Joe and Laura) were very instrumental to instilling my passion for horseback riding,” said Wolkober. “They had me on the back of a horse before I could even walk, where I fell in love with horses instantly, and ever since then it has been my No. 1 passion.”

Brianna Wolkober
Brianna Wolkober

The passion continues today, as she participates in multiple levels of equestrian competitions, including her tenure as a member of the six-team Westosha Central squad.

Since 2013, Wolkober produced back-to-back Kenosha County 4-H Gymkhana High Point Championships, a Kenosha County Open Jr. Gymkhana High Point Championship, a Wisconsin National Barrel Horse Association (District 02) Championship in two timed divisions.

Additionally, she was a back-to-back NBHA state finalist along with a Wisconsin State 4-H Plug Race Championship.

Most recently, she qualified for the National Barrel Horse Association Youth World Championship for the second straight year.

Riding along with her friend’s Appendix Quarter Horse, Chip, she made the trip to Perry, Ga. to compete in the NBHA World Championships two weeks ago.

Although she narrowly missed moving on to the World Finals, coming up two places short, Wolkober acknowledged the competition is difficult, noting only 200 qualify of about 1,200.

However, she still cherished the experience, stating it is a privilege to compete with the best in the world.

“Qualifying for the Youth World Championships down in Perry, GA has been a journey of a lifetime and such an amazing experience to compete with barrel racers from all over the world,” she said.

“You get to see unique places and experience ‘life on the road’ which is also another exciting aspect of competing,” she added.

Coupled with the amazing experience, the support of her father, who competed in different horse-related events, is a boost to her confidence.

“My dad has been very supportive of my career in NBHA,” she said. “He has driven me to countless local Wisconsin NBHA shows and to the NBHA Youth World Championships in Georgia for the past two years.”

Her success extends beyond barrel racing, however, finishing first runner-up for Wisconsin Rodeo Queen for two straight years.

While the rodeo includes cattle, where contestants compete in bull riding, calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling and bronc riding, it honors the history of the Old West.

“The whole essence of rodeo is to preserve and promote America’s western heritage through this sport,” she explained.

While she appreciates the finer points of equestrian competition, Wolkober is grateful for her time on the family farm in Brighton, where they have a boarding facility.

Including four quarter horses, Belle, Robin, Max and Reno along with a Bullseye, a paint horse and a Shetland pony named Beavis, the Wolkobers have 17 total horses on the farm.

“My parents own a boarding facility on our property, so I was very fortunate to grow up learning how to take care of, and ride horses in my backyard,” said Wolkober, adding the horses themselves are great friends.

“I love the fact that horses can be such good listeners and friends,” she explained. “Horses are very social animals and they love having companions whether they’re humans or other horses.”

Central Equestrian qualified for state
Wolkober, and five others, competed for Westosha Central’s Equestrian team last October, where they won reserve high point at their district show, moving on the state finals.

The high point victory is her last rodeo as a member of the team, moving forward to Texas Christian University, where she plans to study biology with a pre-medicine track.

FURTHER INFORMATION
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RODEO AND NBHA EVENT

Rodeo
Men and women travel nationwide in an effort to win money, qualifying themselves for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, comparable to the Super Bowl of the Rodeo World.

NBHA
Barrel races are the only event, with multiple time divisions within a single class.
For instance the 1D, 2D, 3D, or 4D, where the 1D champion would be considered the winning time for the entire class, but the 2D champion would be the winning time plus 1/2 second, called the split
Therefore, the 3D champion would be the 2D winning time plus 1/2 second, and thereafter. 4D.

CRUCIAL POINTS IN NBHA
Similar to an athlete, horses need to be in top physical shape, requiring daily exercise and conditioning.
But, during competition, responsibility lies with the rider, cueing the horse around barrels.
Early or late cues can cost tenths of a second, or full seconds, crucial in NBHA competitions.

ABOUT CENTRAL’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM
Season is held in October, starting with a district show at Jefferson County Fairgrounds, competing against schools from Kenosha, Racine and Walworth Counties for an opportunity to qualify for the State Finals in Madison.

 


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