Mental toughness, confidence and hard work is what it took for Wacey Day to earn the title of Nebraska All-Around Champion Cowgirl.
Day of Fleming, Colorado – who competes in Nebraska – will now use those three traits to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in goat tying and breakaway roping.
This will be her fourth trip to the NHSFR, but this will be the first year it’s held in Nebraska, and she said she’s excited to compete on home turf.
“I look forward to seeing what Lincoln has for us,” she said. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”
Earning the all-around cowgirl title was no easy feat, though. Day said in order to earn the title, a cowgirl has to be competitive in at least two or three events.
“We work for this all year,” she said. “We go to so many rodeos and everyone is just always there helping me, so it was really great just to win that.”
But, Day said she had to experience a stretch of not-so-great performances in order to work her way back up to the top.
“I think once my sister went to college and I didn’t really have anyone to push me in the practice pen, especially tying goats, I kind of went through a low spot and didn’t win a lot,” she said.
She put in the hard work to climb back to the top, crediting a strong mindset for her comeback.
“Whether you have a good run or a bad run, always hold yourself to a high standard,” she said.
The NHSFR will be held July 18-24, 2021 at the Lancaster Event Center Fairgrounds. The NHSFR will also take place in Lincoln in 2026 and 2027.
Tickets are available for pre-purchase or can be purchased at the event. Find more information at nhsfrlincoln.org.
