Sandhills Rodeo Queen Overcomes Challenges
By: Jackie Smith
Updated: January 6, 2011
ODESSA --The Sandhills Rodeo is putting the final touches on tomorrows opening events.
Big 2 met up with the Sandhills Rodeo Queen, who has quite the story.
This cowgirl is quite the charmer.
She told me she likes to get down in the dirt just like any other cowboy would.
But behind her smile, she has a story, one that almost ended her run at the rodeo.
Walking through dirt, and opening the gate into her precious horses stable, is something this rodeo queen thought she would never be able to do again.
"I was miserable, I was pathetic, I was depressed," said Rachel Odem, the Sandhills Rodeo Queen.
Back in 2009, she was trying to swing off of a rope.
"I stepped to close to the edge and my foot slipped," said Odem.
Sending her down,
"25ft onto straight rock, I was told I was never going to walk again, much less ride," said Odem.
But this cowgirl, wasn't going to stand for that.
"I was not going to settle for that, and that wasn't going to happen," said Odem.
She perserved. and went riding on her horse JD, a year later.
"I cried, the first time I got on a horse again, when you think you cant do it, everything is possible, everything, everything is," said Odem.
Always with a big smile on her face, she got back on the saddle. And by the looks of her shiny buckle, she won the sandhills rodeo queen pageant.
"I want everyone to know I couldn't have done it without the Sandhills support," said Odem.
Now, after what happened, she lives life to the fullest.
"I jumped out of an airplane 15,000 feet in the air," said Odem.
Sharing her story, and the love she has for rodeo.
"I asked so much, why me? why me? why did this happen to me? So I can share my testimony with people and show that anything is possible," said Odem.
This rodeo queen told me that she won over the judges by herself, without her inspiring story. She says she doesn't want people to feel bad for her in any way. She will be at the rodeo tomorrow, along with her horse JD.
Jackie Smith can be reached at jsmith@kmid.tv.
