Newcastle senior Rylee Hardin breaks world high school rodeo record

It felt like any other ride to Newcastle High School senior Rylee Hardin. Following the ride, she found ways she could have ridden better, ridden faster. That’s what Hardin does after every ride. Except for this ride, on July 23, her final pole bending run of the 2020 National High School Finals Rodeo, was anything other than a typical ride. Hardin’s time of 19.363 seconds was the fastest time recorded at any high school rodeo event in the world.

Hardin isn’t a typical rider. She is laid back, almost as if she does not care. However, she cares, very much. It is all a part of her mentality going into a run.

“I’m the person in the back who acts like they don’t care, but they do,” Hardin said. “Most of the girls will come to me if they’re nervous because I can calm them down. I just think of it as another run so I don’t work myself up over it. I can’t let everything else get to me, it can cause you to have a bad run.”

For the rest of the story, see the Sept. 16 edition of The Graham Leader.