Katina Matthews credits her grit and determination as one of the secrets to what has been a “stellar” year for the Tamworth cowgirl.
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The 25-year old was on Saturday night crowned not only the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association’s top barrel racer but the number one cowgirl in the country.
It’s a long way from where she thought she would be when her main barrel racing horse - the aptly named Awesome – tore his groin six weeks into the new season.
She thought her title hopes were probably over.
But she couldn’t have been more wrong.
Summoning that grit and determination and turning to her ‘back-up’ Abby, Matthews’ whose favourite saying is “if you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen”, blitzed the competition to have the national title sewn up before the National Finals.
“She not only won me the title but won the barrel racing horse of the year,” she said.
On only eight rodeos Awesome was third, Matthews believing she is the first person to have two horses in the top three in the barrel racing horse of the year standings.
“I call them the A-team,” she said.
She had pulled Abby “out of the brood mare pen” two years ago as her back-up and commented that she has been waiting in the wings for her moment to shine.
As has Matthews with Bianca Hertel and Nichole Fitzpatrick dominating. Hertel has won six of the last seven titles (not including 2018), and between them the pair have finished first and second the last six years.
Matthews entered the finals over $4,000 clear of Hertel, her earnings enough to seal the coveted allround saddle and break Fitzpatrick’s stranglehold on the title.
“I needed a new roping saddle,” she jokingly added.
Having built up a handy lead in the barrel racing, she said about four months into the season a friend encouraged her to try other events and go for the allround.
She did, and while she just missed out on qualifying for multiple events, she had done enough to take a 24-point lead into the finals.
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It was her fourth time competing at the showpiece event, which has provided her many highlights.
Matthews lists her most memorable rodeo moment as: “Awesome having the fastest time at the national finals for the last three years”.
“It’s probably the first year I haven’t done so well in the average but I’ve had a ton of fun,” she said.
Since 2015 she has won at least a round.
As luck would have it, or bad luck in this instance, she was unable to savour her moment of glory on Abby after she picked up an injury the week before the finals.
“You learn to roll with the punches,” Matthews said.
She ended up jumping on Awesome, but after six months out there was understandably a bit of rustiness.
Barrel racing is a partnership between horse and rider, but Matthews believes as important is the work you put in. She attributed her success to “being very fit and putting in the time and effort.”
“I always believe that you’ve got to outwork your competition,” she said.
Staring work at 5am in the morning she usually goes to the gym at 3am, then after finishing work at around 5pm she goes out and works the horses.
She admits there are times when she asks “why am I doing this?” but moments like Saturday night make it all worthwhile.
