Kayla Norcutt is no stranger to tough luck in the rodeo arena.
The Fallon native missed out on last year’s College National Finals Rodeo but was voted president of the West Coast region that assured her a spot in this year’s event. Norcutt, who’s rodeoing in her final year at Feather River, started the season in the fall and into the spring until the unthinkable happened.
HB, a sorrel quarter horse, became sick in April and couldn’t make a full recovery in time for Norcutt to get back into the arena.
“Her recovery was rocky because I couldn’t give her as much time off as I would have liked to due to upcoming rodeos,” she said.
Cal Poly was next on the schedule and HB wasn’t the same. Norcutt decided to give her companion the rest of the season off and opted for Halo, a black paint breed.
“I tried staying positive but in the end, I was just worried about her wellbeing,” Norcutt said. “That’s when I decided to give her time to heal and borrow horses for the rest of the season.”
Now, Norcutt will get her opportunity to compete in the CNFR, which begins this weekend in Casper, Wyo. Norcutt, who won the goat tying event at West Hills and took third at Fresno College, will look to make the cut in the same event before she hangs up her hat and boots at Feather River.
“I hope to just be consistent and make the best runs that I can make,” she said. “Things will be different on this new horse but I’m optimistic because she’s a good one and similar to my old one.”
Along with going for the goat tying title, Norcutt will also run for student director of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Norcutt, who’s the team’s president, was hoping to have a strong spring season and end the year in style as she plans on returning to the Silver State to finish her business degree.
“I had goals to make the spring season go better by just being more consistent and practicing every chance I got,” Norcutt said. “After this season I plan on getting my horse back into the swing of things slowly and then going to WNC to study sign language.”