McIntyre Takes Central Plains Goat Tying by Storm

For most college rodeo athletes, placing at a good handful of rodeos counts for a pretty
successful year, but Parker McInytre has set a new bar to what a winning season looks like. The
Panhandle State University cowgirl has had a standout year thus far in the women's event of goat
tying.

Starting the season off, Central Plains contestants traveled to Colby, Kansas. McIntyre started her
year off with a bang, where she won the long round, placed second in the short round, and won
the average with a smokin’ 13.7 on two. At the next rodeo in Durant Oklahoma, Parker won the
long round again, split the win in the short round, and took home another average win. Keeping
the streak alive, she dominated in the first round at the Stillwater Oklahoma rodeo with a time of
6.3, putting her three tenths of a second ahead going into the short round. Even with a slight
bobble in the short round, she still came out on top to take home her third average win in a row.
The fall season for the Central Plains ended in Alva, Oklahoma where once again, Miss
McIntyre dominated winning the long round, the short round, and the average. In the short round
there, she tied the fastest time of the weekend and the fall season with a 5.8 second run. Showing
no signs of slowing down her lead, Parker has placed 2nd and 3rd in the average at both spring
rodeos in Manhattan Kansas and Ft. Scott Kansas respectfully.

The young goat tying phenom calls Yale, Oklahoma home. McIntyre, who recently turned
twenty one, is a junior at Panhandle State University majoring in history. Rodeoing for, and
attending school at Panhandle has continued to be a family affair. Parker's father, along with
several cousins and other family members have been a part of the aggie family too. Her dad, Josh
McIntyre won a National Title in the Steer Wrestling during his time at OPSU. When making her
college decision a couple years ago, the young talent knew the rodeo coaches and the atmosphere
of Panhandle State would help her to be successful, as it has proven to be.

The OPSU Rodeo Team is coached by Robert Etbauer and Shelbie Rose. Shelbie, as the women's
head coach has been a huge part of Parker's collegiate success.

“She is just always there and willing to help. She pushes me daily to be better,” McIntyre said when asked about her coach.

The team practices weekly and focuses on every discipline and event equally, but you will often
find Parker and some of her teammates putting in some extra hours tying the goats. Her cousin,
Kylie Slavin, also a member of the OPSU rodeo team and goat tier, like to practice together and
push each other to perform their best.

As any rodeo competitor, Parker relies heavily on her equine athlete to help her do her job. She
rides a black gelding named Festis who many may know as the ‘crazy black horse.’ Parker
trained him to be a goat horse because he had the speed she needed to take her to the next level
after high school. Uniquely, Festis is completely blind in the right eye. This is somewhat of a
challenge in some indoor pens with light changes, yet McIntyre still says she has total trust in
him to get her where she needs to be to make her run. She even says that Festis takes a certain
stride that is her que to step off in the arena. Her plan is always to go at ‘em by getting to her
spot, and staying smooth.

“He gives me his all every single time down the arena. He is my best friend and my favorite
thing in this world.”

Although the Panhandle family has been a piece of Parker McIntyres success, she started out
elsewhere. She could be found tying a goat as early as five years old. With many events to
choose to focus on, the love of goat tying was passed down to Parker from her family,
specifically her aunt Shelly Meier.

“She is my biggest idol and has taught me everything I know,” explained Parker, who
gives all credit to her aunt Shelly for teaching her the ways as a goat tier.

Parker practicing with her idol and coach, Shelly Meier. | Betty Dew

Without a doubt, it does take a village to find success in the rodeo arena. Along with her aunt
Shelly, McIntyre gives credit to her dad Josh, her good friend and mentor Cheyenne Bartling,
and her boyfriend Ry Clark.

Parker was emotional when talking about her support team, “My dad always tells me that
I can rely on my muscle memory if I practice enough. Once you get there, you just have to trust
your preparation and go make your runs just like you would in the practice pen. I am thankful to
have my dad and Cheyenne to look up to when it comes to the mental game especially. Ry is
always willing to hold my goat for hours at a time in the practice pen; day or night he wants me
to get better and succeed. He is by far one of my biggest fans.” Parker also competes in the
breakaway roping and can be found hazing for Ry, who is a steer wrestler.

Eyes have been on this talent for some time now, as Parker came up through the junior rodeo and
high school ranks being very successful too. She qualified for both junior high and high school
nationals finals representing the state of Oklahoma. The talented cowgirl feeds off of the
adrenaline and is confident in her preparedness. A good work ethic is a must in goat tying,
something that Parker prides herself in.

Currently Parker is leading the Central Plains Region Goat Tying with 860 points, giving her
over a 400 point lead over the second place cowgirl. With the top three ladies qualifying for the
Collegiate National Finals Rodeo and her incredible lead, it is very easy to predict we will see
McIntyre in Casper in June. Last year, she ended her season in 3rd place for the region, to make
her first qualification to the CNFR. Although the lights might be brighter, and the stage a little
bigger, Parker plans to take the same approach to the CNFR as any other rodeo with confidence
in her hard work in the practice pen. As her friend Cheyenne may remind her, Parker is in a
‘league of her own’ and has a work ethic, mindset, and heart to be a champion.

McIntyre after her winning performance in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | Dale Hirschman

Surely, there are many little girls out there leaning on the arena posts and watching Parker,
hoping to be just like her one day. With both character and performance, she makes a great role
model for young girls who want to find their success in the goat tying. When asked what advice
she would give to these up and comers Parker said,

“They better be ready to work. It comes with lots of frustration and hurt if you want to be
good. With goat tying, you really can control your outcome in the arena by your
preparation in the practice pen. It takes a long time to get consistent, but hard work truly
does pay off.”

It goes without saying that we will likely continue to see Parker McIntyre in the winning circle.
“I am not even checking the points and standings. I will just keep going at ‘em, nothing too
special. Just going in to make my same run every time.”