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When the college rodeo season began last fall in the Central Rocky Mountain Region, Otero Junior College had an official team entered; a feat that had not happened for more than 25 years.
Small but mighty, the team members included Nathan “Tuff” Ramsey, Swink, Ryan Belew, La Junta, and Cory Hazen, Calhan. Ramsey competed in the calf roping and steer wrestling, Belew in the calf roping, and Hazen in the bull riding.
The OJC Rattler Rodeo Club was first established in 1957. Up until the mid 1980s’ the club and its competitive teams were an active group on the OJC campus. According to former sponsor and rodeo coach, Dexter McNeff, at one time there were close to 40 members in the club. “During the years I was involved, 1968-1983, the OJC Rodeo Club put on 15 rodeos at the La Junta Kids Rodeo grounds. Called the Rattler Roundup, we drew college rodeo competitors from throughout the Central Rocky Mountain Region. I was very sad when interest began to drop off and the rodeo club was eventually discontinued,” said McNeff.
Prior to the start of Fall Semester at OJC in 2008, Tuff Ramsey and Ryan Belew, two La Junta cowboys, approached OJC Marketing Director, Almabeth Kaess, asking if she would help them organize a rodeo team at OJC. Kaess, an OJC Rattler Rodeo Team alumna, and former Miss Rodeo America, agreed to help the students. Once college started in August, one more student, Cory Hazen, came forward with an interest in also being on the rodeo team. During the past collegiate rodeo season, the team has competed at all 10 Central Rocky Mountain Region rodeos, and finished 10th in the Region.
According to Kaess, with persistence from the rodeo team members and herself, the administrators at Otero Junior College were encouraged to look at reviving the Rattler Rodeo Team on a full scale for the 2009-10 academic year. “Our persistence paid off, because the administration has approved a program that will be funded under the Athletic Department and recognized as a varsity sport on the campus,” said Kaess.
With only one more hurdle to leap, the newly revived rodeo team needed a coach who could take the program to a competitive level. “As a new program, we knew we needed someone who not only knew the sport of rodeo well, especially collegiate rodeo, but also had a solid background in business, marketing, fundraising, leadership, and most importantly, had a high regard toward academics that coincided with the college’s philosophy,” said Kaess.
That person came in the form of Linsay Rosser-Sumpter, a former California collegiate rodeo competitor at California Polytechnic State University. Now living in Fowler, Colorado, and married to NFR Steer Wrestling qualifier Wade Sumpter, Rosser-Sumpter is a third generation member of the Cotton Rosser rodeo family. She grew up helping to produce rodeos with the family’s Flying U Rodeo Company and working as the herd manager for Rosser Land and Cattle. As a collegiate competitor at Cal Poly University, Rosser-Sumpter was a College National Finals Rodeo qualifier from 2003-2005. Since 2001, she has owned and operated her own rodeo school, in both California and Colorado, where she trains young rodeo athletes in various rodeo events. In addition to marketing and promotion work with the Flying U Rodeo Company, Rosser-Sumpter has also worked as a national sales manager for a western clothing company and is currently working for the Professional Bull Riders Inc. as a public relations/marketing manager.
Anxious to begin recruiting for the new Rattler Rodeo Team, Rosser-Sumpter said, “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to being a part of the OJC team. I’ve been involved in rodeo all of my life and I’m proud to have a hand in bringing the traditions of the sport back to the Arkansas Valley and La Junta. With top athletes attending OJC, I’m confident that the Rodeo Rattlers will do Southern Colorado justice – in academics and in the arena.”
With the help of scholarship dollars from the college, Rosser-Sumpter hopes to recruit students from the local area, as well as statewide and even nationally. “OJC is located in La Junta, an area that has a great history of rodeo and rodeo competitors, in addition to having one of the best climates in the state. Excluding a few blizzards in recent years, most winters are very open, making this an excellent area to ride, rope, and practice year-round. In addition to scholarship that will help with tuition, we hope to provide some practice opportunities for students who choose to pursue a higher education while continuing to compete in the sport they love,” said Rosser-Sumpter.
For more information about the OJC Rattler Rodeo Program, call 719-384-6821 or email Rosser-Sumpter at linsay.rosser@ojc.edu.
When the college rodeo season began last fall in the Central Rocky Mountain Region, Otero Junior College had an official team entered; a feat that had not happened for more than 25 years.
Small but mighty, the team members included Nathan “Tuff” Ramsey, Swink, Ryan Belew, La Junta, and Cory Hazen, Calhan. Ramsey competed in the calf roping and steer wrestling, Belew in the calf roping, and Hazen in the bull riding.
The OJC Rattler Rodeo Club was first established in 1957. Up until the mid 1980s’ the club and its competitive teams were an active group on the OJC campus. According to former sponsor and rodeo coach, Dexter McNeff, at one time there were close to 40 members in the club. “During the years I was involved, 1968-1983, the OJC Rodeo Club put on 15 rodeos at the La Junta Kids Rodeo grounds. Called the Rattler Roundup, we drew college rodeo competitors from throughout the Central Rocky Mountain Region. I was very sad when interest began to drop off and the rodeo club was eventually discontinued,” said McNeff.
Prior to the start of Fall Semester at OJC in 2008, Tuff Ramsey and Ryan Belew, two La Junta cowboys, approached OJC Marketing Director, Almabeth Kaess, asking if she would help them organize a rodeo team at OJC. Kaess, an OJC Rattler Rodeo Team alumna, and former Miss Rodeo America, agreed to help the students. Once college started in August, one more student, Cory Hazen, came forward with an interest in also being on the rodeo team. During the past collegiate rodeo season, the team has competed at all 10 Central Rocky Mountain Region rodeos, and finished 10th in the Region.
According to Kaess, with persistence from the rodeo team members and herself, the administrators at Otero Junior College were encouraged to look at reviving the Rattler Rodeo Team on a full scale for the 2009-10 academic year. “Our persistence paid off, because the administration has approved a program that will be funded under the Athletic Department and recognized as a varsity sport on the campus,” said Kaess.
With only one more hurdle to leap, the newly revived rodeo team needed a coach who could take the program to a competitive level. “As a new program, we knew we needed someone who not only knew the sport of rodeo well, especially collegiate rodeo, but also had a solid background in business, marketing, fundraising, leadership, and most importantly, had a high regard toward academics that coincided with the college’s philosophy,” said Kaess.
That person came in the form of Linsay Rosser-Sumpter, a former California collegiate rodeo competitor at California Polytechnic State University. Now living in Fowler, Colorado, and married to NFR Steer Wrestling qualifier Wade Sumpter, Rosser-Sumpter is a third generation member of the Cotton Rosser rodeo family. She grew up helping to produce rodeos with the family’s Flying U Rodeo Company and working as the herd manager for Rosser Land and Cattle. As a collegiate competitor at Cal Poly University, Rosser-Sumpter was a College National Finals Rodeo qualifier from 2003-2005. Since 2001, she has owned and operated her own rodeo school, in both California and Colorado, where she trains young rodeo athletes in various rodeo events. In addition to marketing and promotion work with the Flying U Rodeo Company, Rosser-Sumpter has also worked as a national sales manager for a western clothing company and is currently working for the Professional Bull Riders Inc. as a public relations/marketing manager.
Anxious to begin recruiting for the new Rattler Rodeo Team, Rosser-Sumpter said, “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to being a part of the OJC team. I’ve been involved in rodeo all of my life and I’m proud to have a hand in bringing the traditions of the sport back to the Arkansas Valley and La Junta. With top athletes attending OJC, I’m confident that the Rodeo Rattlers will do Southern Colorado justice – in academics and in the arena.”
With the help of scholarship dollars from the college, Rosser-Sumpter hopes to recruit students from the local area, as well as statewide and even nationally. “OJC is located in La Junta, an area that has a great history of rodeo and rodeo competitors, in addition to having one of the best climates in the state. Excluding a few blizzards in recent years, most winters are very open, making this an excellent area to ride, rope, and practice year-round. In addition to scholarship that will help with tuition, we hope to provide some practice opportunities for students who choose to pursue a higher education while continuing to compete in the sport they love,” said Rosser-Sumpter.
For more information about the OJC Rattler Rodeo Program, call 719-384-6821 or email Rosser-Sumpter at linsay.rosser@ojc.edu.
