Another season of rodeo is back as the MSU-Northern Lights and Skylights will head to Wyoming to open up 2024-25. New Media Broadcasters spoke with head coach Doug Kallenberger and he could not be more pumped up to usher in the new rides that his cowboys and cowgirls will take as they come together for the first time this year.
“We’ve got everybody from returners to transfers to nine incoming freshmen,” Kallenberger said. “It’s been a lot of years trying to get it spread out like that from seniors to freshmen.”
“It’s been neat to see the senior leadership at practices and also some of the transfers kids coming in and stepping up,” Kallenberger continued. “We’re really excited.”
Northwest Community College will host the first rodeo of the season for Northern. Kallenberger said what his expectations were as the first set of practices dwindle down before a travel day on Thursday.
“They’ve been going for the last three (or) four months, rodeoing all summer,” Kallenberger said. “Like we’ve been telling them all week, ‘This is just another rodeo. I know it’s your first college rodeo, but it’s just another rodeo.'”
“I think the kids are right where they should be,” Kallenberger continued. “(We’ve) had a couple good practice sessions. (We’ve) been watching the practices.”
“They look like everybody’s in tune,” Kallenberger said. “Their horses look in shape. It’ll just be a fun weekend to go down to Cody and get the season started.”
Like coach Kallenberger mentioned, the Northern Lights and Skylights rodeo teams will see action for the first time this season in Cody, WY as Northwest Community College hosts multiple teams. The events start on Friday and run through Saturday.
