SARAH MACDONALD - 2010 AWPRA NORTHERN DIRECTOR
Arizona Women's
Professional Rodeo Association
Member Spotlight
There was a new face in the awpra officers lineup this year and it was Sarah MacDonald.  2010 was Sarah’s first year as the awpra northern director.  The 22 year old and her two brother’s Jayson (older) and Garrett (younger) was raised in Cornville, AZ by parents buzz and Kelly macdonald.  Sarah went to mingus mountain high school in cottonwood.  There she was an active member of the FFA, played varsity softball and high schooled rodeoed.  As a member of FFA , her group placed second at a national marketing competition out of 45 states.  It was the first in history that an Arizona FFA placed.
    Sarah started riding at 10 years old, riding a 14 year old mare named Katie.  She and Katie started running barrels at local gymkhanas and later progressed to junior rodeos.  Sarah’s mentor and largest supporter is her mom, Kelly.  Kelly has rode hunter/jumpers and later barrel raced when she was a teenager.
    Sarah attended college in casa grande and rodeoed for central Arizona college.  she graduated from cac with a associate degree in business.    

                 While in her second year of college she sold her rodeo horse and bought her current mount, The sweet intern (stogie).  Very quickly she and stogie found sweet success winning money at the 4d barrel races.  She bought her permit and joined the awpra.  she was able to fill her permit in 3 weeks and purchased her national wpra card.   Success was bitter sweet because stogie sustained an injury to his tendon and was off for more than half of the year.  With much tender nursing stogie and sarah came back to place 6th in the 2009 year end finals and tied for the fast time at the 2009 finals.
    This year also brought bad luck to sarah and stogie, as he was injured for 10 months.  Sarah’s first run back on him was at the Sept 25th cottonwood barrel race.  Sol’s dodge ram is sarah’s 5 year old who she is training with the help of great friends and family.  He is progressing nicely and will one day be sarah’s rodeo mount.
    Sarah is currently living in Prescott and is a vet tech at the Prescott animal hospital.  She says she is learning a lot, her job consists of running blood work, taking x-rays and assisting with full blown surgeries.  Her goal is to go back to school and work towards a degree in speech pathology.  She would like to teach children speech therapy.   She would also like to hit the rodeo trail and attend some circuit rodeos and make the circuit finals.
    With the support of her family and friends, and her driving ambition, this editor knows sarah will find success in her career and her rodeo endeavors.  She has done a very successful job as northern director in 2010 and will be filling the position in 2011.  the awpra is very proud to have Sarah MacDonald as a director.


  
Written By: Pauline Lindsay