RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Katherine Madison Coker is a natural blonde, she has a cat named Mojo and she is the first female Tennessean to ride for TEAM USA in the most prestigious international rodeo event for women, the World Ranch Bronc Championships in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
On July 4th, the Rockvale, Tennessee native placed 2nd in the US National Competition that took place in Steamboat, Colorado. Katie Coker is one of only five American Cowgirls to qualify to compete at this level for professional women in Rodeo Bronc Riding.
Holding on for dear life until the buzzer sounds at 8-seconds, the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Coker who call Rutherford County home, is on her way to the 2023 Trail to Cheyenne World Finals. The big event is being held this weekend in Wyoming on July 22, 2023. The Women's Ranch Bronc Championships was founded in 2016 by Daryl and Michelle McElroy when a group young female athletes wanted to compete in the ranch bronc riding events but felt uncomfortable competing in male dominated open events.
The road to get this far in started years ago with lot's of athletic training and personal DRIVE. To highlight some of her journey, Katie is a scholar athlete, having run Track for UT Chattanooga on a full scholarship. The young lady also has a Bachelors degree in Biology and Chemistry, which further emphasizes her enthusiasm to press forward and conquer dreams and goals. But, the unique part of this story is her road to success may have been a long time in the making, but the road to Bronc riding itself was fairly short. In fact, she didn't begin her foray into this otherwise male dominated event until just a few months ago.
Her incredible journey started on the family farm in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Katie's family says that she fell in love with horses as a toddler. That love continued to grow in grade school when she progressed in the Pony Club, 4-H and in riding club competitions throughout the local community in Middle Tennessee. Her ability to ride has taken her to the top, where she now represents Team USA in the Women's Ranch Bronc Championships (WRBC), which are in their seventh year of this all female competition.
Last month, Katie was ranked 5th in the nation. Today, she is ranked 2nd and is moving on to compete against the Canadians, Aussies, ladies from Belgium, Germany and her fellow teammates from the USA. She is joined by teammates Allysa Spierings, Madeline Yatso, Keeley Belanger and Bee Underwood. But, she is the first native Tennessean to ever compete at this level!
The "Trail to Cheyenne" starts this Saturday, July 22nd and ends on Sunday with the crowning of a new 2023 World Champion.
