By Rich Winter, 605 Sports

rich.winter@sportsticket.tv

About a week ago 2021 Burke graduate Ramee Hanson ran her last rodeo during the South Dakota 4-H finals. Young enough that she could compete in 4-H next year, Hanson decided she was ready to get on with the next phase of her life.

After a summer of working at the Burke and Platte hospitals, Hanson knows she wants to help people.

“I'm at Southeast Technical College studying to be an LPN and a Registered hurse,” Hanson told 605 sports.

Those last final runs at the 4-H finals were bitter-sweet for Hanson, who along with Colome cowgirl Saydee Heath (same age), both wrapped up their brilliant rodeo careers despite having eligibility left.

“It was actually kind of hard to give it up because rodeo is my favorite sport and I've worked really hard at it,” she said.

Hanson did enjoy competing at this last meet with her sister Piper, but she's serious about the next phase of her life.

“I ended up selling two of my horses last week,” she said. “They are now in the care of several awesome little kids that I know are going to benefit from their experience.”

While Hanson is walking away from rodeo she was dialed in until the very end of her competitive career.

“During the first round of roping I was thinking I need a catch, I need to start off strong,” she said.

The 2.5 second 'catch' caught the attention of our viewers but Hanson said she completely blanked out the run.

“If you asked me to replay it I couldn't even tell you about it,” she said. “I walked out of the arena and heard the time (2.5) and finished third.”

Which set up the final run of her roping career.

“The 2nd-go is where all the nerves come in,” she said. “I knew I needed a good time and that I needed to go off.”

Adding to the pressure of the roping, Colman-Egan cowgirl Josie Mousel was just in front of Hanson in the 2nd-go.

“I had a 2.5 in the first round and she had a 2.6,” Hanson said. “When she caught in 2.5 I knew I had to be fast and flawless.”

Hanson missed but she knew exactly what happened and said she was inches away from completing a fast run.

And just like that Hanson shifted gears and headed off to college.

“My mom works in the medical field and my sister is a 4th-year medical student that is studying to be a surgeon,” she said.

One never knows if the next step is the right step but after her work in Burke and Platte this summer Hanson knows she's exactly where she needs to be.

“Just working at the hospitals I loved every second of it,” she said. “Especially in Platte we had a lot of people come into the ER this summer and I was often the first person to see them. That excited me because I want to help people, that's all I've ever wanted to do.”

The recent graduate of Burke played volleyball, basketball, track and of course rodeo.