By Rich Winter

605 Sports

FORT PIERRE —- Watertown’s Ava Luken didn’t grow up around rodeo but through her participation in 4-H, the senior fell in love with the sport.

At this weekend’s South Dakota 4-H Finals Rodeo in Fort Pierre, Luken will be handing over the crown of 4-H Rodeo Ambassador. She does so after a whirlwind year of promoting and growing the sport of rodeo. 

“It’s been so much fun I’m kinda sad to see it coming to an end,” Luken said. “It’s really been a great experience to not only do rodeos in the summer but also to be more involved in the sport through the winter months.” 

Right after being named the 2023 South Dakota 4-H Rodeo Ambassador, Luken headed to the state fair to help with the livestock shows and do a bunch of interviews. She also attended the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo, the Watertown Winter Farm Show and the Crystal Springs Rodeo. She also met Governor Kristi Noem and Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden and experienced congress in session. 

Not bad for a kid that didn’t grow up around rodeo but loved animals and fell in love with horses with a yearly trail ride with her family. 

“I’ve always loved animals and my mom Tyanne wanted horses but we didn’t have any,” she said. “Every year we would go on a trail ride at Sica Hollow in Sisseton. From there I just fell in love with horses.”

Luken has been an active participant in 4-H since she was eight-years old. At the age of 12, she convinced her parents to let her have a horse lesson. Eventually Paul and Tyanne Luken relented and bought the family’s first horse. 

Luken competes in breakaway roping, ribbon roping, pole bending and barrel racing. As competition at the South Dakota 4-H Finals Rodeo begins Friday Luken is extra juiced because this is the first year she’s qualified for the state finals. 

“I’m so excited to have qualified in breakaway roping and ribbon roping,” she said. “I’m packing a bunch of jeans and different outfits and getting my two mares ready to travel.” 

Luken’s last 12 months have been filled with meet-and-greets, radio interviews, meeting new people and seeing the different cogs that all have to click to make rodeo go.

“It’s been fun to see the other side of what goes into putting a rodeo together,” she said. “I’ve seen how important contractors, coordinators and even announcers are and how important these individuals are to helping grow the sport every year.” 

While every state has 4-H, South Dakota and New Mexico are the only states that have 4-H rodeo. At the many meet-and-greets Luken was able to visit with kids to help explain the sport and why she loves rodeo so much. 

“It’s quite an honor to be a role model for the younger generations,” she said. “Speaking with kids really brings a sense of pride and compassion to what I do. Rodeo has its ups and downs but I’ve learned to cherish every moment because both the successes and failures have helped me grow as a person.”

After competing for the 2022 South Dakota 4-H Rodeo Ambassador, and not winning, Luken went to work and came back stronger in 2023. Contestants are judged on horsemanship, personality and appearance (interview). One year ago Luken sat nervously on her horse as the second and first runner-ups were announced. 

Luken figured the competition was going to be very close but after the first runner-up was announced she had a feeling she was going to win. 

“It was the best feeling because I worked really hard to get there,” she said. “I felt like it meant a lot to me because I’ve always kinda struggled in competitive events. I didn’t grow up around rodeo so winning proved that someone with my background can do something at a high level. I feel very passionate about this sport and feel blessed to have been able to promote it for an entire year.”

Luken said that 4-H in general has given her important tools that she will be able to use later in life. She also noted that the year of being an ambassador has helped her grow tremendously as a person. 

On Thursday, Luken will kick off the 2024 4-H Rodeo Ambassador competition by riding out and setting the pattern for the nine contestants that will be vying for the ambassador role. Those contestants will have to follow Luken’s pattern before dismounting in front of the judges where they will be asked a series of rodeo questions. 

“It’s a little bittersweet but I’m very excited,” Luken said. “It was such an amazing year for me and whoever wins is going to make so many lifetime memories that they will never forget.”