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home / Sports
MHS grad heads for Nationals and beyond
Alice Shoaf
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Cori Teller just graduated from Maricopa High School, a goal in itself for many. For Cori, it was just the first step in a plan she formed years ago, a plan that centers on her love for rodeo. She’s much more than a rodeo rider, though. Cori is a doer, one who tackles every project head-on. She’s also a giver, willing to share her time and expertise with youngsters when she can. Soon she’ll be leaving Maricopa, but she said goodbye with a community service project that thrilled a group of local youngsters.
Cori grew up in a rodeo family, so the calling was a natural one. Her father was a roper, her mother worked with horses, and her older brothers competed in Arizona’s NJHR (National Junior High Rodeo) and NHSR (National High School Rodeo). Cori followed in their footsteps, concentrating on four main events: Goat Tie, Breakaway Calf Roping, Heading and Heeling, and Barrels.
Arizona NHSR holds monthly rodeos from September through May, where competitors earn points toward the annual finals. State Finals are held in June, and winners there qualify for National Finals in July. Cori has qualified five times for national competition; quite a feat in Arizona, one of the more competitive states in girls’ events.
With State Finals right around the corner, Cori’s strongest event is definitely Goat Tie. Imagine diving onto a running goat, flipping it over, and tying three legs with a short piece of rope; all in 2.5 seconds. Yeah, she’s that fast -- placing third in the state last year and currently ranked third this year. She’s also hoping to qualify in Breakaway Roping. Heading and Heeling is her favorite, a team sport where the header – Cori’s position – ropes the calf’s head and turns him so that the heeler can rope both rear legs. In Barrels, she has undertaken training as well as showing, introducing a new young horse to the sport.
Her career plan began to come together as a seventh-grader -- the first year she qualified for national finals – when a college coach and scout took an interest in her. From then on Cori worked to keep his interest, communicating through e-mails and creating videos to send him. “She did it all on her own,” said her dad. “She knew what she wanted and went after it.” What she wanted was to stay with rodeo as a career. On the way, she’s learned all aspects of horse husbandry including handling, training, and athletic conditioning.
Cori soon recognized the fact that she enjoys helping people just as much; and in rodeo, people tend to get hurt now and then. The career plan developed to include physical sports therapy. Cori’s looking at about seven years of college. Choosing her career plan early, though, helped her figure out how to pay for it.
NHSR awards scholarships to deserving youth, and that scout Cori interested clearly saw her potential. Maintaining a high grade point average while earning a scholastic high school diploma contributed, as did her success in competition. Cori earned a full academic/rodeo scholarship to attend Texas Tech University in the fall. She’ll pursue a biology degree there, and then attend Duke University for physical therapy school. Meanwhile, she’ll be part of the school’s rodeo team and compete at the collegiate level. What will she do with her final accreditation? Follow the rodeos, only now as a professional sports therapist as well as a competitor. “I can help cowboys and cowgirls when they get hurt,” said Cori with a smile. Yes, and make a good living doing what she loves.
Cori has a history of giving back to her community. She teaches youngsters how to ride and handle horses, using her main show horse to school them. He’s a 15-year-old Quarter Horse gelding named G.R. “We call him ‘Grrr’,” she says, “but he’s a babysitter. Perfect for new riders.”
On May 31, Cori and Grrr gave a last community service effort to say goodbye to Maricopa. The city’s parks and recreation department hosts a Youth Fun and Fitness camp at Saddleback Elementary School, and its theme that week was rodeo. It seemed only natural to make Cori the highlighted event, so she brought Grrr, a goat, some ropes, and some roping stands for the 30-plus kids to enjoy. “We offered to pay her, but she refused,” said Parks and Recreation leader Monty, who set up the affair. Watching Cori work with the kids, it was obvious she was there because she enjoys it. She’s a natural teacher with the patience of a saint.
Cori leaves town in June. Her first stop is Payson for State Finals, after which she and her three horses are headed for South Dakota. In July she’ll almost certainly be in Wyoming for National Finals, and other rodeos are planned as well. After a quick trip home to Thunderbird Farms, she’ll then start school in Texas in the fall.
Maricopa can watch Cori’s progress with pride, knowing one of their own made it in the rodeo world and used it to carve for herself a career and a life. Happy trails, Cori Teller, and congratulations.
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Alice Shoaf / CopaNews.com
Recent grad Cori Teller shows a Maricopa youngster how to throw a rope.
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