By: Julia Dondero

Sisters Jada and Tana Trosper are competing together, and against each other for the final time at the 32nd annual International Finals Youth Rodeo.

SHAWNEE, Okla.– Sisters Jada and Tana Trosper are competing together, and against each other, for the final time at the 32nd annual International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR).

Jada and Tana Trosper, from Ponder, Texas, are under the bright lights of the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center for their last joint youth competition.

The IFYR welcomes athletes from across the world, ages 14-19 (as of July 1), to compete in the tight-knit community of Shawnee. Known for its prestige and prosperous payouts, the rodeo remains one of the best, now in its 32nd year. One family from Ponder, Texas, has made countless memories in Shawnee and will cherish one last youth rodeo together.

Jada and Tana Trosper are formidable competitors individually, but together as sisters, they are an unbeatable force. At 19 years old, Jada is cherishing all this week brings—in and out of the arena—as this will be their last time competing against each other in Shawnee. Jada, who has honed her craft in barrel racing, reflected on the significance of the week.

“This week is sentimental. It’s my last youth competition with my sister. It has been a very sentimental week for us as a family,” said the 19-year-old rising sophomore at Oklahoma State University.

Tana, 17 and a rising high school junior, also reflected on this sentimental week. She explained that their special bond is forged through tough competition and unconditional love.

“We are each other’s biggest competition and supporters. We share horses, place bets against each other, and push each other to be our best,” Tana said.

Shake and Bake

No, not that one-Ricky Bobby.

The tradition between the sisters started as a motion of encouragement and has turned into a ritual: a simple handshake with a big meaning.

“Before each run, we do our ‘Shake and Bake’ handshake,” the sisters demonstrated. Jada explained that this simple motion of support is an important ritual, no matter where they’re competing.

“Tana will FaceTime me before my college rodeos, and we’ll do our handshake over the phone. It’s special to us,” said Jada, who recently concluded her first year on the Oklahoma State University rodeo team, finishing the season in 6th place in the competitive Southern Plains region.

“Being family, when one wins, we all win, but we’re also very competitive. We’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders, hardest critics, and biggest supporters,” Jada added.

The cherry on top of this sentimental week is, of course, what happens inside the arena. Jada, competing in barrel racing, laid down two impressive runs of 16.657 and 16.234 seconds in rounds 1 and 2, respectively, and advanced to the short round. Tana, competing in barrel racing and pole bending, ran the quickest time of performance 1 with a 21.547-second run.

Tana reflected on the great opportunities under the lights of the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center. “That’s what we love about Shawnee. It’s true rodeo competition and a great environment. From the competitors to the outdoor environment, it tests our and our horses’ athletic abilities. I love it here.”

Jada also reflected on the opportunities created by the environment at the IFYR. “In this environment, you really have to trust your horse and see how tough you really are. An environment like this grows your and your horse’s athletic abilities.”

For the Trosper sisters, the love and attention to their horses are evident from their strong performance to their dedicated conditioning program.

“We prepare for rodeos like this. Keeping our horses and ourselves in shape is a top priority. You can’t be expected to run a marathon with no training,” Tana explained.

Going into the championship round, the Trosper sisters will cheer each other on at one bittersweet, final IFYR together. Jada reflected, “We’ve competed against each other for so many titles; we’re excited for one more. In the final round, we’re looking to be clean, consistent, and we’re going to let God take the wheel.”

Shaking and baking their way to the top, Jada and Tana will make their appearance, along with youth rodeo’s best, at the IFYR final round, taking place July 12 at 7:30 p.m.