Stevie Rentmeister had a dream. She wrote it on her vision board, she put in the work and she dedicated herself to making her goal a reality. And it paid off. 

At 7 years old, Stevie won the All Around Champion Girls Saddle for her age group at the Limitless Rodeo Productions Holiday Series. The daughter of Riverton residents Jamie and Steven Rentmeister also won her first belt buckle in the goat ribbon pull at that same event.

She started riding with her grandfather when she was 4 years old and fell in love with horses. Stevie entered her first rodeo at 6, competing in barrel racing and pole bending, speed events that test the horse and rider’s agility.

“Sometimes you get nervous, but after you’re done, you feel like it was amazing,” Stevie said. “I like how the people are cheering for you. It can be just the funnest experience you’ve ever done.”

Stevie comes from a long line of riders. Her parents both ride. Her father competed in rodeo while he attended Bingham High and after he graduated. Steven Rentmeister stayed involved with the industry, making a lot of friends. He said the rodeo circuit is a close-knit group of people who care for each other. At the same time, he said it’s much different watching his daughter compete.

“It’s incredible, but very nerve-racking at times,” he said. “The horse is ready to run and you turn her loose. It’s on her at that point. When she goes out there and makes a credible run, it is rewarding to see all the practice and the dedication that she puts into it pay off.”

Steven Rentmeister said lessons learned in rodeo include building good relationships and learning how to cheer on competitors. It also pushes a rider to have good sportsmanship.

“You are becoming friends with all your competitors, but in the same sense, you’re helping each other,” he said. “You want to beat them, but you want to cheer for them to see them be successful as well.”

As a second grader in the Spanish Dual Immersion program at Summit Academy in Bluffdale, Stevie also enjoys playing with her three puppies, two rabbits, a goat and her horse, Sarge. She practices riding and roping three times a week, plus works on her goat-tying skills to prepare for her next competition.

Her dad hopes she sticks with rodeo but wants her to take it at her own pace. He’d also like her to pursue breakaway roping, a timed event where the rider ropes a calf. 

“I hope she continues to move forward with it because I’d like to see her maybe get a scholarship so she can pursue rodeo in college,” Steven Rentmeister said. “She can rodeo in high school and hopefully it’s something that she wants to do.”

At 7, college is far off, but Stevie hopes to continue competing in rodeos, winning new events and getting better at what she loves. But now she has to make a new vision board.

“I just love the experience. It’s so much fun,” she said. “I just love animals. They keep you busy, they play with you and they’re just cute. They really do love you.”