Courtesy Photo by Carson Robertson Abby Smith, paramedic and firefighter for the City of Alpena, is seen competing in a bronc riding event. Smith will compete in the Twisted P Rodeo at 7 p.m. tonight and Wednesday night at the Alpena County Fair.

ALPENA — Abby Smith, a firefighter and paramedic for the City of Alpena, is one of only a few women in Michigan competing in the women’s ranch bronc circuit. She will compete at 7 p.m. tonight and Wednesday at the Twisted P Rodeo at the Alpena County Fair.

Smith said she is one of only three females she is aware of in the state of Michigan who ride “rough stock” in the rodeo circuit. Smith explained that “rough stock” refers to bucking horses and bulls bred to compete in rodeos.

“They are athletes themselves,” Smith said of the rough stock.

Though she is not fully aware of how many women in Michigan compete in the rodeo circuit, Smith said there are only a handful.

“I can guarantee our numbers are really low,” Smith said of female competitors.

During a competition, Smith explained that riders are judged on several criteria as to how well they ride. For example, judges watch to see how much riders move around in the saddle and if they are jostled to the side, can they correct their form and keep their hips square.

Smith noted that bronc riding has a “thick and rich history,” though the discipline has just begun to allow women to compete within the last 10 years.

Female bronc riders competed in the rodeo circuit from the late 1800s till the mid-1900s, according to Smith. Women were no longer allowed to ride broncs after a rider died in 1929.

Historically, Smith said that women have not been welcomed into rodeo spaces. She explained that her presence, among the women she competes alongside in the rodeo circuit, is significant in opening the door for more women riders.

Not only is bronc riding a lesser known discipline, Smith explained that it is even more rare to find women riding rough stock.

“I’ve had to track down the girls,” Smith said. “I haven’t found any other women who have been running in the circuit.”

Smith said that she and the other female riders are trying to bring more attention to the sport and encourage other women to consider trying it out.

“It’s definitely a man’s world,” Smith said, regarding rodeo. “People kind of look at us like we’re crazy.”

She said that riding broncs is a unique opportunity and that it will “test every ounce of your patience.”

Smith said that she got into riding rough stock because she always was intrigued by the “western lifestyle,” though she grew up in the suburbs of Rochester Hills. She said she thought riding bulls sounded too dangerous so she turned her interest toward bucking horses.

“How bad can horses be?” Smith said.

Within the rodeo circuit, Smith’s tagline has become, “From burbs to broncs.”

To get started, Smith explained that she attended a bronc riding school led by a champion bronc rider and prominent rough stock competitor, Brittany Miller. Smith said there she learned the basics of bronc riding and has since been competing around Michigan.

So far, Smith has ridden 10 broncs in the rodeo circuit, and six broncs in Brittany Miller’s school. She said after Alpena, she will have ridden 18 broncs in total.

Though she has just started competing, Smith is passionate about the sport and is committed to encouraging more women to enter the circuit.

“Just because this is a man’s world, we belong here,” Smith said. “You can do hard stuff … you can do gritty things … and this is bad ass!”

Smith said that if women are at all interested, they should come out to watch the Twisted P Rodeo.

“Even if it’s just a spark … come out and talk with us,” Smith said.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.