Written by: Shawnee Sagers The year 2020 had many of us down and put several things on hold for a lot of people. That was not the case for 9 year old Izzy Coughlin, of St. George, UT. This little cowgirl made her mark in the history books of rodeo in 2020, in July she took home the National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA) Little Wrangler (LW) World Champion Barrel Racing saddle, though that was just one of the titles she would claim in 2020. Later in the year Coughlin made the trip from UT to Fort Worth, TX to compete in the Jr. World Finals in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. At the end of a long week she claimed the Jr. World Champion Barrel Racing title as well.
Joining the NLBRA Family at the age of five, Coughlin has been a member ever since. Just one short year later, at the age of six, Coughlin started getting a need for speed, it was on her mare Sunny that she learned to go fast and she hasn’t slowed down yet. After leaning and growing with Sunny Coughlin stepped up to Joe Dynamite, the horse that helped her win two world titles in 2020. She describes Joe as “an incredible teammate that she is so blessed to have.” Coughlin describes her accomplishment as “a dream come true! The competition was tough, but good ole’ Joe pulled through.” Coughlin got her horse Joe, by chance. He originally joined the Coughlin family for her 16 year old sister, Adi, who started focusing on soccer more than rodeo. “Lucky me!” exclaimed Coughlin. Her brother, Junior, doesn’t rodeo but is a huge supporter of hers when not on the football field. This coming year Coughlin looks forward to learning more about the sport of rodeo and toward having the chance to compete at the NLBRA Finals and the Jr. World Finals again in 2021. In addition will be adding barrel racing futurities to her list as she is excited to compete on her Blazing Jetolena filly this year. When Coughlin isn’t chasing the rodeo trail she stays very active training miniature horses. When not on a horse, big or small, Coughlin enjoys snow skiing the UT slopes or relishing the waters of Lake Powell. On top of all these accomplishments this little cowgirls speaks Chinese. Coughlin is certainly leaving her legacy in the sport of rodeo. When asked what advice she could give to other competitors working towards their goals she said “Always be willing to learn or adjust and focus is key. I try to always have my head in the game because I know my teammate does!”
1 Comment
Denise Schnetz
1/11/2021 08:47:13 pm
Izzy is my cousin. How proud I am to see her ride with such passion and guts. She is so smart anda true talent!
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