Fort Worth, Texas — South Dakota cowgirl Summer Kosel and her horse ‘Apollo’ won Bracket 6 of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo with times of 16.94 and 16.57, solidifying their spot to the semi-finals.

Firewaterfrenchfame aka ‘Apollo’ and Kosel are possibly one of the few teams in Texas that have been walking through the South Dakota snow-filled ditches to be in shape for the winter run of rodeos. Long-trotting in a hay field and two weeks of swimming at Dare 2 Dream Equine Conditioning of Pierre, S.D. proved to be the resonating recipe for the northern duo.

“Apollo was a little sluggish, but respectable, in Denver prior to this Fort Worth pen. He was coming off a bruised hock that happened in Ellensburg this fall, which I treated like a fractured hock and gave him that full allotted time of rest. With Apollo, we don’t have short term expectations, but look at longevity,” stated Kosel. “I’m a fair-weather cowgirl too — in the winter I spend more time working on staying in-shape physically by working out myself and studying training videos related to horses and barrel racing. Basically, that’s what I can do when the elements don’t cooperate.”

‘Apollo’ is the product of Aint Seen Nothing Yet and Firewater Flyer. The nine-year-old gelding wasn’t started on barrels until a few years ago but has been a rockstar from the start. With Lake Oahe at his doorstep and the open skies of Mobridge, Apollo makes his home. When the team isn’t running the cloverleaf pattern, owner Kosel is a busy mom and enjoys watching her kids’ basketball games.

The Kosel Family (left to right) Hope, Summer, Kevin, Serenity, Victory, and Courage (front middle) [Photo: submitted]

Kosel was raised in Miller/Ree Heights, S.D. and is the daughter and granddaughter of S.D. livestock sale barn owners. Headstrong and determined, Kosel explained that she never intentionally planned on becoming a professional barrel racer.

“When I was about 14 or 15, I skipped my regional rodeo finals to attend a singing and dance camp at National State University in Aberdeen. My dad threatened to sell my horses. I didn’t think he was serious, but he proved me wrong. So, I was on my way at becoming a professional singer and dancer and took a decade hiatus from horses. God had some other plans and before I knew it, I was raising a family. That’s when horses and barrel racing came back into my life,” said Kosel.

Kosel’s husband, Kevin, encouraged her to start riding and barrel racing, so the story unfolds, and the pages are being published. Along with her family’s support, Kosel embraces the ‘living on a prayer and go for broke’ mentality, and the cowgirl is making waves in the sport of barrel racing and rodeo.

Kosel said that getting ready to come down to Texas wasn’t taken lightly. “Was Apollo ready, healed up, and conditioned enough? All the doubts from the outside crept in, but instead, I smiled to myself and said, ‘Anything is possible with God,’ I had a peace,” explained Kosel.

“Challenges and being the underdog are the moments when God uses us the most and sets us up as examples. God doesn’t always pick the rock stars or the champions, he picks the challenging times and the ‘not so ideal’ situations. Our stories have already been written, I just had to let the journey happen and trust in God and the horse he brought me — it’s all Him,” graciously stated Kosel.

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