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World Champion Pole Bender, Kinley Follman. [Photo: Macey Mosset]
“Pole bending doesn’t happen overnight. It is work — day in and day out,” said the newly crowned World Champion Pole Bender Kinley Follman. “To get prepared for a second nationals, I had to understand my mare more and speed up through the poles. Every single step counts in pole bending.”
A thrilling week of rodeo action took place June 18-24, 2023, in Perry, Georgia at the Georgia National Fairgrounds. The National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) brought the top 4 rodeo athletes from 44 states, 5 Canadian provinces, Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand in all 14 NJHFR events competing for a World Championship Title. There were about 1,200 rodeo contestants that traveled to the Peach Tree state.
One of those contestants was Towner, North Dakota’s very own, Kinley Follman. “I was still in disbelief after it all happened,” explained Kinley. “Going into the short-go, I knew I had to keep the poles up and Tango would stop the clock. I knew that’s what I did running the home stretch.”
Kinley Follman and her horse, Tango. [Photo: Macey Mosset]
The 14-year-old 8th grader was in her last year of junior high rodeo and 2nd time attending the NJHFR. “Tango handled the trip better than any of our horses. She drank 10 gallons of water at every stop and was always cleaning up her feed in the mangers,” said the cowgirl. Tango is a 14-year-old mare by Doc At Night crossed on the mare, Ma Cher Rey.
Prior to becoming a pole bender and barrel racer, Kinley was a trick rider. Kinley loved trick riding and went to numerous schools/clinics for it. However, she said she craved competition. She discovered that barrel racing and pole bending gave her an opportunity to race against the clock in the competitive rodeo environment.
Follman trick riding. [Photo: About You Photography]
“Tango was a perfect match from the first ride. In the warm-up pen before our short-go run, she just felt different. She knew it was her day,” explained the champion.
Kinley is the daughter of Sheldon and Serena Follman and has two older sisters, Kaylee and Hanna, and younger brother, Trenton. Without her family support and involvement, Kinley said that she wouldn’t be anywhere. “My sisters and my brother all love horses and my mom and dad,” Kinley stated.
“I got involved in all of this, because I love horses. Even though they can’t talk, horses understand me. Horses don’t judge,” explained the World Champion.
Being part of Team North Dakota is undoubtedly cherished by Kinley and her family. “No matter the rodeo, morning or night, I could hear our big section from Team North Dakota cheering super loud. It’s fun to be with this team,” added Kinley.
When the Follman family pulled into Towner from Georgia, a police escort directed the rig to streets lined with townspeople congratulating and welcoming ‘the team’ back home.
Champion escort through the streets of Towner. [Photo: Michelle Shipp]
Much like Tango and her will to do ‘everything her best and wanting to please,’ as Kinley described her horse, so are the North Dakota athletes, their families, and the supporters that make this sport a thriving family community across our state all the way down to Georgia.
The Towner welcoming party. [Photo: Michelle Shipp]
For a complete list of results, visit nhsra.com.
Tisa Peek is a long-time horse trainer, competitor in barrel racing and team roping, and writer about the equine. Rodeo and horses run deep in her roots. JT Family Equine is where she calls home, south of Bismarck, ND. Tisa, along with her husband, Jon, and boys, Blu and River, train horses and host clinics. Tisa is the host for Dakota Cowboy on BEK TV.