Whataburger's Whatakid: Cheyenne Swoope

CHEYENNE SWOOPE OF REGION IV

Congratulations to Cheyenne Renee Swoope, the Whatakid of the month from Region IV! The Winona, Texas native attends Sabine High School in Gladewater as a senior. She has been a Texas High School Rodeo Association member all four years of of her high school career, and she was a member of the junior high division two years before that.

Cheyenne is currently the Region IV President and is a competitor in the barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping, but she claims breakaway and poles as her favorite events. While she did not directly express the reason behind her favoritism, she did mention how special Hyype, her equine pole bending partner is.

“We stumbled upon a horse for shockingly cheap in Louisiana and made a spontaneous, last minute trip to go pick him up the day before a rodeo,” Cheyenne said. “My mom told me not to expect much considering his looks and the fact that he was out of shape, but the very first run we made placed at the top of the round; I instantly knew he and I had a special connection. He is a trooper, he has a heart of gold, and I will probably never love a teammate as much as I love that horse.”

Since then, Cheyenne has won several titles including Reserve Champion Pole Bender and All Around Cowgirl for Region IV. In addition to materialistic titles, Cheyenne claims to have gained some characteristic titles throughout her time as a THSRA member as well.

“I believe kids that are involved in rodeo and livestock shows are a breed entirely of their own,” Cheyenne said. “We do not have a problem with early mornings and late nights, we know the amount of determination it takes to succeed in the arena and out, and we have a serious amount of respect.”

She said she has also had the opportunity to develop as a leader, winner, loser, and as a fair sport throughout her years in the THSRA, and she is thankful for the career connections she has made and the lifelong friendships she has established over the years.

Outside of the arena, Cheyenne shows market lambs and Brahman heifers and is a member of the Sabine FFA chapter where she competes in ag advocacy, livestock judging, and extemporaneous speaking. She is also a part of the UIL ready writing team and a National Honor Society member at her high school. While she is still heavily involved in extracurricular activities, there were still some sacrifices that had to be made in order for her to excel in certain areas.

“I gave up dancing my freshmen year to rodeo and show livestock full time,” Cheyenne said. “I had been dancing since I was about three, but I knew that I needed to make a change and focus on what was going to take me the furthest in life. I, as well as most kids in this industry give up many opportunities to be teenagers simply because we are trying to perform to the best of our abilities.”

However, all of the sacrifices seem to be worth while as the hard work pays off, and success is finally obtained. “I consider it a great honor that people of Region IV have selected me to be the Whatakid,” Cheyenne said. “It shows me that all of my hard work and dedication to this association is paying off and that people appreciate what I do.”

As Cheyenne is preparing to embark on the next chapter of her life, she expressed her plans of attending Kansas State University in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in animal science with an emphasis in nutrition and genetics. She said she would like to obtain her PhD and operate her own business, eventually working her way up to retirement and becoming a professor. We want to congratulate Cheyenne on being the Whatakid of the month and we wish her nothing but the greatest of success in her future endeavors!