VALENTINE, Neb. - The state’s top high school rodeo athletes are competing in Valentine this week for the Nebraska High School Rodeo Finals. News Channel Nebraska will televise the final day of competition on Saturday. In this story, we introduce you to a competitor whose connection with her horses runs far deeper than the arena.

The bond between a cowgirl and her horse is often hard to put into words. For Reagan Stracke of Stuart, Nebraska, that bond is deeply personal — and rooted in loss, love, and legacy.

Stracke, a high school senior, is competing in pole bending and barrel racing this week at the Finals. Her horses, Slim and Chicken, aren’t just animals she competes with — they’re her companions, teammates, and daily reminders of where she came from.

“Both of them are my best friends, but also children at the same time,” Stracke said. “The biggest part is just staying calm. Both of them are very big horses that can feel your emotions. I think that if I stay calm, they’ll run for me the best they can."

Managing emotions is something Stracke likely knows more about than most high schoolers. For a while, grief kept her out of the rodeo arena altogether after a devastating loss.

“My mom was a state champion pole bender in high school. When she passed away, it took a hit on our entire family. My older siblings were all still rodeoing, but I was so young that I didn’t really know what to do,” said Stracke.

At just ten years old, Stracke lost her mom to cancer. Her mom was a state champion pole bender who also trained horses.

“We have pictures all over the house and her buckles. It’s nice to remember that’s where she was at in high school once, and that’s the exact same position I can be in now,” said Stracke.

After not rodeoing in junior high, Stracke returned to the arena her freshman year.

“She trained one of the horses I went to ride my freshman year in pole bending, so it’s a full circle moment that really does mean a lot to me,” said Stracke.

Now as Stracke prepares for the finals and takes care of her horses on a daily basis - a job she calls "full-time" - it’s more than chores. It’s healing. And it’s connection.

“I always remember her. I look up to her,” said Stracke.

Because the bond between a horse and a cowgirl?

Sometimes, it’s how a daughter stays close to her mom.