BY WENDY JOHNSON

Kelly Love knows what it takes to win.

Lightning moves, steady hands and confidence under pressure are adding up to some impressive wins on the rodeo circuit for this Southern Okanagan Secondary School honour student, and judges on both sides of the border are taking notice.

Recently, the Grade 12 student galloped over a long list of contestants to earn the National High School Rodeo Association’s Breakaway Roping Championship in Gillette, Wyoming.

The last time a Canadian girl won a national high school rodeo title, back in 1984, "Dallas" was still the western of choice on prime time television.

The 17-year-old daughter of Roger and Dale Love of Okanagan Falls, has been competing since the age of nine, but this is her first international win. Riding her own horse "Cool," Love out-roped competitors from 38 American states and four Canadian provinces, chalking up some remarkable times to take the coveted top prize.

In Breakaway Roping, time is called when the rope breaks away from the horn after the calf is roped around the neck. Each contestant competes on two heads of stock, then the top 20 competitors are brought back for a "short go" in the finals the following day.

"In the three events my times were 2.8 seconds, 3.4 seconds and 2.9 seconds," Love explained.

Her father said each of the four provinces sent 15 competitors to the provincial finals and then chose the top four to go to Gillette. Each State also sent its top four competitors to each rodeo event. In the larger states like Texas, that process was a more complicated affair involving a breakdown of area zones first. In those cases, 48 competitors went to the state finals in an effort to choose the best four.

Kelly won four provincials to qualify for the national in Wyoming. Her prizes included a general scholarship from Wrangler which can be applied to any college or university, a trophy saddle and buckle, bronze painting, hat, boots and horse supplies.

Love has no intention of slowing her winning pace, either. Upcoming competitions in Cache Creek and Vernon, as well as the Canadian Finals in Ponoka, Alberta will have her name on the contestant lists, and she will undoubtedly impress judges with her abilities in the ring again.

After graduation next year, Love hopes to lasso a scholarship to a college that offers rodeo training. Meanwhile, she will keep in top form attending competitions and staying involved with school sports like field hockey and basketball.