for girl with big career goals

Staff Writer

Joni Farmer will soon leave for Texas to begin pursuing her dreams. A group of her friends are having a rodeo to help her on her journey.

This fall, Miss Farmer will begin classes at Trinity Valley College in Athens, Texas. She plans to study ranch management for two years, transfer to another college for science courses and then enter veterinary school.

The 18-year-old high school rodeo standout and former Union County resident is the daughter of Donna and Scott Farmer and sister to Jana, 12. She plans to take her truck, trailer, horse and car with her to Texas. Her parents will go with her, one driving the car and the other driving another vehicle they will use for the return trip.

All of this will take a lot of gas.

Realizing this, friends will host a rodeo Saturday at 6 p.m. at David Hopkins' farm on 2236 Mt. Lebanon Road, Buffalo. The event's official name is the David Hopkins Farrier Service and Farm and Roy Glass Farrier Service Rodeo. Admission is $5. Children 5 and under will be admitted free. Hot dog and hamburger plates will be sold for $6. Raffle tickets will be sold on a pot bellied pig and a 50/50 raffle will be held.

“It's going to be a lot of fun,” Hopkins said. “One of the main reasons we are doing this is we are trying to teach these children some skills and help them to grow up and be responsible. Maybe something like this will help them stay off the street and out of trouble. And, Joni is a fine young lady. She knows where she is going and all she needs is a chance.”

The rodeo will feature several area riders, including children who participated in a rodeo camp Joni hosted earlier this summer.

“They wanted to do a rodeo to raise money to help send me to Texas,” she said.

Events will include barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, dummy roping, ribbon roping, chute dogging and mutton busting.

Joni will do a goat tying run off her horse. Sally Prince, another local girl, will demonstrate barrel racing.

Horses and rodeos have been a part of Joni's life for years. She graduated from Dorman High this spring where she was the Cavalier mascot with her horse. She never missed a day of school but missed her graduation to participate in the South Carolina High School Rodeo finals. She earned a second place in goat tying.

Joni said she really appreciates the efforts of her friends and campers in making the rodeo possible.

“We are going to try and make this a yearly thing every summer,” she said.