At two years of age, Heidi Rust climbed aboard a sorrel horse with a broken blaze named Partner and never got off in a figurative sense.
The pair are still competing today. Heidi is now 10 and Partner is 24. Their latest trek has taken them on U.S. 62 West across the Oklahoma State line to Westville where Heidi won 2014 Miss Westville IPRA (International Professional Rodeo Association) Rodeo princess. Heidi is the daughter of Beverly Napier, of Greenland; and Bobby Rust, of Prairie Grove.
"I have rode horses all my life and want to continue to do so," Heidi said. "Not only do I want to better myself, but I also want to help others along the way."
Heidi is a Lincoln Riding Club member claiming the Club's 2013 overall high-point winner by participating in LRC play days. She won first in the 2013 category for 7-9-year-olds and got to pose with her mother, Beverly Napier, winner of the 18-and-over division.
"I call it the over-the-hill division," chuckled Beverly's mother and Heidi's grandmother, Loretta Key.
"Rodeo is my family history. I have quite a few members in my family that rodeo today, Heidi said.
Among her lineage is grandfather Bruce Napier, of Greenland; and grandmother Marvena Key, of Prairie Grove; as well as grandparents, Danny and Loretta Key, of Prairie Grove.
Heidi plays basketball in her spare time and is on a traveling team called Arkansas Aces. She has won many trophies and medals among her basketball awards.
Academically, she is on the A and B honor roll at Greenland Elementary with perfect attendance and participated in the school spelling bee the last two years.
Heidi wants to be a rodeo queen when she gets older and her favorite rodeo event is barrel racing. She also competes in pole bending and running the flags.
Sports on 07/23/2014