WACO 8th grade student Maysan Lee is getting a chance to show her rodeo skills at a national level. Lee earned a position on Team Iowa for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo taking place from June 19-25th in Lebanon, Tennessee, which will host around 1,000 contestants from 43 states, five Canadian provinces, and Australia. She and her 14-year-old horse Petey will compete in the Barrel Racing competition.

Lee, who has been riding horses by herself since the age of three, was in fifth place going into the state finals. She doesn’t like to think about points while she’s riding, so she didn’t know she had made nationals until her parents told her afterwards. She adds the gravity of the moment probably won’t hit her until she’s in Tennessee with Petey in the stall.

In preparation for the finals, Lee has been riding trails with occasional work in the arena, and she feels as long as she’s able to keep her nerves in check she trusts Petey to take care of her during the competition. Lee plans to continue competing in rodeos, hoping to one day make it to the professional competition in Las Vegas.