Fleck performing a barrel race with her horse, Rootie, who was recently named Horse of the Year at the Badlands Rodeo in Minot. Submitted photos

By Brian L. Gray

The 55th annual Badlands Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals took place in Minot Oct. 7 through Oct. 10, and only two of the competitors that finished at the top in any of the events were from North Dakota.

Not only that, they came from this area – Britany Fleck, of Solen, and Cole Hermanson, of Mandan.

Fleck walked away with two titles at the rodeo contest. She took the Barrel Racing Year End Champion award at the professional rodeo. Fleck’s victory was something of a photo finish that reached its peak with her winning the year-end title by a total of $1.92. But Fleck said those numbers don’t tell the entire story.

“The girl that took second place really went on two more rides than I did, during the season,” she said.

The second title that Fleck won is not one that can be entirely credited to her, however. Fleck’s horse, named Rootie, was named the Horse of the Year at the rodeo.

Rootie is her male horse that Fleck’s father bought nine years ago. Since then, Fleck has raised and trained Rootie since he was a baby colt. She has been professionally riding the horse in rodeos for three years now, beginning when Rootie was 6 years old.

With the victory in Minot, Fleck will now move on to the national finals, representing the Badlands Circuit in Pocatello, Idaho, in March.

Fleck finished the Minot rodeo in a tie for 11th place, but her achievements throughout the season put her at the top of the barrel racers.

Hermanson, on the other hand, was named the Bull Riding Year End Champion, and also took first at the Minot rodeo. He rode Korkow Rodeo Co.’s 281 Red Neck for a total of 87 points, putting him at the top of the competition.

The son of Terry and Lisa Hermanson, of Mandan, Hermanson first began bull riding at the age of 13. Where Fleck knows the stock she will be riding at the rodeo, Hermanson is constantly matched up with different bulls with each ride he does. He says in between rodeos, he often practices by using the stock from the world famous Berger Bulls of Mandan when he’s at home.

Cole Hermanson, of Mandan, who was recently named the year end bull rider of the Badlands Circuit.

Since he began rodeo riding, Hermanson has proven his worth as a bull rider, rapidly filling up his trophy case.

He was named the North Dakota State Champion in both 2005 and 2006, and during last year’s Badlands Finals competition, was awarded the title of Aggregate Champion in bull riding.

This year Hermanson rode in 50 rodeos, the most he’s ever participated in. But next year, he plans to double that number. “I think I can do it. I’ve been doing a lot already, so it’ll just mean that my team will have to work harder next year,” he said. Hermanson often travels with other professional bull riders, which helps to cut down on the costs required to go from rodeo to rodeo during the season.

As Hermanson calls bull riding his full-time job, Fleck keeps busy handling both work as both a barrel racer and as a communication coordinator at Northern Financial. She graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska with degrees in journalism and speech communication.

She began barrel racing at the age of 5, at her family’s farm near Solen. And she works to keep a balance between both jobs. “I live in Mandan, but I get to the farm every night to work with the horses, and I work until dark,” Fleck said.

Barrel racing, she said, is the kind of sport that she could compete in for several decades, if she wanted.

“Mary Burger is ranked number one in the world, and she’s 64 years old,” she said.

Another Mandan rider, Ty Breuer, also competed in the Badlands Rodeo in Minot, and finished the competition with 66 points, giving him a 10th place finish in bareback riding.

Neither Fleck nor Breuer say they plan to change anything about the way they train in order to prepare for the finals tournament in Idaho. But both agree that the key to practicing for the finals is through hard work.

Hermanson said he should practice more often than he does, if only his love for fishing didn’t get in the way. He said, “The key, I think, is to stay in shape, so I’ll be working out every once in a while.