Graham wins NPRA barrels championship

Marissa Graham won the 2005 National Police Rodeo Association championship for Barrel Racing.

The Bonsall cowgirl, who is a freshman at Fallbrook High School, missed the last rodeo of the season in November due to a conflict involving a competition of the Fallbrook High School surf club on which she also competes. However, the 14-year-old Graham had enough points to win the championship without competing in the season’s final rodeo.

“It was basically the Lord,” Graham said of her championship.

Graham rode Skeeter for the Barrel Racing competition. “I was really blessed to have that horse. I love him so much. He’s a blessing,” she said.

National Police Rodeo Association competition is open to all peace officers and their dependents. Graham’s father, Mark, is a firefighter for the City of San Bernardino. Mark Graham also competed in the NPRA events before injuring his thumb at the Chino rodeo, and 12-year-old Amelia Graham, who is in seventh grade at Sullivan Middle School, also participates in NPRA competition. There is no junior division, so the Graham sisters compete against adult peace officers and dependents.

Seven rodeos in Southern California comprised the NPRA schedule in 2005. Despite missing the final rodeo, Marissa Graham finished in third place for the All-Around Cowgirl. She finished the season third in Breakaway Roping and fifth among Ribbon Roping runners.

Including the Chino rodeo in which he injured his thumb, Mark Graham missed the final three rodeos of the season but still finished seventh for the All-Around Cowboy. “That’s pretty good. It would have been a lot better, but, well, that’s life,” he said.

Graham finished fourth as a Team Roping header, fifth as a Ribbon Roping roper, fifth in Calf Roping and seventh in Business Roping. Although there is no junior division, there is a Senior Roping event in which each competitor must be at least 40 years of age and the two ropers must have a combined age of at least 90. Mark Graham finished ninth in the Senior Roping season standings.

Amelia Graham, who rode Joe, finished third in the season Barrel Racing standings after winning the November rodeo at Winchester. Graham was second in the first go-round and won the second go-round as well as the average.