Kelly Kaminski Is No Stranger To Dealing With Change

A five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in barrel racing and a two-time Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world champion (2004-05), Kaminski faced numerous challenges during her professional career.

“I’ve changed a few tires on the side of the road heading to rodeos,” she said. “And I got drawn out of rodeos because I didn’t get my entry fees turned in on time. There was always something.”

These days, Kaminski is helping youth rodeo contestants learn how to overcome obstacles while serving as the producer of the Kelly Kaminski Run for Vegas Barrel Racing and Pole Bending competitions. Once again, Kaminski and her kids will be in Las Vegas for the Junior World Finals on Dec. 5-14 in Las Vegas.

Junior and senior barrel racing and 17 & Under pole bending are scheduled for Dec. 10-14.

Kaminski has overseen barrel racing at the Junior World Finals since the event began back in 2016 – when it wasknown as the Junior NFR. When pole bending was added to the JWF in 2019, she estimated she had “around 150” kids competing in the two events. That number jumped to 185 last year and will be close to 200 at this year’s rodeo.

“Our numbers are bigger this year and that’s my fault because I threw in extra qualifiers,” Kaminski laughed. “We’ve added a few more kids but that’s OK because we know how to run it.”

Kaminski and the producers of the other seven events – saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, junior bullriding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping and breakaway roping – will face a new challenge at this year’s Junior World Finals.

After being held inside the Las Vegas Convention Center the past few years, this year’s JWF will be held in a 52,000 square-foot tent outside the convention center.

Not surprisingly, Kaminski is rolling with the change.

“I think it will be basically the same,” she said. “It’s a different location but it’s still an enclosed arena and I think it willbe slightly bigger. And we’ll have parking for the contestants right outside the arena so that will be better.

“We have faith that the people at Las Vegas Events know what they’re doing,” Kaminski added. “There is a new arena director, but it’s a crew that has been in pro rodeo, so they know what they’re doing. “We’ll make it work.”

Kaminski and her team always do.

After a late start to her own barrel racing career, primarily because she and other youth rodeo contestants didn’thave the opportunity to compete in an event like the JWF, the former world champ wants to make sure her contestants get the experience of competing in a big-time rodeo.

“When I first started this my dream was to always give something back to the kids,” Kaminski explained. 

“I always took my kids to youth rodeos and there were always certain things I wanted to improve upon from my end.

“But I would have never thought we would have gotten this far. I’m so grateful for all of our sponsors that believe in our vision and know that we love what we do and that we do put a lot of work into it.” Kaminski knows the same istrue for the contestants. And while qualifying for the Junior World Finals is a big step for these kids, she also knows there are life lessons to be learned at the JWF.

“I want every kid to do well and to have a great experience,” she said, “but I also know it’s life and so not everybody is going to have a great experience. Somebody has to win it and for other kids it’s a learning curve. The main thing is you learn how to be a better competitor.

“Sometimes it’s disappointing, but you have to learn to take it as a lesson, you learn how to be a better competitor, and you roll on.”

It’s sound advice from someone who has experienced the ups and downs of the pro rodeo circuit. And from someone who “feels like every kid that goes down that alley is my kid.”

After all, they are the future of the sport that Kaminski loves.

“Hopefully it all comes full circle and they’ll give back in the future,” Kaminski said. “I’m just grateful for the opportunities these kids are getting.”