13-year-old rider performs at her first Buffalo Bill Rodeo

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – Liberty Cunningham has been doing tricks since she was eight years old.

The now 13-year-old has wowed incredible audiences across the country, visiting a total of 38 states. This is her first time performing in North Platte at the Wild West Arena.

Cunningham said it was an honor to be a part of one of the oldest rodeos in the country.

“I just got my pro card last year and the Buffalo Bill Rodeo was my second PRCA rodeo that hired me, and it’s really special because it’s a big rodeo and it was pretty cool to being hired by the oldest rodeo in the country to perform so young and this is my first year coming to North Platte and so far I love it and visited the Buffalo Bill Mansion earlier, and. it was so cool. North Platte is such a cool town and so historic, and it’s awesome,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham also said training for rodeo shows requires many hours, usually from sunrise to sunset.

“The day of the show, I wake up, I feed my horses, and then, depending on what I have, I might have interviews that day, or I’ll just hang out in the trailer or go see stuff who are in town and then probably around five or six o’clock I’ll start getting ready for the show which is tying up my horses and then cleaning them up, polishing them up and getting ready as well, the makeup, the costume, then I have to warm them up, and then I go,” Cunningham said.

After her opening performance on a Wednesday night, she is really excited to continue performing for the rest of the rodeo.

“So last night it went pretty well. I did my combo act, which is I came in, and Roman rode for five minutes, and then I brought Blair in, and I trucked for five laps, and I think that it was pretty good. The crowd was awesome and the presenter is awesome. I like this arena because it’s big, and my horses love the big outdoor arenas because they run faster and have more freedom, but I’m really looking forward to the rest of the week because I can do it all over again, and it’s such a good rodeo and I’m overall just excited,” Cunningham said.

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