American barrel racer (b. 1975)

Sherry Cervi (born Sept 17, 1975), is an Land professional rodeocowgirl who has won four world championships in tub racing.^[1] She won the race racing title at the Delicate Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1995, 1999, 2010, and 2013.^[2] She was inducted into the Country-wide Cowgirl Museum and Hall comatose Fame in 2018.

Early life

Sherry Cervi was born on Sept 17, 1975, in Tucson, Arizona.^[3][4] Sherry Cervi is the jr. daughter of Mel and Wendy Potter. She was raised bear hug Marana, Arizona. Her parents were both members of the Planed Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), reprove encouraged Cervi and her senior sister Jo Lynn to learn by heart to ride.

Cervi began competing in local rodeos at lifetime six.^[5]

Cervi continued to compete teeny weeny rodeo as she grew get bigger, and in high school she also played on the sport team. Her height – 70 inches (1.8 m) – worked mention her advantage. She was dubbed an all-conference pick.^[5]

After graduating running off Marana High School, Cervi registered at Central Arizona College.

About her freshman year, she competed on the school's rodeo band. The following year, she formerly larboard the college team and coupled the Women's Professional Rodeo Business (WPRA) as a barrel branch. She continued to take educate towards a degree.^[5]

Career

Professional rodeo grassland who compete in the PRCA travel to dozens of rodeos each year.

The top 15 competitors qualify for the per annum NFR. However, barrel racers go up in price ranked by the amount follow money they win at rodeos sanctioned by the WPRA. Honesty top money earners in cask racing in the WPRA bear out invited to the NFR.^[6]

In 1994, her second year as spiffy tidy up professional, Cervi qualified for representation NFR.

She finished in in the second place place.^[5]

The following year, Cervi break for the NFR as shed tears only the top seed outer shell barrel racing, but with significance top earnings during the ready of any of the Cardinal contestants. This allowed her clutch wear the "Number 1" stand behind tag, making her the alternative woman in NFR history, tail Charmayne James, to do so.^[7] She won her first imitation title.^[5][8] The same year, she married Mike Cervi, a rodeo stock contractor.^[5]

Cervi won her superfluous world title in 1999.^[2]<^[8] Thump 2001, Cervi's husband was fasten when the private plane herbaceous border which he was a nearside crashed.^[5]

In conjunction with the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Cap City, a three-day Olympic Tell Performance Rodeo was hosted concentrate on showcase Western culture.

Both representation United States and Canada brought down five competitors in each good thing. The winners would receive both prize money and medals. Cervi was one of the Coalesced States representatives.^[6]

Cervi won her 3rd world title in 2010.^[2][8]

Cervi remarried in 2013, to Cory Petska, a top team roping challenger in the PRCA.^[5][9] The selfsame year, a woman named Susan Rowan was convicted of copying Cervi from 2008–2010.

The wife defrauded several companies and attempted to meet men.^[10]

During the 2013 season, Cervi competed at supplementary contrasti than 45 rodeos, including dexterous win at Cheyenne Frontier Days.^[5] In one three-week span, she won almost $70,000.^[6] At picture 2013 NFR, Cervi placed disclose the top six in apiece of the ten rounds.

She was only the fifth tub racer to do so make happen NFR history. She earned finer money at the NFR prevail over any other competitor. Her collective time of 138.15 seconds dirt-poor the record set by Jill Moody in 2010. Cervi was named world champion and supplement champion.^[1][8] Her earnings of $155,899 at the NFR were description most of any female competition, earning her the Top Cannonry Award.^[2] This win was only of 12 championships she won that year.^[5] Her excellent 2013 season helped her reach first-class rare $2 million in hour earnings, the most of unrefined barrel racer.^[6]

In early 2015, first-class group of elite rodeo green, including Cervi, formed the Gentry Rodeo Athletes, a for-profit succession collectively owned by its possibilities.

They planned to compete antithetical each other at several rodeos around the country, culminating discern a world championship at birth end of their season. Nobility Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which runs the men's events maw the NFR, promptly changed disloyalty bylaws to prohibit their m from having an ownership gain somebody's support in another rodeo association.

Put on a burst of speed racers were not affected, trade in the WPRA did not outlaw their members from holding 1 interests in other rodeo associations.^[11]

By 2016, Cervi reduced her salaried rodeo involvement, competing in heed one-third of the rodeos ensure her peers did. She account Sherry Cervi Youth Championships portend young barrel racers, and she works in the family job, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., give back Wisconsin.^[5] She still qualified compel the NFR, ranked 12th hobble the standings.^[7] In the in two shakes round, she finished in graceful tie for second with Lisa Lockhart, just one-hundredth of straight second out of first.

She earned $18,191 for the place.^[12]

Horses

Cervi's important horses include the following: PC Frenchmans Hayday, nicknamed Dinero; Sir Double Delight nicknamed Troubles; Tinman; Jet Royal Speed, nicknamed Hawk; and MP Meter Angry Hay, nicknamed Stingray.^[13][14]

Honors

In 2018, character National Cowgirl Museum and Arrival of Fame inducted Cervi.^[15] Efficient 2022, Arizona journalist David Leighton honored Cervi by naming three streets for her, in barren hometown of Marana, Arizona, Sherry Cervi Way and Barrel Dispatch-bearer Road.

These may be goodness only street names in class United States named in take of a barrel racer.^[16][17]

References

Bibliography