Janet Stover
Humble Champion

I would like to start by saying I have known Janet since I was about 14 years old. I have always admired her for the abilities she has but more importantly for the person she is. I am honored to try and share with you some of her testimony.

Knowing Janet like I do, I was not surprised when interviewing her for this article she did want to divulge any information as to her accomplishments. And even though she would prefer they not be listed I don´t think it would be fair to you, the reader, not to give you some background.

Janet is an extremely talented athlete. You need only to watch her ride and see the ease with which she can make horses do what she is asking to know she is more than just a barrel racer. Growing up she trained her own horses and they were not the well-bred expensive kind. Her parents, FC and Peaches Stover did the best they could and she is thankful for the sacrifices that they made. She knew she always wanted to rodeo because her dad had competed in the calf roping at the college finals and she wanted to do that too. He also won the calf roping at the Calgary Stampede in Canada three times. She began competing at the play days, junior rodeos, high school rodeos and then college rodeos.

In high school Janet competed in sports and worked all the girls´ events in the rodeos. She won the Reserve All-Around at Nationals. In college Janet played four different sports and her junior college team even won the National title in volleyball. At the college level she won the breakaway and All Around titles at the College National Finals Rodeo.

After college Janet continued to have the burning desire to win. She trained and sold horses and had many successful futurity winners. She amateur rodeo-ed and eventually joined the WPRA (Women´s Professional Rodeos Association). She won the 10 run Average at the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) in Las Vegas in 1985. In 1989 she won the Reserve Champion of the World and became the World Champion Barrel Racer in 2001.

While most of us see her career as one of pivotal success, Janet looks back on it as a time of “aggressive workaholic obsession to win.” She said, “I kept thinking if I was to win this or that I would be happy.” She continued to look for happiness in the only ways she knew how, but never found the true joy and peace she was searching for. She had sought a relationship with God but had had trouble maintaining it. In 2000 Janet´s life changed. After moving to Rusk, Texas and visiting 12 different churches, she finally found her place of refuge, First Church on the Hill, Pastor Jan Pate, his wife Susan and the rest of the congregation welcomed Janet into their family. She was taught the Word of God for the first time in her life.

“Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God—” (Romans 10:17). And that is exactly what happened for Janet. As she began to attend church and read the Bible, the Holy Spirit began to work in her life and she started to see things differently. Instead of being ruled by rodeo, she was allowing God to govern her life. She began to realize the importance of being in church. It became increasingly difficult for her to enter a rodeo when she might be up on Sundays. She also realized the importance of being involved and joined the choir. As Jesus, the Lord of her life became more important, rodeo became less important.

She does not plan on retiring (Lord willing) any time soon, but she does feel it is time to slow down. She plans on continuing to have clinics, train horses and rodeo, but stay closer to home. She said, “I just want to slow down and enjoy life. I often think of the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her,” We need to spend our time on what really matters in life, out time with Jesus.”

It is important to Janet for people to know how to have abundant life. It is not enough just to be saved. She said, “Everyone needs to (1) repent, (2) be baptized and (3) receive the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will lead and guide us in our daily trials.” In Acts 2:38, “Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” ”

She wants everyone to find a church that teaches the Word, a place where you can feel the Holy Spirit. A place where your pastor is a shepherd that loves his sheep. Anything less and you are missing out.

Janet said, “No matter what we try to do or accomplish in life, the only true happiness is when we are right with God and we feel good about ourselves.” Her pastor has a saying that she likes, “When the real you meets the real God real things will happen.”

Janet commented, “In closing, I would like to say that the gold buckles and titles that we can obtain in this life are not comparable to the golden crowns that await us in heaven. ” I Peter 5:4 “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” And once again, I admire Janet for who she was but more importantly for who she is now, a sister in Christ.

By Jeana Jankowski-Staff Writer
WPRA Barrel Racer and Horse trainer has known Janet Stover for over 15 years.