Black Hills State University Athletics

Opal Harkins is a senior from Billings, MT who is majoring in Business Marketing. Opal is a multi-event athlete who competes in team roping, breakaway, barrel racing, and goat tying. Although she is involved in multiple events, she says that her favorite one would have to be team roping. “I do it all the time,” Opal explains. “It’s something I can always do and it’s a little more challenging than the others.” Opal hauls three horses to every rodeo including Boone, Diva, and Chaos. Each horse can be used for multiple events, so she always has a backup horse. Her favorite part of rodeo, other than the competition, is her friends and the connections that she makes with people. Opal’s people skills probably helped her become the NHSRA Rodeo Queen. Eventually, Opal hopes to one day become Miss Rodeo America.
            Opal knew that Black Hills State was the college for her when she heard about the rodeo program. “I really looked into it especially since my dad was a BHSU graduate,” Opal said. Just like how she loves meeting people in rodeo, her favorite part about BH is the people she’s met and the friends she has made. For athletes looking to continue their rodeo career in college, Opal tells them that “confidence is key.”
            After college, Opal hopes to go to law school and is currently applying to Concordia Law. If she doesn’t get accepted right away, she plans to attend grad school and then continue on to law school.
 
Before BHSU: Originally from Billings, Montana … was named NHSRA Rodeo Queen … majoring in Business Marketing … daughter of Jason and Sharlotte Hatkins.