It has never been easy for Idaho Falls native Tenley Winegar, but hard work is something that has never scared her.

Her love of rodeo started 12 years ago when she first climbed up on a horse, and that love has only gotten stronger.

"I've just always had that itch. This is my sport," she said. "This is what I want to do, and this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life."

Winegar's rodeo journey has not been straightforward, but every step along the way has gotten her to where she is now.

"The journey in getting here was just work hard every day, stay out of my head, and go out in the rodeo, let the muscle memory take over, prove that I deserve to be here," she said.

Winegar's path began with a search for a rodeo horse when she was younger. She worked hard to earn half of the money for her first horse, her parents put up the other half, and her journey began.

Now at the Idaho State High School Rodeo Finals in Pocatello, which started June 6 and runs through Saturday, Winegar is ready for the big stage.

Winegar, representing District 7, came to state in the breakaway roping and goat tying events with the goal of finishing in the top four to get to nationals.

"Going there to me would be a dream come true," she said. "I wanted to go to nationals for years. I think it would be a really cool opportunity to get out there and experience not just the state level, but the national level."

Her state experience hasn't been what she wanted it to be, with some difficulties throughout the week, but she has handled them, gotten through and now has one more run to get to her dream.

"You're going to have good days, you're going to have bad days, you just got to brush it off and go out and go on the next one," she said. "Because if you're still in your head about the last run, you're just gonna mess up this run. It hasn't went the way that I wanted it to down here, but I'm feeling good going into tonight's performance and feel like it's gonna be good for both of my events."

She has had to deal with adversity throughout her runs this week. From drawing different sizes of calves than she is used to, to banging her foot entering the arena, Winegar has been tested but not broken.

That adversity is not new to Winegar. She has proven that hard work and resolve pay off, and even through the challenges this week, she has one more chance to make her dream come true.

As she approaches the final competition, the pressure is on and the stakes are high. In the end, she will climb on her horse carrying 12 years of hard work and all those hours of training, and do what she loves to do.

"Tonight I'm just gonna go out and I'm gonna rodeo like I know how, and let the cards fall where they fall," she said.