South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem talks to Janie Johnson while at the Range Days Rodeo in Rapid City.
On why she admires cowboys, Gov. Noem said, “The work ethic that they show, their love for each other, their love for our country and our state is truly inspirational.”
Before the rodeo, she was presented her with a hat and chaps embossed with the South Dakota seal and her family’s ranch brand as a thank you for her support of rodeo, even through the pandemic.
“Now every single person in this country can fall in love with rodeo again because they are the ones that are showing us what freedom and liberty looks like.”
Noem was joined by Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden, who is also a huge advocate for the sport. In fact, he was integral in making rodeo the official sport of South Dakota. “There was a lot of debate between basketball or rodeo, and I said, “Well, we’ve produced probably 10 Michael Jordans in the sport of rodeo in South Dakota,’ so I think it was almost a unanimous vote.”
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