Andra Estes Beatty of Fort Worth began her rodeo career in 1981 by riding steers and bulls at Billy Bob’s Texas and competing in local rodeo queen contests. During this time, she acquired her Women’s Professional Rodeo Association card W-583L and rode bulls and bareback broncs across the country. PRCA stock contractors including the Flying U Rodeo Company, Growney Brothers and Stevens Brothers would add money to their biggest rodeos so the “girls” could compete in their own section of bareback bronc riding. Andra qualified for the WPRA National Finals four years in a row, from 1981 to 1984, in the bull riding and bareback bronc riding competition that was held annually at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.
In 2001, Andra started the Fossil Ridge High School Rodeo Team by recruiting over 26 students, 24 of which had never participated in a rodeo event. They competed in 21 rodeos throughout the year, with Andra holding weekly meetings to help them learn rodeo skills. They worked hard and by the second year they were a top 15 team with the North Texas High School Rodeo Association. During this time, she coordinated, planned and produced five rodeos and one bull riding event. In two of those rodeos Andra and her team worked with the City of Keller Wild West Fest, producing the first rodeo in the city in over 35 years.
From 2002 until 2009, Andra was elected three times and served six years on the executive board of directors for the North Texas High School Rodeo Association. She served as board secretary and treasurer, worked on the rodeo queen contests and served on the secretaries and timers, rulebook, scholarship and public relations committees. She received a NTHSRA Gold card lifetime membership for her service.
Today, Andra continues to support, preserve and promote our Texas rodeo heritage by speaking at city council meetings, as a board member on the Texas Trail of Fame and Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. She is a member of the North Fort Worth Historical Society and a charter member of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Joshua 1:9
