NDSU class of ’26 grads to compete in national college rodeo

On June 14, Megan Larson and Lathan Demontigny, who both graduated from North Dakota State University in May, will compete at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming.

Both started riding when they were 5 years old, and both had been involved in North Dakota 4-H. Megan graduated after studying equine sciences and agribusiness. Lathan graduated with a degree in exercise science, and he will pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. Both plan to continue competing in rodeos.

Megan’s horse Holly was voted as the Great Plains Region Woman's Horse of the Year.

This is Lathan’s third trip to the college national finals, and it marks his return after missing all of last year due to injury. Lathan won the region in bull riding in his sophomore year, 24 years after his father.

How much has riding been a part of your life?

Megan: I started barrel racing and competing when I was 5 years old. Since junior high, I’ve spent just about every weekend in the spring, summer and fall going to rodeos.

Lathan: I got into rodeo because my parents did it, specifically riding bulls. I started on sheep and calves and worked my way up, getting on actual bulls in probably seventh grade.

Have you been reflecting on how far you’ve come since you started?

Megan: I’ve grown a lot, especially with my involvement in the Rodeo Club, in different ways. It’s given me the opportunity to lead. In my freshman year, I took on the secretary role. The year after that, I became president. That helped me develop some really good life skills, such as managing different people and situations. I got a lot better at making phone calls.

Lathan: I had a pretty successful high school career, and my older brother was at NDSU when I was a freshman. In high school, there were some standout people here and there, but in college, there are some very successful competitors who go on to pro rodeos. Being around that atmosphere has made all the difference for me in competing at a higher level more consistently.

How has NDSU helped prepare you for competing?

Megan: It complemented my experience coming into college, as I was doing a lot of competing before coming to NDSU. But here, I could branch out into different parts of horse competitions.

I didn’t come from the rodeo side of the state, and as far as my breakaway roping goes, I’m self-taught. When I got to NDSU, I was surrounded by people who knew more than I did. Through my classes, too, I developed many skills and grew in my events.

Lathan: The equine center, constant practice and coaching — even from the older students when I came in my first year — the ability to practice nightly, even, makes a huge difference.

What can you say about staff support in the classroom and in the ring?

Megan: The whole Department of Animal Sciences is really amazing. They’re super friendly and very easy to talk to if you need something. They have a lot of industry experience, so they’ve been a listening ear to my career aspirations and have helped guide me – Tara Swanson and Mattia Gunkleman, in particular. Equine science students get to know the core equine staff really well.

Were there things you learned in the classroom that informed how you approached animal care and competition?

Megan: It’s really given me a solid foundation of knowledge to build on. I knew quite a bit coming in, but there’s so much to learn about horses. I’m a horse owner, and I aspire to be an equine business owner one day, so I’ve really enjoyed my time learning at NDSU.

Have you made many friends through your college rodeo experiences?

Megan: I had some rodeo friends I had grown up with, as well as other rodeo connections before college, but I made new friends on the rodeo team. It’s a small team – around 15 traveling members – so, we’ve gotten close. We’ve taken some classes together and learned by helping each other.

Lathan: We’ll meet a lot of people from other teams, some of whom I knew from competing in high school. It’s weird to think that I’ll probably never see most of them again.

What would you say to incoming students looking to continue competitive activities alongside their studies, even if the two aren’t exactly related?

Lathan: It’s 100% worth it. The people you meet, the opportunities you get, you can’t exchange these for anything. It does get busy. This spring, I had an internship and worked full-time Monday through Wednesday, then I’d load the truck up on Thursday and come back Sunday.

I come from an ag background: I’ve had horses all my life, I’ve been around cattle all my life and I do some farming right now. There’s a lot of variety at these rodeos – people learning to be doctors and lawyers in school are still very successful. I feel like you can come from agriculture and go anywhere, but it feels like the ag background always sticks with people.