Kelsey Hallin

At the age of seventeen, Kelsey started Rafter H Ranch & Performance Horses where she trains horses, teach lessons, and puts on clinics of all skill levels and events/disciplines.

After High School, Kelsey attended McHenry County College where she earned an Associates in Arts and worked full time training horses. She went on in her pageant career to win Miss Illinois Horse Fair, where she promoted the horse industry across the state of Illinois.

Kelsey is a first generation rodeo athlete majoring in Business Administration. She is on the rodeo team, a member of the Business Club PBL, and also a member of the PTK.

Kelsey stated, “Being from the Chicagoland area, as you can imagine, there’s not much for rodeo so being down here and being on a team has been life changing for me. The support system down here is like no other; there is always someone cheering for you and always someone pushing you to be a better version of yourself. Shelbie and Robert have been incredibly helpful and supportive of my goals and helping me reach them in and out of the arena.”

“First and foremost I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior for everything he has blessed me with and the strength he has given me to push through everything that has come my way. I owe a bigger thank you than I can ever give to my parents for allowing me to chase my dreams at full speed and all of the sacrifices they’ve made for me to live the life I do.”

“OPSU has become my home and I truly credit my friends & coaches for that. It has been a journey full of the highest highs and the lowest of lows, but it is my support system stretching from all angles that is my fuel to keep going and work even harder than I did the day before.”

After graduating in 2022, Kelsey plans to continue to train horses and rodeo.