Riding horses is in Hannah Seymore’s genes.

The Pleasant Home junior is gearing up for the start of the rodeo season, which gets underway Saturday at the 12th annual Covington Cowgirls Drill Team Alabama Junior and High School Rodeo at the Covington Center Arena in Andalusia.

The rodeo is slated to last two days. Proceeds go to help a Covington County student receive a scholarship, along with donations to other local community organizations.

Seymore competes in barrel racing, goat tying, calf roping, cutting and pole bending events.

She said she is anxious to get started, as the weekend rodeo is the official start to the 2013-14 Alabama High School Rodeo Association’s season.

“I can’t wait,” she said, while buckling “Peanut,” her cutting horse. “I’m hoping to come in a lot stronger this year. I’ve had more time to prepare.”

Preparation has been Seymore’s middle name since the end of last season.

Everyday after school, in the late afternoon on Saturdays and in between church on Sundays, Seymore has been practicing across the street from her house in Libertyville.

Spanning a few acres, Seymore has plenty of room to work out her horses and practice for the season.

Her other horse, “Hollywood,” is used for the barrel and pole events. There is a third horse, “TwoKay,” that’s used for roping and goat tying.

Since this is the first rodeo of the season, all of the cowboys and cowgirls are putting more emphasis on it, Seymore said.

“People are kind of putting more into it because it’s kind of how your year starts out,” she said. “You want to start out really well. It’s just going to lead up to your next runs. People are working hard to get ready for it.”

Those who will see Seymore in action this weekend will notice a yellow and teal ribbon on her saddle.

The yellow is to show her support for the defeat of childhood cancer. The teal ribbon is for Kennedy Cleghorn, a student at Pleasant Home School, who has cancer.

Hannah is the daughter of Jim and Angela Seymore.