Whether she's competing in the arena herself or capturing the moments that make rodeo special, Rhiley Montoya is finding new ways to share the sport she loves.
For most college rodeo athletes, the focus stays inside the arena and the classroom. Practice, classes, horses, entering rodeos, traveling, compete, and repeat.
For Tarleton State rodeo athlete Rhiley Montoya, that is certainly part of the equation. The breakaway roper and goat tier spends plenty of time chasing her own goals in the arena. But somewhere along the way, she discovered another passion that has allowed her to experience rodeo from an entirely different perspective.
A camera.
These days, it is not uncommon to find Montoya competing one moment and behind the camera the next. Whether she is taking photos, filming videos, managing social media accounts, or helping tell the stories of athletes and brands throughout the western industry, she has found a way to combine two things she loves.
The best part is that it wasn't necessarily part of her original plan.
Finding A New Passion
Rhiley traces much of it back to the summer of 2022 while attending Cisco College. What started as borrowing her little sister's camera and taking videos for friends quickly became something she genuinely enjoyed.
Montoya said, "I just started having fun with it."
At the time, media was far from the career path she envisioned as she originally attended college as a kinesiology major with plans of becoming an athletic trainer. Like many college students, however, she discovered new opportunities along the way.
A mass communications class assignment required students to take photos, create videos, and explore storytelling. Before long, Montoya found herself taking on a co-editor role and realizing she enjoyed writing and content creation as much as she enjoyed competing.
Rhiley began packing her camera everywhere she went, and soon people began reaching out. Then came opportunities with sponsors and western brands looking for help telling their story too.
The goal has never been simply creating content, but showcasing rodeo.
"We are getting better, but rodeo still isn't showcased enough," she said. "I wanted to show the passion and vulnerability of the sport in a way that wasn't just posting basic videos. From there 2M Media was created."
Although there is definitely career opportunities in all that Rhiley is already doing, she wants to keep her focus on her passion and her love for the sport.
"I want it to stay something I love. I don't want it to become all about clients."
Behind the Scenes
That passion for storytelling opened another unexpected door.
Last summer, Montoya found herself at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming, serving as a media intern and getting a firsthand look at one of the biggest events in college rodeo.
The opportunity came unexpectedly. After applying for the internship months earlier, she had nearly forgotten about it when she received a phone call offering her the position. After narrowly missing a CNFR qualification herself, this felt very much like a God wink for Rhiley.
The CNFR internship was an experience that changed the way she viewed the sport from a different angle then she had every seen before.
"This chapter may have looked different than I imagined, but it was exactly what I needed. And for that, I’m deeply thankful!"
Most rodeo fans only see the finished product. They watch the broadcast, read the stories, scroll through social media, and celebrate the champions. Montoya got to see everything that happens before that.
Working alongside media professionals, broadcasters, photographers, and production crews, she gained access to areas of the industry she had never experienced before. She traveled to Casper with industry professionals, sat in on production meetings, helped conduct interviews, logged footage for broadcasts, created content, and produced videos highlighting round winners and national champions.
One of the most eye opening aspects was seeing how many people work behind the scenes to make a major rodeo happen.
"There is a lot more that goes into the production side of things than I ever knew as an athlete," Montoya said.
She also met many of the people whose work she had long admired, including broadcasters, media professionals, and longtime contributors to the CNFR.
The internship reinforced something she had already begun to realize. Rodeo needs storytellers and the behind the scenes production team is what makes the rest of the show run smoothly. The athletes and livestock provide the action, but it takes dedicated people behind the arena to bring those stories to life for fans.
The Plan Unfolding
That realization continues to shape Montoya's future.
Recently, she began working with Rodeo Relations, a company founded by Kassidy McKee Beeler that focuses on helping rodeo athletes navigate sponsorships, endorsements, and professional opportunities.
Montoya now helps manage social media accounts, fulfill sponsorship obligations, and assist athletes in building their brands. It's another side of rodeo that often goes unnoticed.
For years, athletes largely handled those responsibilities themselves. Today, however, social media, branding, and marketing have become increasingly important parts of a professional athlete's career.
"Rodeo is behind in a lot of places," Montoya said. "This is a great way to test the waters and see what is and isn't going to work for the industry."
Even with all of these opportunities, Montoya has no plans of stepping away from the competitive side of rodeo. In fact, when asked where she sees herself in the future, the answer always comes back to horses.
"Every time I think about where I see myself in the future, it's riding horses and rodeoing," she said.
She understands the realities that come with pursuing that dream. Making a living solely through competition can be difficult, which is why she continues exploring different opportunities within the industry she loves.
From media and content creation to custom horse papers and other business ventures, Montoya is keeping her options open while continuing to chase her goals in the arena.
At the center of it all remains her faith.
"I'm just following God's plan and letting Him work His magic," she said. "He's opened a lot of opportunities for me recently."
That same mindset helped lead her to Tarleton State University after spending three years at Cisco College. While Cisco played an important role in her development, Montoya was drawn to Tarleton's culture and the opportunity to be surrounded by teammates who shared the same goals.
"I always idolized Tarleton for the goat tyers," she said. "I liked the idea of being surrounded by a team of the best. Iron sharpens iron."
Today, Montoya continues to chase her goals in the arena while building a place for herself behind the camera. Known for her work ethic and competitive drive, she remains a serious competitor whenever she enters the arena. But by spending time on both sides, she has gained a deeper appreciation for the sport and the people who make it possible, a perspective that continues to shape her both in and out of the arena.
Whether she is carrying a rope, a camera, or both, one thing remains clear. Her love for the sport extends far beyond a single run, and because of that, Rhiley Montoya is finding a way to leave her mark on rodeo from both sides of the lens.
