Rodeo Life

Blog

  • Sean Wernsman

    Sean Wernsman

    Sean Wernsman has been competing in the saddle bronc riding for approximately 10 years and is a six-time finals qualifier in the Colorado Pro Rodeo Association (CPRA). “It’s like a big family. Everyone knows everyone and I get to see and reacquaint with a lot of the same people that I grew up with in Little Britches,” he said of the organization.

    Sean was able to qualify for the 2013 finals, but was unable to attend after landing wrong and suffering an injury to his ankle at a Rocky Mountain Bronc Rider Association (RMBRA) event in Hayden, Colo., weeks prior. Despite the fact, he still finished the season 12th in the standings. “The CPRA has expanded to a lot more rodeos, that offer a better chance to go and compete. A lot of the rodeos are getting better added money as well, which gives a great chance to win money,” he included.

    The 33-year old cowboy got his start in rodeo through his dad (Neal), who rode broncs in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Senior Pro Rodeo Association. “Dad was my inspiration. I always wanted to ride broncs, just because he did. But I have learned that it is not something that you just go and do and is a learning process,” said Sean. Neal passed the rodeo tradition on to his two boys. Sean’s younger brother (Keith), who no longer competes, rode bulls in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA) and progressed to the College National Finals while riding for the Eastern Wyoming College rodeo team and later qualified for the Mountain States Circuit Finals. Sean first rode bulls in the junior division of the NLBRA. By the senior division, Sean was able to win the Reserve World Champion bull riding title in 1996 and expanded his list of events to add bronc riding. He later joined the Colorado High School Rodeo Association. His talents led him to receiving a rodeo scholarship to Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., where he cut down and just rode bulls.

    After college, Sean took a break from rodeo, but got to missing it too bad and joined the CPRA and the Wyoming Rodeo Association (WRA) in 2004, where he has been solely a bronc rider. “Rodeo gets in your blood and is an addiction that is hard to kick. I’ve loved the sport since I was a little kid,” he said of what couldn‘t keep him away. Since then, his list of associations has swollen to the PRCA and the RMBRA, where he was crowned the year-end champion in 2012.

    Sean and his wife (Julie) are in the process of moving their family from Craig, Colo., back to his original stomping grounds in Haxtun. Julie has recently joined in with the CPRA and competed in her rookie year as a barrel racer. The couple of five years hopes to hit the road together in future seasons and take their two children (Karli, 8, and Kacey, 4) along with them. “The kids already have the rodeo bug. They both competed in the Black Mountain Junior Rodeo Association summer series, where Karli competed in barrels, poles and flags and Kacey did flags, but he would much rather just be a bronc rider,” said Sean. When he is not rodeoing, Sean drives a truck for a welding supply company that keeps him traveling all around the state, but in his free time likes to hunt. “I like everything from big game [elk, deer and antelope] to birds [pheasant, duck and geese], but my favorite is calling coyotes,” he said.

    Sean had hopes of getting a little higher in this year’s standings and going to the finals, but has not set any goals for next season yet. “I want to allow my family to get settled in our new home before I make any decisions or plans,” he said.

  • Kevin Crain

    Kevin Crain

    The co-owner of C-Bar Rodeo Company, Kevin Crain has been stock contracting for more than 20 years. The rodeo company was started in 1991 by Kevin and his older brother and best friend Ronnie. Growing up in Illinois, the two brothers didn’t have many opportunities for rodeo in the area they lived. “We started out trying to get on things when we were just kids,” Kevin remembers. “We’d get on anything – horses, bulls, cows, hogs. Whatever we could catch, we’d get on it.” Throughout high school, Kevin and Ronnie began challenging themselves further. With nowhere to practice, they built an arena out of telephone poles and hollow field pipe. The brothers started buying up horses that were sale barn rejects to see if they would buck. Little did they know that this was the beginning of their rodeo company. Over the next few years the brothers’ backyard bucking had grown enough that they began hauling bucking horses to rodeos, and in 1991, C-Bar Rodeo Company was formed.

    Today, C-Bar Rodeo Company puts on 25 events a year. “Our bull ridings are sanctioned with the BOA and our roughstock events are with the CSRA,” Kevin explains. Since his brother’s passing two years ago, Kevin runs the rodeo company with the help of his nephews and co-owners, Wade and Will. Kevin’s four daughters have helped with the company as well, especially carrying flags. His niece Dusti Lynn is a PRCA and IPRA trick rider, and his younger nephew and niece Tucker and Dakota are old enough to start helping now. “Everybody joined in the rodeo because we needed free help. That’s why we had so many kids!” Kevin said with a laugh. In addition to providing the roughstock for CSRA rodeos, Kevin also serves on the association’s Board of Governors.

    Kevin, in addition to running his rodeo company, works as a union business agent. Following high school, and before the rodeo company was born, Kevin had served in the Illinois Army National Guard for several years and then became a union worker. Kevin, 44, says his job entails, “Putting union members out to work and solving any kind of union disputes that come up.” He also enjoys golfing, a hobby which he took up at a rodeo after putting several balls around with some cowboys from the rodeo circuit. They meet at a golf course on occasion, and Kevin says, “I don’t know if the golf course appreciates it, but we have a pretty good time!”

    Kevin makes his home about 12 miles outside of Farina, Ill. with his wife Dawn and their four daughters. “Katie competed in volleyball and went to college on a volleyball scholarship, Alex went to college on an academic scholarship, and Kellie went to college on a softball scholarship, so we’re doing pretty well so far!” says Kevin. “Kacie is still in high school, she’s a freshman at South Central High School.”

    In addition to running the rodeo company, Kevin and his nephew Wade are also starting to breed their own line of bucking bulls, but Kevin says, “Finding the right combination of bloodlines is a heck of a trick! We’ve got our cows and we’re dabbling around in the embryo and breeding aspects. A goal for us is to someday raise a bull that will take us to the next level.” In 2013, the Crains bought into a futurity calf and competed in the Million Dollar Futurity in Las Vegas, Nev. Ultimately, Kevin is very proud of the rodeo company that he created with his brother. “We had no idea that our company would grow like it has today!” he concluded.

  • Chris Maros

    Chris Maros

    The month of May marks Chris Maros’s first year competing in the APRA. The cowboy from Newfoundland, Pa. began team roping two years ago after working the chutes for timed events in 2012 at the Malibu Dude Ranch in Milford, Pa.  “It really motivated me to work hard to compete at that level,” Chris explains. “I’ve only found a few sports in my life where I wake up every morning anxious to do them. I raced motocross and was a professional stand-up jet skier for many years, and practice wasn’t really work because I loved it so much. I don’t have to twist my arm around to do roping. I just love it that much!”

    Chris, 42, doesn’t come from a rodeo background, but his friends – including Kevin Daniel, Jimmy Madden, and Ricky Gonzalez – have helped him to get the knack of the sport. “I really look up to Kevin Daniel,” says Chris. “Because of his faith in God, he’s a very grounded person, even with his success in roping. When I started rodeo it was all so new to me, but he treated me the same way as a #6 roper or better.” Chris ropes daily with Chad Finley and rodeos with his roping partner Drew Young. While Chris heads at APRA rodeos, he ropes both ends for USTRC, NTRL and jackpot ropings.

    Another aspect of Chris’s involvement in the APRA is serving as the association’s Chaplin, which he has been doing since 2013. Chris says, “I’m helping with advancing Cowboy Church with Chris Prang, and he and I are helping Susie Graham with promoting Jesus Loves Cowboys further into the APRA. She (Graham) is well established in Cowtown. I admire her dedication to our Lord.” He further explains, “One of my favorite Bible verses is John 3:30, which is ‘He must become greater; I must become less.’ My real goal is to share the work of God with everybody. People can contact me through Facebook or the APRA website if they need prayer requests. I want the guys and girls to know that’s what I’m there for.”

    Chris and his wife Mindy are raising their two children, Lilly (seven) and Cody (three) on their farm outside of Newfoundland. Chris built their house and barn himself, along with a 300’ by 150’ outdoor roping pen. He also runs a small scale beef operation from his farm for himself and his neighbors. Chris enjoys bow hunting as well. He has two roping horses: Jack, his 16-year-old tried-and-true roping horse, and Rooster, the young gelding that Chris is finishing.

    When he is not roping, Chris is operating his marina business 24-7 Innovations with his wife Mindy, who works in the office. During his professional jet skiing days, Chris raced in the Budweiser Jet Sports Tour. Each year as a pro, he qualified for the Skat-Trak World Finals held in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The top 200 riders in the world are invited to compete. In 1996 he finished seventh and in 1997 he nearly finished third until his jet ski broke down with only two laps remaining. Chris won seventh in 1998 but decided to retire due to an injured knee. That lead to the start of his marine service business which involves collision repair and engine work.

    “This year my biggest goals are to get enough money won to go to the APRA finals and to get to some bigger USTRC ropings,” Chris concludes. “I don’t burden myself too much with long terms goals and trying to meet them. It’s all in God’s hands and I’m going to work at it 100% with what He gave me.”

  • Ashley Lankford

    Ashley Lankford

    Ashley Lankford is a 17-year-old cowgirl from Collinsville, Okla. She has grown up astride a horse, and the rodeo arena has been the center of her world in the summer for nearly 10 years. Ashley competes in breakaway roping, team roping as a heeler, pole bending, and barrel racing. Her parents, Bill and Renee Lankford, used to work in rodeo. Bill worked behind the chutes and Renee was a timer, but they eased back from that when they began hauling Ashley to her rodeos.

    Ashley is inspired by rodeo legend Jim Shoulders when it comes to her involvement in the sport. “My dad knew him personally,” explained Ashley. “The way that he changed rodeo, his sportsmanship, and all of the great things he did inspire me.” While she plans to attend college and study in the medical field, Ashley hopes that rodeo will continue to be a part of her life after high school.

    The Lankford family lives outside of town, with several dogs and horses making their home complete. Ashley has a younger sister, Gabrielle, who is seven. The sisters enjoy riding together, but Gabrielle hasn’t decided if she wants to rodeo yet. She does, however, enjoy playing piano and cheerleading. Among the Lankford’s horses are Goose, Ashley’s breakaway and team roping horse, and Warrior, who she competes on in poles and barrels. Ashley finished both of her horses in the events that she competes in.  The Lankfords bought Goose from PRCA cowboy Josh Welch, who started the horse in tie-down and team roping. Ashley often practices roping the dummy in the arena in her back pasture, but several times a week she also ropes calves at a practice pen with her team roping partner.
    A junior at Collinsville High School, Ashley’s favorite subjects are math and science. She loves the hands-on learning that comes with experiments. Ashley is also involved in track and field this spring, with shot-put and discus as her field events. Another part of Ashley’s education is her participation in FFA. She is taking some time off from projects this year, but in 2013 she competed in the speech contest. This involved writing, memorizing, and delivering a six to eight minute speech in front of a panel of judges. “My topic was on animal cruelty in rodeo,” said Ashley. “I talked about how it wasn’t cruel and explained what the events were intended for originally.”

    When she is not with her horses, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is especially supportive of her sister Gabrielle, who is participating in several speech contests and even went to districts. As for her future goals, Ashley says, “I’d mainly like to improve in everything in every aspect of rodeo.” She is also striving to earn several college scholarships, and to compete in college rodeo when the time comes. Ashley wants to study in the medical field, and she is researching what type of doctor she would like to be.

    Ashley’s main goal for this coming summer is to compete in state finals. In 2012 , her freshman year, she qualified for state finals in the NHSRA, but was unable to compete due to a neck injury. She did, however, qualify for the NJRA finals rodeo in 2013 in breakaway and won a finalist buckle. As she continues to haul to rodeos and pursue the sport she loves best, Ashley concluded, “I’d like to thank my whole family – my mom and dad and my little sister, and the friends that have supported me. And God, for leading the way.”

  • Jolee Lautaret-Jordan

    Jolee Lautaret-Jordan

    Jolee Lautaret-Jordan has been living the rodeo lifestyle since her childhood. At 39, Jolee is pursuing the sport she loves through the GCPRA and the California Circuit. She is the 2013 GCPRA Barrel Racing Champion, having won the title once before in 2007.

    In addition to barrel racing, Jolee has also competed in team roping and breakaway roping. Her parents, Darrell and Dolli Lautaret also team rope. Jolee’s dad is a retired bull rider, and her mom is a former hunter/jumper turned barrel racer who trains all of the family’s horses. Jolee and her parents were team roping together in the GCPRA incentive up until injuries prevented Darrell from competing for a time. “I definitely look up to my family,” says Jolee, “my mom and my dad both. They’ve been very supportive of me. My mom has always trained the horses I’ve ridden and I’m always trying to be as good of a horsewoman as she is. My husband is a great supporter – he helps me with the mental and positive thinking and having the right perspective.”

    Horses are naturally what most of Jolee’s life is centered around. These include Down Home Daisy and Classy Rose Bug, the two mares that Jolee and her mom barrel race on. Daisy is their seasoned rodeo horse, while Rose is still going through finishing. Jolee began the 2013 rodeo season on Rose, but as the GCPRA finals drew near, Jolee hadn’t won enough to qualify for the finals that are held only 45 minutes from her house. She ended up trading horses with her mom, Dolli, and both women were able to compete at the finals. Jolee says that trading horses back and forth with her mom works to their advantage. “It keeps the horses fresh. Whoever has the best opportunity with one horse or the other rides that one. If one of us wins it all goes back to the expenses – it’s kind of a common pot.”

    Jolee and her husband Allan Jordan live at the edge of city limits in Kingman, Ariz. Their 20 acres are tucked in the foothills of the mountains. Allan rode bulls and competed in steer wrestling for 18 years, and today he works as a full time official with the PRCA judging rodeos. Jolee is a writer, and she writes for the WPRA. Her byline can also be found on examiner.com, an online program that she writes rodeo stories for. Additionally, Jolee works for Pro Rodeo Live and Rural Radio as one of the radio personalities that covers the NFR and other events. In addition to commentating the barrel racing and bull riding at the NFR, as well as the PRCA Champion Challenge, Jolee has also covered the PBR Finals.

    While she has done event analysis for the WNFR for two years, Jolee’s dream is to be one of the competitors again. She barrel raced at the WNFR from 2002 – 2004. “That’s a pretty big goal,” says Jolee. “I don’t feel like it’s totally out of reach, but you don’t want to kill yourself and your horse to get it done. Every year my goal is to make it to my circuit finals and the Grand Canyon finals. Our goal is to have more money won at the end of the year than we spent, but that’s a difficult one to accomplish,” she said with a laugh. “At the core of it (rodeo) I love the horses and the challenge of competing with your animals. It’s getting tougher and tougher now with all of the good horses their breeding now. It’s that much harder and feels that much better when you win.”

  • Peyton Crowder

    Peyton Crowder

    Rodeo is the axis which Peyton Crowder’s life revolves around. She has been competing in the NJHSRA since she was in sixth grade, although she first competed in the rodeo arena when she was five. The 14-year-old’s interest in rodeo first took root as she watched her older brother compete. Following in his shadow, Peyton’s first few years of rodeo were none too easy. However, several horses made the difference in her competition, including Bucky and Maverick, a horse given to Peyton by her aunt. While Maverick was already trained, Peyton seasoned him for rodeo, discovering that the horse had a flair for the sport. “Maverick has been a godsend, thanks to Peyton’s Aunt Carol,” says Missy Crowder, Peyton’s mom. On Maverick, Peyton went on to compete in the NJHFR in barrel racing during her first year of junior high rodeo, placing as first runner up. Peyton competed at the NJHFR again in 2013, qualifying in barrel racing, breakaway roping, and team roping, and she is going into the spring rodeo season leading in the all-around.

    Peyton also competes in pole bending, goat tying, and ribbon roping. She team ropes as a header with her friend Morgan Darnell. In addition to competing in the NJHSRA, Peyton competes in the Mile Hi Barrel Horse Association. Barrel racing is her favorite event, and her greatest dream is to compete at the WNFR someday. In the meantime, Peyton spends much of her time with her horses. She runs barrels on Maverick, pole bends on Holly, team ropes on Ego, and does goat tying on Scooty. Both Ego and Scooty belonged to Peyton’s brother Wyatt, who passed his rodeo horses along to her. She will also be competing on her newest horse, Dani, this summer. While her horses are a tremendous part of her rodeo pursuits, Peyton also gratefully acknowledges the support of her parents Missy and Robbie Crowder, her brother Wyatt, her uncle Rick Harris, Carol Crowder, and her friend Charleen Ornellas.

    The Crowder family lives several miles outside of Fort Lupton, Colo. Their 70 acres are home to a number of horses and bucking bulls. Wyatt, Peyton’s brother, is a PBR stock contractor, and the 19-year-old’s bull The Rocker won the American Bucking Bull Inc. Classic title in 2013 at the PBR World Finals. Peyton is very proud of her brother’s accomplishments with his bucking bulls, and another one of her goals is to raise a PBR bucking bull of her own. Peyton divides the majority of her time between her horses, her bulls, and raising Miniature Australian Shepherds. Peyton’s mom calls her a true animal lover, and Peyton takes great pride in raising good puppies. The money she makes from selling her puppies goes toward her rodeo entry fees.

    Peyton is homeschooled, and she is currently in the eighth grade. While bookwork is not her favorite thing, Peyton is an honor roll student, and she loves to finish her school and get out to her horses. She practices nearly every day, whether riding, roping, or working with her bucking bulls. Peyton’s main goal for this year is to compete at the NJHFR in barrel racing for the third consecutive year. But she also enjoys the journey to the NJHFR and she loves being a part of the NJHSRA and spending time with the people of the association.

    In conclusion, Peyton would like to extend her thanks to the three sponsors that keep her horses ready to rodeo – Rick Harris Horseshoeing, Dale Knobbs Chiropractic, and Formula 707.

  • Sidney Carey

    Sidney Carey

    Sidney Carey has been rodeoing for more than 10 years. The 18-year-old from Huron, S.D. climbed the ladder from junior rodeos, to junior high and high school rodeos. This is her final year competing in the SDHSRA and she has ambitious plans for the coming rodeo season.

    Sidney competes in barrel racing, goat tying, pole bending, breakaway roping, and team roping as a header. Out of those five events, breakaway roping and goat tying are her favorites. Both of Sidney’s parents, Blaine and Paullyn Carey, have competed in rodeo as well. Sidney is very thankful for the advice and support of her parents, as well as  what she has learned from her uncle, Shawn Carey, and from the family’s friend, Jody O’Brian. “She inspires me to do my best,” said Sidney.

    The Careys make their home about five miles north of Huron. Sidney has two younger sisters – Kallie, 16, and Tatum, 11. All three sisters compete in 4-H rodeo and the National Little Britches Rodeo Association. The Carey family has 16 horses and three dogs, along with roping calves to practice on in the summer. The entire family spends a good deal of time in their arena during the summer. The Carey sisters’ team roping partners come over and they spend the evening roping calves, tying goats and working their horses. “We keep it pretty fun,” Sidney said. She and her sisters also have competitions between the three of them, either roping the dummy or practicing roping tricks.  Sidney’s rodeo horses include Griz, her team roping horse, and Kimmy, her all-around mare. Kimmy was trained by Shawn Carey, Sidney’s uncle.

    Sidney is a senior at Wolsey-Wessington High School. Math and science are the subjects she enjoys most, and she is also very fond of playing sports. Earlier in the school year, Sidney played volleyball, basketball, and ran cross country. Additionally, Sidney is in 4-H, which she has been a part of since she was eight. On top of 4-H rodeo, she does home living projects, which has included making picture frames, using lasers to etch designs onto mirrors, and even making a trophy table which Sidney put her belt buckles in.

    If she had a day with no obligations, Sidney might spend it sleeping in and riding her horses, but it’s more likely that she’ll be up early to load horses and haul to a rodeo or jackpot. One of Sidney’s favorite rodeos in the SDHSRA is the Watertown Rodeo. “It’s a good rodeo, and afterwards all of the kids go to Thunder Road and do cart racing. It’s pretty intense,” she said with a laugh.

    Highlights of Sidney’s 2013 rodeo season include winning fourth in breakaway in the South Dakota 4-H finals rodeo, even after she broke out, having originally been positioned in first. At the same rodeo, she received the Never Quit Award, given in memory of Shirley Gerard. Of her goals for 2014, Sidney said, “I would like to win the all-around at most of the rodeos I go to, and win a saddle in any of my events.” Sidney is also working to qualify for the 2014 NHSFR. She plans to rodeo more with the SDRA in addition to competing on the South Dakota State University (SDSU) rodeo team this fall. She will be filling her semesters with rodeoing and earning her degree in civil engineering. As she pursues her dreams for the future, Sidney explains what drives her to rodeo. “It’s mostly the people, and the friends that you make. I’ve grown up around it, and it’s a way of life for my family.”

  • Abi Deveraux

    Abi Deveraux

    “Rodeo is just what I love and I couldn’t imagine my life without it,” says 16-year-old Abi Deveraux. “It keeps me sane and I love going down the road and spending the spring, summer and fall with people just like me.” Abi is starting her second year of competing in the WHSRA, but she has been rodeoing since she was five years old. Her dad, Craig Deveraux, was a PRCA saddle bronc rider who competed for many years before retiring from the sport. He is Abi’s rodeo coach and role model. “He’s basically the reason that I’m able to do rodeo,” Abi says of her dad. “I’m not kidding when I say I wouldn’t be anywhere without my parents.”

    Abi competes in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping. “Whatever I’m winning at is the one I like best at the time!” she says. Abi’s barrel and team roping horse is a gray gelding named Chopo. Abi bought him in 2013 and she says they are beginning to figure things out between the two of them. She competes in pole bending on her buckskin ranch mare Penny, who is just a fun horse to ride, according to Abi. The little mare took them to the NHSFR in their event in 2013. Finally, Abi’s breakaway horse is a red roan named Benny. “He’s one of those horses that you can cover a lot of country on in one day, and rope calves in the arena on him the next,” Abi says.

    The Deveraux family lives about eight miles outside of Newcastle, Wyo. Abi’s parents are Craig and Jolene Deveraux, and she also has twin 13-year-old brothers, Jake and Cooper. They will be starting junior high rodeo this year. The three siblings enjoy practicing together, and Abi says, “The best practice sessions are when we’re all together. It’s intense and we’re all going like crazy!” The Deveraux family has cow/calf pairs and yearlings that they run on their two ranches that are 14 miles apart. They also hold a horse sale every year in June. “We keep about 45 horses around here. We’re constantly riding them,” Abi explains. Her dad buys prospective horses and the family finishes training any of the green horses they buy. “I have ten horses that I could hop on to practice on at any time. That’s how I stay sharp – I have a whole pen of talented horses to ride,” says Abi.

    Abi is a sophomore at Newcastle High School. She enjoys her Ag. class and playing basketball on her school’s team. She is also involved in FFA judging horses, and she will be going to state FFA in the near future. In her free time, Abi enjoys spending time with her family, from playing cards to watching movies together or enjoying a lively conversation. If she had a day to do whatever she wanted, Abi says, “We’d start the day off saddling up a couple of good horses and I’d ride with my brothers. Then maybe we’d go fishing while it’s hot, then come back and rope.”

    Abi’s goals for the coming year are to qualify for the NHSFR again and work towards winning a state championship. “Last year at nationals I qualified in poles, but I’d like to qualify in more events this year. I’d be most proud of a breakaway or goat tying championship.” Abi is interested in studying a subject related to sports medicine in college and she says, “I definitely want to college rodeo if I can and find a way to the WPRA.”

  • Kaylee Scales

    Kaylee Scales

    Kaylee Scales is going into the 2014 rodeo season already qualified for the NLBFR in her three events. The 13-year-old from Blanchard, Okla. went to nationals last year for the first time and made the Top Hand Team. “I don’t know what I’d do without it (rodeo),” says Kaylee. “It’s become not only a hobby, but my life. It’s my favorite of all the sports I do, and it’s a family event. I love competing with my animals and I meet all of these different people that I become friends with. It’s a really great thing!”

    Kaylee competes in barrel racing, pole bending, and goat tying. Her dream is to barrel race at the WNFR someday, as it is her favorite event and the one she competes best in. Kaylee describes the horses that she competes on. “I run barrels on Boogie – he’s 13 years old. I love to compete on him. He’s very powerful coming off the barrels and we fit together like a hand in a glove. My pole horse is Annie. She’s 23 this year and I got her when I was seven. She’s my absolute favorite! Apache does everything, and she’s also my brother’s roping horse. She’s 17 and we nominated her for Purina Super Horse of the Finals last year in the NLBRA.”

    The Scales family makes their home in the country outside of Blanchard. In addition to their horses, they also keep roping calves on their 20 acres. Kaylee and her 12-year-old brother Tanner often practice together in their arena. Their parents are Rick and Shelly Scales. Tanner also competes in the NLBRA, and he too will be competing at the NLBFR for the second time this summer. Along with their horses, the Scales never go to a rodeo without their two dogs, Izzy and Roper.

    Kaylee is a seventh grader at Amber-Pocasset High School. Her favorite subject is reading, and from 2011-2013 she was chosen as one of Grady County’s Top Readers. The award is given based on the number of books read and the reading level. Kaylee loves to read mysteries, and she also enjoys books by her favorite author Meg Cabot.

    Kaylee runs cross-country and track, and in addition to her involvement with student council, she is serving as the AM-PO class secretary. She also stays busy with showing pigs in 4-H, which she has been doing for the last nine years. In her free time, Kaylee can be found engrossed in a book or out playing with her horses in the pasture. If she had a day to spend however she wanted, Kaylee says, “I would spend it outside practicing with my horses, trying to get better for the next rodeo.”

    Goals that Kaylee has set for herself include winning a barrel racing national championship at the NLBFR this summer. She also hopes to college rodeo after high school and study to be a teacher. Several of her rodeo achievements in 2013 include first runner up for princess in the 2013 NLBRA royalty contest, she also was the all-around, junior girls, barrel racing, goat tying , and ribbon runner champion in the Oklahoma-North Texas Little Britches Rodeo Association. Kaylee and her family have helped to start the Central Oklahoma franchise of Little Britches, with Kaylee’s dad serving as the vice-president.

    Kaylee never goes to a rodeo without her family, grandparents, and her aunt and uncle. She looks to her parents as role models and she says, “My parents commit time out of their busy schedules to haul us up and down the road. I’m very blessed to have my family and God with me whenever I go rodeo.”

    Noble Outfitters recognizes youth accomplishments and supports programs like NLBRA. Kaylee will receive a Hands Duffle!
    Learn more at nobleoutfiters.com

  • Nicole Reeves

    Nicole Reeves

    Nicole Reeves is always on the go, never sitting still. The Longville, La. cowgirl loves to be moving and doing things. She competes in the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association in the goat tying, breakaway and team roping (she heads for Torey Little), and her favorite event is whichever one she’s doing well at, at the time.

    She has three horses for her rodeo competition. Rudy, a six year old, is her heading horse. She shares him with her younger brother. He’s laid back till it’s show time. Gin, her goat tying horse, is a six year old gray who is a “fun horse,” she says. “He’s small, fun to ride, and laid back, so you can do pretty much anything on him.” Her breakaway horse is a twelve year old gelding named Cowboy who the family has owned since he was two. He’s stubborn, Nicole says. “He has a mind of his own, but when it comes to breakaway roping, he actually does something right.”

    She is a senior at South Beauregard High School in Longville, and physics, her first hour class, is fun. The teacher is really enjoyable, and the class works in partners, doing fun things. Right now, they are building canoes out of cardboard that must hold two people and float from one end of a swimming pool to the other, for the students to get an A. The worst part of school is English class, because “I don’t like sitting still and reading,” she says. “I’m supposed to sit still in English and pay attention and actually listen.”

    Nicole has taken some stress off herself lately, when she decided where to go to college. This fall, she’ll attend Panola College in Carthage, Texas. She’ll compete in the goat tying and breakaway roping and major in elementary education. Someday, she’d like to teach elementary school, because she enjoys working with kids. She’d prefer third and fourth grade students, because at that age, “they have the yes, ma’ams and no rudeness,” she says.

    In her spare time, Nicole helps her goat tying coach, Stacey Elisa, with chores, helping care for goats and cleaning stalls. She also helps with clinics. Her favorite thing to do in her spare time is to chill out with family and friends. Her Uncle Ronnie Reeves loves to cook for them, and Nicole’s favorite meal he cooks is crawfish with corn, and “a lot of sweet tea,” she laughs. Nicole has two brothers: Justin, who is 22, and Jayce, who is twelve. She is an honor roll student, and is the daughter of Quintin and Janice Reeves.

  • Evan Darbonne

    Evan Darbonne

    Evan Darbonne competes in every boys timed event in the Louisiana Junior High Rodeo Association. The Moss Bluff, La. cowboy, who is 14, is a tie-down roper, ribbon roper (roping for Brooklyn Gunter), chute dogger, goat tyer, and team roper, heeling for Kamryn Duncan. His favorite event is the tie-down roping, because of the rush.

    For the tie-down and ribbon roping, he rides a ten year old mare named Roxie. She is his favorite horse, in part because he likes tie-down and because he has a great bond with her. In the goats, he rides a thirteen year old gray gelding named Jett, and his heeling horse is a twenty year old sorrel gelding named Little Man.

    Evan is in the eighth grade and homeschooled. He loves to study science, but English is not his favorite. He does enjoy reading and is currently reading a biography on St. Vincent de Paul. His favorite all time book is The Hunger Games. He’s seen the movie but prefers the book.

    In the last few years, he’s begun a new hobby. He works with Todd Broussard, the father of a fellow rodeo contestant and owner of T-Pop Leather Shop, with leather. He has made phone cases, rope can lids, breast collars and halters. Todd, who lives in Opelousas, taught him, and now Evan has his own workshop at his house. He loves doing the tooling most, and the biggest project he’s done so far was a rope can lid for his roping coach, a gift from his wife for Christmas. He sells his work and advertises through his mom’s Facebook page and his own Instagram page. “People see the pictures and say, ‘I want one of those.’”

    In addition to junior high rodeo, Evan competes in the Sulphur Rodeo Club and Little Britches Rodeo. He has qualified for the state junior high finals all three years, making National Junior High Finals in the goat tying and ribbon roping last year. He finished fourth in the nation in the goat tying last year and would love to make a return trip this year.

    This fall, Evan will go to St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles. He has qualified for the National Little Britches Rodeo twice but has never made the trip. He has five brothers and sisters: Emma is nine, Ana is eleven, Alex is twelve, Andrew is 18 and Christopher is 20. The family has a boxer named Jazz, an outside dog. He is the son of David and Kelli Darbonne.

  • Beau Peterson

    Beau Peterson

    Beau Peterson loves to rodeo. It’s her “absolute favorite thing to do in the world,” she says. The thirteen year old cowgirl who lives in Council Grove, Kan., and is a member of the Kansas Junior High School Rodeo Association, competes in the breakaway, goat tying, and ribbon roping, as a runner for Kian Pepper Brown. Breakaway is her favorite event.

    For the breakaway, she rides a seven year old bay named Hustler. He’s sweet and curious, and always has to get his nose into whatever’s going on. For the goat tying, she rides a ten year old horse named P.W. who is antsy and excited all the time.

    She is an eighth grade student at Council Grove Middle School. P.E. is her favorite class, and playing dodge ball is her preferred game. Reading, however, is not her favorite class. Her favorite teacher ever is her P.E. teacher, Mrs. Mahanay.

    Beau plays basketball, is on her school’s honor roll, and is a member of the Neosho Valley 4-H Club, where she shows lambs and steers. In fifth grade, she had the grand champion bucket calf at the Morris Co. Fair, and has had reserve grand champion lamb two years in a row. Her dog Roxie was part of her 4-H dog project one year, where Roxie learned agility and obedience, and did well, winning reserve (and improving her manners at home).

    Roxie, a red merle Australian shepherd, is very sweet, lovable, and spoiled (by Beau). She gets treats and gets to come into the house. “She gets the good life,” Beau says. In basketball, her team won the Flint Hills Junior League Championship and were undefeated all season!

    Beau has qualified for the state junior high finals twice, and last year, made it to the National Junior High Finals in all three of her events. Nationals were “very exciting and fun,” and she made a lot of new friends that she hopes to see this summer at Nationals.  She is also a member of the Heartland Youth Rodeo Association, where she won the breakaway this year and placed third in the goat tying. She has competed at the Rising Stars Calf Roping twice and at the Joe Beaver Junior Superstars Calf Roping last fall.

    In the summers, Beau loves to tag along with her dad on the family ranch, the Hinchman Ranch, in the Flint Hills. She helps work cattle, feed, and ride, checking for sick cattle. When she grows up, she’d like to do something involved with horse therapy. Beau has an older sister, Michaela, who is a senior in high school. She is the daughter of Matt and Dustin Peterson.