Rodeo Life

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  • Morgan Olson

    Morgan Olson

    At 15 years old, a high school sophomore stepped out in a woman’s world to prove that age does not matter when it comes to tough barrel racing competition. In her first year as a member of the Colorado Pro Rodeo Association (CPRA), Morgan Olson entered the finals sitting 12th in the standings, but after winning the first and second go-rounds, along with the average, climbed the ladder quickly to finish the season in eighth. “We were going into the third-round pretty strong, but my horse had a hard time getting through the mud,” she said of her fifth place finish in the third-go.

    Not setting out to expand her associations, Morgan mainly competes in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA), but had entered early CPRA rodeos with her older brothers (Tyler, 24 and Brandon, 18), who are bull riders within the organization. Her first show out, Morgan ended up splitting third and fourth at the Cripple Creek Cowboy Gathering in Cripple Creek, Colo. “After I found that I could compete, we ended up going to more,” she explained. She then entered five other rodeos along the way.

    Growing up in Franktown, Colo., where her family continues to reside today, Morgan was born into the world of rodeo, as her dad (Randy) competed in all three rough stock events. His love for an eight-second high was then passed to both of Morgan’s older brothers. While her mom (Karen) never competed, she is one of Morgan’s biggest fans. “Mom was a city girl and didn’t start going to rodeos until after she met Dad, but she loves going to the rodeos and is very supportive of us,“ said Morgan. Brandon started riding in the NLBRA at 10 years old, where Morgan spent a few years in the stands as his cheerleader. “When I was old enough, I decided that I wanted to do it too,” she said. “But I wasn’t doing well on the horse that I was competing on, so we bought my mare about four years ago from Kalli and Toni Palen.”

    With the help of the Palen’s, Morgan has spent many hours turning the 11-year old chestnut (Dezi) into a barrel horse. “I owe a lot to them [Kalli and Toni Palen], along with Marcy Henderson [CPRA breakaway roper] and her parents Mark and Moni, who has helped me with my riding,” she stated. The hard work and dedication has proved to be beneficial as Morgan finished out the season as the runner-up to the Rookie of the Year in the CPRA, along with fifth in the world standings of the NLBRA. She says that her biggest inspiration in rodeo is split between her dad and her brother. “Dad is always supportive and helps in pushing me to do better, but Brandon is the one who got me into it,” she said.

    Now, at 16-years old, Morgan attends Douglas County High School near Castle Rock, Colo., where she extends her extracurricular activities to girls soccer and plays the forward position. She says that she is targeting her future towards a rodeo scholarship and would like to attend either Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., or Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla. “I’m thinking about going into nursing or finishing as a vet tech., but I’m not 100 percent sure yet,” she said.

    Securing a root system within the CPRA, Morgan intends on continuing her competition within the organization. “I want to make the finals again, but would like to go in sitting a little higher,” she said of next season’s goal. “I would also like to work my way to winning the year-end title.”

  • Sienna Kaufman

    Sienna Kaufman

    Sienna Kaufman’s love for her horses, and for speed, makes rodeo the perfect sport for her. The 13-year-old was taught to ride by her mom, and she has grown up riding with her entire family. Sienna has been rodeoing for eight years, two of which have been in the KJRA. “I love horses and I just love rodeoing,” she explained. Sienna competes in barrel racing, pole bending, and breakaway roping. Not surprisingly, her favorite event is barrel racing. “I like the speed,” she said. Sienna has been coached in her roping by Braden and Kara Stueve – Sienna’s cousin and his wife. Sienna’s mom and dad, Debra and Tim Kaufman, are her role models. “I think rodeo is fun! I’m competitive, and I’m trying to get better every year. I’m working hard at it.”

    The Kaufmans live in Durham, Kan. on a 160 acre farm. They raise cattle, as well as farming an additional 2,500 acres. Sienna loves to help her dad with working and branding cattle, as well as harvesting their crops. She has a younger brother, Cole, who is 11. Cole enjoys riding horses, but he prefers riding dirt bikes to rodeo. He does, however, show his horse in 4-H. Sienna and Cole have an older sister, Dakota, who will be graduating from college this year.

    In addition to cattle, the Kaufman family has six horses, a dog, and several cats. Two of those horses belong to Sienna. George is her 18-year-old gelding, who she has been riding for just over a year. He is an all-around rodeo horse, and Sienna competes in all of her events on him. Her other horse is Rosie, an Arabian/Missouri Fox Trotter cross. Sienna carries flags on Rosie at several women’s ranch rodeos in their area, as well as a local rodeo in Abilene, Kan. Depending on the rodeo, Sienna will carry the American flag, or she will carry the sponsor’s flag.

    In addition to rodeo, Sienna is quite busy with her school sports. She is an eighth grader at Hillsboro Middle School. P.E. is her favorite class, and playing dodgeball is a highlight of her school day. Sienna plays volleyball, basketball and does track and field. Track season will be starting soon, Sienna enjoys pole vaulting in her field events. Furthermore, Sienna shows her horses Rosie and George in 4-H, as well as competing in  4-H pole bending, barrel racing, and trail course.

    Sienna loves to spend her every spare minute with her horses, whether it’s practicing every day in the summer for rodeo, or taking a leisurely trail ride through the Flint Hills, a wildlife area known for its geology and tallgrass prairie. She is a member of the Durham Baptist Youth Group, as well as the Strassburg Baptist Church. With all of the places she has travelled, Sienna has two favorite areas. One is the arena in Cheyenne, Wyo. that is home to Cheyenne Frontier Days, and the other is Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Sienna had the opportunity to visit the famous racetrack, as well as meet several jockeys.

    With each passing year, Sienna is more certain that she wants to barrel race in the PRCA. She also hopes to college rodeo while studying at Kansas State University to be a large animal veterinarian. In the more immediate future, Sienna’s goal is to win a belt buckle in the KJRA and to continue to improve her barrel racing. She is greatly supported by her family and relatives, and Sienna concluded, “I want to thank my mom and my dad for helping me with the horses, and everything!”

  • Booger Gleghorn

    Booger Gleghorn

    Booger Gleghorn is a sort of jack-of-all-trades. The cowboy from Ackerly, Texas runs two ranches full time, takes his roughstock to bucking horse futurities, works as a pickup man, lends a hand with the family trucking business, and in his spare time, competes in team roping and ranch sorting. “We’re in a little bit of everything,” says Booger, who has gone by his nickname since he was a year old. “We just try to keep our weekends booked.” He has been involved with the TCRA since he started working as a pickup man for the association when he was 14. “My dad was a stock contractor for over 20 years and I’ve been picking up since I was 14, so I’ve grown up with them. I’ve been in it (the TCRA) for 25 years.”

    A team roper, Booger can both head and heel. He qualified for the World Series of Team Roping Finale 8 in 2013 for the first time, but his roping horse was crippled only weeks before the event. Booger and his family still went to Las Vegas to watch the Wrangler NFR, however, a tradition which they keep every year. “It’s our family vacation,” Booger explained. “My fiancée (Kim Coleman) and I also did a lot of shopping. I guarantee that the wheels on the suitcase we had with us were smoking by the time we got out of there.”

    Despite having to forgo the WSTR Finale, Booger is no less dedicated to the sport than before. “I guess it’s in your blood. Just like finding that better bucking horse or bucking bull, it’s the same way with winning the better event. You win it once, you want to win it again. There’s lots of good people in it, too.” Recently, Booger and his team roping partner Steve Sanders competed at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo Super Tuesday in Odessa, Texas.

    Booger has recently started competing in ranch sorting, which he is thoroughly enjoying. In January, he and his fiancée, Kim Coleman, traveled to several barrel horse futurities, as well as bucking horse futurities as he continues to build his line of bucking horses. Kim raises and trains barrel horses, and she also competes in the TCRA. Booger manages to work jackpots and USTR ropings into his busy schedule, especially in the winter when rodeo season is slow.

    While Booger has plenty of rodeos and team ropings on his agenda, his ranching comes first. “You’ve got to pay the bills,” he says. He helps his dad, Wayne Gleghorn, with running the two family ranches – one in Post, Texas and the other in Gail, Texas. Booger described an average day on the ranch. “I go check cattle – sometimes I take a young horse with me depending on the weather. In the evening I ride the colts and rope, but then you’ve also got to keep your pickup horses legged up, because they are what you make them.” Booger works as a pickup man as often as he can, including at TCRA rodeos and ranch rodeos. Additionally, he works as a shag man, roping the bulls and getting them out of the arena.

    Booger says of his ambitions for this year, “I’ve got a bunch of good, young horses to take to bucking futurities this year. I’m going to try to qualify for the WSTR Finale again this year. I’d like to go to some big World Series and US ropings and continue picking up at as many rodeos as I can.”

  • Clay Parsons

    Clay Parsons

    Clay Parsons is the Vice-President of the GCPRA, as well as a longtime competitor in the association. He was rodeoing with the association when it was known as the ARA (Arizona Rodeo Association), then the SRA (Southwest Rodeo Association), to what today is known as the GCPRA. Clay, 52, has seen his share of seasons in rodeo, from success, to injuries, to taking 18 years off from rodeoing to raise his family and start his business. But he has always returned to the sport that he was raised on.

    Clay competes in tie-down roping and team roping as a heeler. He went pro when he was 17, and among other things, went on to be the all-around and team roping champion at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Huron, S.D. in 1979. He was also the tie-down roping champion at the College National Finals Rodeo in 1983, rodeoing for the University of Arizona. Clay tried qualifying for the WNFR for two years but didn’t make it. He explained what his mindset is on rodeo today. “The motivation that keeps you practicing is being on the losing end, or knowing when you show up at a rodeo that you’re not ready. There’s the old saying that you’d rather have luck than skill, but not me. I’d rather have skill than make my mistakes and miss a calf. I’d like to get to a point where I go to a rodeo to just have fun. I’m not there yet, but I’m sure it will come.”

    For Clay, another motivation to rodeo has been recovering from an injury that set him back from competing for a year. In April of 2013, Clay was tie-down roping at a GCPRA rodeo when, in the middle of a standard run, he fractured his pelvis when he missed his calf but his horse stopped as usual. It turned out that Clay already had a fractured sacrum, which he was unaware of, and the strain of roping caught his body in just the right position. The St. Luke’s Sports Medicine Team that volunteers at GCPRA rodeos put Clay on a life flight and he was flown to a hospital in Phoenix. This March, Clay competed in his first rodeo since his injury almost a year ago. Though shaken by his first serious rodeo related injury, Clay is eager to return to competing. While tie-down roping may have to take a backseat now, Clay plans to make team roping his main event and is more than grateful to be able to rodeo again.

    The cowboy from Marana, Ariz. is a “weekend warrior” when it comes to rodeo. Clay has been running his fulltime business, Marana Stockyards, for 20 years. “I really like dealing with ranchers. It’s a business that requires a good reputation and handshake, and I enjoy my work.” The Parsons raise some of their own cattle and sell consignment stock at their livestock auction. Clay’s wife, Karen, is the clerk in their sale barn and their son Clay Jr. – known as Clay Buck – also helps with the family business.  Clay and Karen’s three daughters are Mallory, Carly, and Haley, and all three of them have thriving careers. More than anything, Clay and Karen love to spend time with their family.

    Clay has been on the GCPRA rodeo board for eight years, three of which he has served as the vice-president. “At this point in my career I enjoy watching the young competitors coming up. We have junior high kids all the way up to 60 or 70-year-old men competing together in events – it’s kind of a special mix. It’s a great association to belong to.”

  • Jacey Hupp

    Jacey Hupp

    Jacey Hupp is a 17-year-old cowgirl from Huron, S.D. She loves the great outdoors and staying active, which is one of the reasons she loves rodeo so much. “It’s what I was raised doing. It’s my passion and I never get bored with it.” Jacey first began competing in rodeo when she was eight, but before that she was tagging along with her older brother and sisters to every rodeo they went to. Her sister Cassy hauled her to peewee barrel races to get her started. Today, Jacey competes in team roping as a header, goat tying, breakaway roping, and barrel racing. Jacey’s dad, Bill Hupp, is her rodeo coach, and her mom, LaDonna Hupp, has faithfully documented the Hupp children’s rodeos and kept the cooler well stocked with food. “My whole family is a big influence to me,” Jacey explained.

    The Hupp family lives outside of Huron with their 15 horses, 3 dogs, and several barn cats. Sugar is Jacey’s 20-year-old goat tying horse. The little red roan mare has raised all three of the Hupp children through their years of rodeo, and between them, they have won eight saddles with her contributions. Peanut is Jacey’s breakaway roping horse, a former tie-down roping horse that belonged to Jacey’s brother. “He (Peanut) is an absolute knucklehead,” Jacey said with a laugh. “He doesn’t bend, but he runs a straight line and he does good when he pays attention.” Oops – dubbed as such because her mother was bred accidentally when a stud got into her pasture – is Jacey’s barrel racing horse. Finally, Buddy is Jacey’s team roping horse and he is as a solid as they come.

    Jacey will be starting her third year of competing in the SDHSRA this spring. Meanwhile, she is a junior at Huron High School where she is pursuing her other passions of basketball and volleyball. In addition to sports, she particularly enjoys her history, psychology, and sociology classes. Further activities to keep Jacey busy include competing in 4-H rodeo, as well as serving as the 2014 Student Secretary for the SDHSRA.

    In her free time, Jacey has been helping her nine-year-old niece, Devin, practice goat tying and barrel racing. Devin has begun her second year of competing in 4-H rodeo and the NBHA, much to the pride of Jacey and the rest of the Hupp family. Jacey also enjoys an array of hobbies, from reading books such as The Hunger Games, to hunting with her family. She says, “My favorite thing to do is riding in one of our alfalfa fields and listening to music. It’s one of the most relaxing things you can do.”

    As Jacey’s high school graduation approaches next year, she is starting to make plans. Her entire family has gone to school at South Dakota State University (SDSU), including her older brother and sister, Trevor and Tarin, who are CNFR qualifiers. Jacey would like to study something involving agriculture, but she has her eyes firmly set on competing in college rodeo. “I would love to have a National College championship under my belt. That’s my dream. I’m definitely going to pro rodeo, maybe in the PRCA, and definitely in the WPRA.” In the more immediate future, Jacey’s goal is to make it in the top four of state finals this year. She has won fifth and sixth in state several times, and she explains that her brother and sister have each won fifth. “My uncle Rod is the only one in the Hupp family so far to get in the top four, so I’m hoping to break the ‘curse’,” Jacey concluded with a laugh.

  • Sissy Davie

    Sissy Davie

    Sissy Davie is starting her third and final year of competing in the NJHSRA. The 14-year-old from Plattsmouth, Neb. competes in barrel racing and pole bending. This summer, she additionally plans to start team roping and breakaway roping. “Barrel racing is my top pick,” said Sissy. “I think it’s because it is so popular and such an adrenaline rush. It’s awesome to go in there and run!” While Sissy pursues all of her events with enthusiasm, she also finds her motivation to stay dedicated to the sport from her role model, Mary Walker. Sissy says of the 2012 WPRA World Champion Barrel Racer, “With everything she’s worked through, if she can go through it and do her best, then I think I can do it, too.”

    Sissy lives with her parents, Gary and Mary Davie, and her brother, Luke. They live in town, but keep their horses on their farmland, which is about five miles away from them. Sissy’s brother, Luke, is 17, and he competes in bull riding and saddle bronc riding, in addition to bull fighting. While Sissy’s older brothers, Dusty and James are not rodeo competitors, they gladly haul Sissy to rodeos when her parents can’t take her. Sissy’s two horses are Mama’s Little Jet and Watch My Hero – but they are better known as Slammer and Hero. While Sissy uses both horses for barrels and poles, Slammer especially excels in large pens and even on poor ground, while Hero does well in any setting. In addition to their nine horses, Sissy and her family also have several dogs and cats.

    An eighth grader, Sissy studies from home with Iowa Connections Academy. This is the first year that she has done her school online and she loves the flexibility it gives her to ride her horses and practice. Her two favorite subjects are Algebra and Geography. “We travel a lot, so Geography is a part of my everyday life, and Algebra is part of my everyday life, too. When we’re at the auction house with our hay, you’ve got to know your math.” If she is not doing school, Sissy is often out working with her horses, either practicing for her events, or training her colt, _. She bought him two years ago and is starting him on barrels. Sissy hopes to start taking in colts to train for other people as well. She often spends her spare time with her horses, but she also enjoys going to her friends’ wrestling matches or soccer games.

    As Sissy prepares for the upcoming rodeo season, she explained one of her training techniques. “If I’m riding Slammer or Hero, I’ll watch my run on video from the previous rodeo and see what I need to do (differently). It gets me ready to get my horse out and bring home my check.” Several of Sissy’s rodeo accomplishments include winning the NE09 Youth Championship in barrel racing two years in a row, as well as the Carson, Iowa Youth Championship in barrels in 2012, with reserve in that same event in 2013. Sissy has also been competing in the NBHA Youth World Championship since 2012, and she is additionally a member of the WPRA.

    “My biggest goal, like any other barrel racer, is qualifying for the NFR and hopefully get a world title,” said Sissy. “I would like to win the Junior WPRA title (in barrel racing), and I’m pretty set on going to college rodeo once I get to college.” Sissy concluded, “I’d like to say thank you to Mary and Byron Walker for helping me in barrel racing, and my parents for always being there and supporting me.”

  • Meghan Proctor

    Meghan Proctor

    “My motivation (to rodeo) is to keep alive the tradition,” says 16-year-old Meghan Proctor. “If I didn’t do rodeo, I wouldn’t have anything else to represent what I am and what I do. Rodeo is my way of keeping that alive.” Meghan, the 2013 Miss Wyoming High School Rodeo Queen, has been competing in rodeo for more than 10 years. Her older brother, Miles, is the main reason that she decided to start rodeoing. “He is quite a bit older than me, so I’ve always looked up to him. Growing up, he was basically my only friend, so I wanted to do just like him.” Meghan followed in her family’s bootprints and, like her parents and brother, entered the world of rodeo. Today, she competes in breakaway roping and pole bending in the WHSRA.

    As a result of her enduring love for the sport of rodeo and its traditions, Meghan was inspired to serve as royalty. She won the title of Miss Wyoming High School Rodeo in June of 2013 at the NHSFR. Following that, she filled her year with grand entries, carrying flags, and representing the WHSRA in many other areas. At the beginning of 2014, Meghan went to West Virginia to the National High School Rodeo Association meeting. There, she met with the National rodeo and event directors from each state, along with other state High School rodeo queens. They discussed any changes for the association, as well as its budget. Meghan will have the opportunity to run for Miss Wyoming High School Rodeo Queen again this year, which she is considering.

    Meghan and her parents, Bill and Geri, live several miles outside of Lusk, Wyo. They have a small arena at their house, but for major practices, Meghan says they use one of their friend’s arenas. Along with their horses, the Proctors also keep roping steers, who are almost like pets. Meghan’s rodeo horse is an American Quarter Horse named WD40. “She has a very large personality and she is very stomach driven, but she is very willing to learn.” Meghan competes in both of her events on WD40. In addition to rodeo and her queening, Meghan also competes in the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA) on her horse Bailey. She has been competing in the organization since 2005. “It’s my favorite thing to do. There’s pylons with balloons on them and you have to hit the balloon. For every balloon you miss, time gets added, but you want to have the fastest time possible.” The CMSA has a year-end world competition that Meghan hopes to compete in someday.

    A junior at Niobrara County High School, Meghan enjoys all of her classes, especially math. This year she is taking speech and debate, working in two events. In the poetry event, she chooses a poem to present as a speech at the end of the year, and in her second event, she interprets a story with a partner. Additionally, Meghan is highly involved in 4-H. Her projects include horse, market swine, market lamb, and sewing, along with being a Junior Leader. Meghan’s favorite thing to sew is western shirts, complete with snaps.

    Meghan thrives on her full schedule. She says of her  future goals, “My main goal is to go to college and get an education, then get a job. I’ve always wanted to be a large animal vet.” Meghan is also highly interested in competing in the PRCA someday, and in her down-to-earth way, she said, “That depends on how much time and money I have, but I’d like to (go pro) if I can.”

  • The Lovelady Family

    The Lovelady Family

    Every member of the Lovelady family is involved in the NLBRA in one way or another. Being a part of the association is a lifestyle for them, and it enriches their lives in many areas.  The family calls Palestine, Texas their home. Jimmy and Michelle Lovelady chose to start their children in the NLBRA in 2007 when their son, Brad, was 10.  Jimmy had rodeoed for many years as a saddle bronc rider, and he wanted his children, Brad, Hannah, and Bailey, to experience the sport of rodeo as well.  Jimmy and Michelle have coached their children in their events from day one. Coming from a roughstock background in rodeo, Jimmy has made the transition to coaching his kids in their timed events.

    Their youngest daughter is Bailey, a 7-year-old Little Wrangler. She has been competing in the NLBRA for two years. Her events are barrel racing, goat tail untying, and flag racing. Bailey qualified for the NLBFR her very first year in the association in goat tail untying. Bailey competes in her events on Baby Girl and Pony Boy, two American Quarter Horses that she shares with her older sister, Hannah.

    Bailey is a first grader at Neches School, where math is her favorite subject. She also likes to draw animals and ride her bike, but riding her horses is what she loves best. Like her brother and sister, Bailey is very excited to go to the NLBFR in Pueblo, Colo. As a sort of family tradition, the Loveladys always buy snow cones in Colorado, since the humidity in Texas makes snow cones shrink faster than they can be eaten.

    Hannah is the second of the Lovelady kids. The 11-year-old competes in the Junior Girls division in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, and trail course. “My favorite thing about rodeo is seeing my friends and family,” said Hannah. She competes in all of her events on Baby Girl and Pony Boy. She and Bailey practice together, and Hannah helps her younger sister with her events. The two girls also enjoy riding outside of their arena. They go on what they call adventures, which is checking fence. Hannah is also a student at Neches School. She is in the sixth grade, and reading and writing are the subjects she enjoys most. Hannah is especially fond of Western stories and the Hank the Cowdog series.

    This rodeo season, Hannah is working determinedly to qualify for the NLBFR in barrel racing. She has already qualified in goat tying, but her goal is to compete in both events at nationals in July. Because of her love of animals, Hannah also wants to become a veterinarian when she grows up.

    Brad, 17, is the oldest of the Lovelady siblings, and he is a senior at Neches High School. Brad competes in tie-down roping, dally ribbon roping, and team roping on his three horses – Tooter, Poncho, and Turbo. In his seven years of rodeoing, he has qualified for the NLBFR six years in a row. He has already won a number of titles between his competition in the NLBRA and the Texas High School Rodeo Association in region 5. Most recently, he was the 2013 Reserve All-Around Champion and 2013 Tie-Down Roping Champion at the Cajun Little Britches rodeo.

    Starting when he was a junior in high school, Brad has been working ahead on his required college courses by doing duel enrollment with a local community college. He plans to compete in college rodeo when he goes to a four year school. In his free time, Brad is an avid hunter and fisherman, but rodeo practice comes first for him.

    The Lovelady family is very pleased with the family oriented qualities of the NLBRA, and they reflect those qualities with their further involvement in the association. Jimmy is an Executive Board member for the association, and he judges all of the events at many of the Little Britches rodeos. Michelle is an RN (Registered Nurse) and she serves at many of the NLBRA rodeos where medical assistance is needed. Michelle also works as a clinical manager and nurse at a hospice care center.

    Jimmy works as a foreman for Union Pacific Railroad as well as running a cow-calf operation with the help of his children. From rodeo to running cows, the Lovelady siblings have a solid foundation in hard work and responsibility. Those outstanding qualities and the diligent support from their parents will be taking Brad, Hannah, and Bailey to the NLBFR in July. “There are so many life experiences that our children are learning (in rodeo) that they won’t learn in any other sport,” said Jimmy. “Teamwork is a big deal, but what you accomplish on your own, whether winning or losing, is important too. Our children have all been building a résumé since they started (rodeoing). They’re all good enough to qualify at the national level, and that will be an awesome thing for later in life – that’s a big accomplishment. Whether they decide to pursue the pro level doesn’t matter to me, but the life lessons they’ve learned up until this point do.”

    Presented by: Noble Outfitters – Noble Outfitters recognizes youth accomplishments and supports programs like NLBRA.
    Featured members this issue will receive a Noble Outfitters™ Duffle, Riata Rope Bag and some Noble Gear “swag” for the whole family!
    Learn more at nobleoutfiters.com

  • Victoria Baxter

    Victoria Baxter

    Victoria Baxter would rather wear cowboy boots than a dress any day. “I hate dresses,” the 25 year old Zachary, La. cowgirl said. Victoria competes in breakaway roping and barrel racing in the Tri-State Rodeo Association. She is the 2008 TSRA Breakaway Rookie Champion, the 2010 TSRA All Around Champion and the 2013 CRA All Around Champion Cowgirl.

    Victoria started rodeoing at 9 years old when she began competing at the Liberty Ridge Club, Liverpool Riding Club, and the Livingston Riding Association. “I began riding horses at 18 months when my Mimi and Papa would lead line me around on our horse named Bucky. I was hooked!” she said. Victoria’s parents, David and Mona encouraged her to ride and her passion for horses continued to grow. She also learned a lot about horses from Lee Goynes. “He’s my rodeo idol. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have the knowledge of riding or competing. He’s taught me so much about horses and myself. I’m so blessed I was able to be a part of his life,” Victoria added.

    During her freshman year of high school rodeo, Victoria was slated to make the NHSFR but her pole horse came down with EPM. “That was very hard to accept and deal with,” she said. Victoria is a recent graduate of Southeastern. Besides riding horses and entering rodeos, Victoria stays busy by helping her boyfriend Tyler with cows and fencing. “I’m also working horses. I’m always looking for my next prospect,” she said. Victoria enjoys spending time at home with her family, younger brother Nicholas, and her Jack Russell, Tuff.

  • Stan and Jessica Goodman

    Stan and Jessica Goodman

    There are a lot of gold in the Goodman family. As in gold buckles. Stan, Jessica, and their son Wyatt, who are all Arkansas Cowboys Association members, all own at least one buckle and hope that more are on the way. And their daughter, Charslee, is headed for her own championships.

    Stan Goodman became interested in bareback riding in high school and competed at the Arkansas High School Finals in 1997. He won seventh in the world at Nationals the same year. His wife, Jessica, was an ACA barrel racer in high school, growing up in a family that competed as bull riders and team ropers. She and Stan were high school sweethearts, and after high school, they married in 1999.

    Stan hit the rodeo trail hard, riding barebacks in the ACA for several years before he struck out farther from home, competing in the International Pro Rodeo Association and the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association. He rodeoed full time until he began his own business, Goodman Construction, in the early 2000s.

    Jessica earned an elementary education degree in 2003, and began teaching first grade at Cherokee Elementary, as part of the Highland School District.

    When Stan rodeoed full time, he traveled with tie-down roper Cavin Hall. He rode barebacks for ten years, winning the ACA’s Rookie of the Year in 1997, the championship in 1998, and the average three times. When he quit in 2007, he took up tie-down roping. “I’d never roped a calf till I was done riding horses,” he said. “I didn’t have any interest in it.” But when he hauled Jessica to rodeos, he got bored and missed the competition. “I told her I didn’t want to sit around and watch, so I bought a horse to rope calves.”

    That was four years ago, and Stan learned to rope calves at the same time he was training his horse Scooter. Fourteen years after winning the bareback rookie title, he was rookie of the year in the tie-down roping.

    Stan and Jessica started their family with the birth of Wyatt in 2003. Now Wyatt, age ten, is in his third year of ACA competition. The young cowboy ties goats and is starting to breakaway rope. Stan is proud of his son. “He’s going to make a hand someday.” And he’s followin in his dad’s footsteps, as the 2012 Goat Tying Rookie of the Year.

    After Wyatt, Jessica put her rodeo on hold while she enjoyed being a mom. She put off buying a barrel horse while she and Stan tried for their second child. But after heartaches and no success, she gave up and bought Ocho, her barrel horse. Two months later, she was pregnant with Charslee. God gave her Ocho for a reason, she believes. “I always felt like God was saying, ‘Here is Ocho. I’m sorry you had to go through all this. Here’s this amazing horse and here’s your baby, too.’”

    And Ocho has been an amazing horse. “He was a godsend,” Jessica said. “He’s an all-around perfect horse. He’s consistent and honest.” Ocho carried Jessica to the 2011 and 2012 ACA Barrel Racing Championships, and was the ACA’s Barrel Horse of the Year in 2011. The two years she won the title, she won more money in a single event than anyone else in the ACA.

    The two kids keep their parents busy with their activities. “Our horses are well-known at the ball field,” Jessica said. “There are many times our horses are standing beside the trailer at the baseball field while we watch a game. Then we load up and head to a rodeo.” Wyatt plays baseball, football, basketball, sings in the choir, and is a straight A student. Charslee, a kindergartener, plays t-ball, does gymnastic, and is beginning to barrel race.

    Wyatt was seven when he qualified for his first ACA Finals, and his goat tying horse had a unique connection to his daddy. He tied goats on Cavin Hall’s 27 year old calf horse, which had been a bucking horse that Stan rode in high school. That year, Wyatt was the youngest competitor at the ACA Finals. In addition to rodeo, the family raises beef cattle.

  • Morgan Louviere

    Morgan Louviere

    Morgan Louviere loves math.The 17 year old cowgirl, a member of the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association, is good at math, and is currently taking a Statistics AP course. It’s all word problems, she says, but she doesn’t mind. Her high level math classes are required for biology, her major this fall in college. But for right now, she’s enjoying her senior year of high school and rodeo.

    The Youngsville, La. resident is a barrel racer and pole bender. Her barrel horse is a six year old Palomino named Tuf, who is now beginning to “put everything together,” and is coming around nicely. Tuf isn’t scared of anything, loves to get into trouble, and is always trying to nibble on people. Her pole horse is a 21 year old named Rocket, who Morgan has ridden since sixth grade. Rocket is the opposite of Tuf: he’s shy, scared, and if he doesn’t know you, he will “look at you weird,” Morgan says.

    As a senior at Comeaux High in Lafayette, Morgan loves her math classes but isn’t crazy about English and reading. She’s also taking an anatomy class, which she enjoys. There are 400 students in her class alone, including other rodeo kids who don’t high school rodeo but compete in other associations. Morgan is also involved in FFA and used to do the speed events in 4-H.

    Her favorite teacher ever was her middle school home-ec teacher, Miss Gary. “She was always laughing, she made you understand everything, and she was nice,” Morgan says.

    For fun, she likes to hang out with friends at each other’s houses or at the mall. They often watch movies, and if they go out to eat, Morgan’s favorite place is Copeland’s. Her favorite dish there is chicken Alfredo. She loves to shop, especially for earrings.

    She has qualified for state finals all her years of junior high and high school rodeo, and in high school, has finished each of the last three years in fifth place in the poles, one hole out of going to Nationals. Rock Springs, Wyo., (the home of the 2014 Nationals) is written on the family calendar, so she’s hoping this is her year to make it there.

    She is the current student president for the LHSRA and was vice-president last year. Morgan loves that role. She likes being able to communicate the students’ thoughts to the adult directors. She has two half-sisters, Hailey and Madison. She is the daughter of Tate and Sherry Louviere.

  • Colton Willson

    Colton Willson

    Nearly every day, three generations of the Willson family get together and rope. Papa Morris, dad Robin, and son and grandson Colton Willson gather at the family arena near Monterey, La., to practice their tie-down and team roping skills.

    It’s all in the family for Colton, who, as a member of the Louisiana Junior High Rodeo Association, is a tie-down roper, heeler (for Quincy Mudd, who lives in Lake Charles), and ribbon roper (his runner is Lena Johnson). For the tie-down roping, Colton rides an eight year old palomino mare named Jackie, who was trained by his Papa. To heel, he rides an eleven year old gelding named J.F. Colton’s sister Ashlee also rides J.F. for the breakaway roping.

    Colton’s favorite event is the tie-down roping, because “it’s so fast, it’s constantly moving, and that’s what I mainly train on. My Papa did it, and my daddy did it.” The Willsons practice under a covered arena for the tie-down roping, and an outdoor arena for the team roping.

    Colton is an eighth grade student at Monterey High School. School isn’t his favorite thing. “My grades are pretty good, but I don’t like going.” He’d much rather be outside. If he was forced to choose a favorite class, it would be history, but mostly only because his history teacher, Mr. Wells, likes to duck hunt, and that’s what the two talk about.

    Hunting is one of his favorite things to do. Ducks are his favorite, but he also likes to hunt deer, hogs, squirrels, rabbits, and even coons. He’s shot a few big deer in the past, along with two good-sized hogs that he figures weighed close to 250 lbs. The last deer he caught was a nine point with a 17 inch spread. Three of the deer he’s killed, he’s had mounted.

    He prefers duck hunting mostly because a person can talk as he hunts. “You can talk and be social with your buddies. With deer or hog (hunting), you have to be quiet and serious and all that. I’d rather go duck hunting and not see a duck, than go deer hunting and see lots of deer.”

    Colton plays baseball and basketball, and would play football, but his school is too small to field a football team. He has qualified for both years of state junior high finals. When he is out of high school, he plans on continuing his roping, and going to college. He’s not sure what kind of job he’d like, but something that doesn’t involve a desk is what he’ll consider. He’d like to have a job that keeps him

    Colton has two older siblings. His brother, Hayden, is twenty and works in the oilfield, and his sister, Ashlee, is a senior in high school and is involved in high school rodeo. Both of them were junior high state champions and that is Colton’s goal this year. He is the son of Robin and Bridget Willson.