Rodeo Life

Author: Siri Stevens

  • Tyrell Rumford

    Tyrell Rumford

    Coming from a very distinguished and accomplished rodeo family, Central Plains Rodeo Association (CePRA) triple-event contender, Tyrell Rumford, is on his way to paving his own trail in the rodeo world. Currently sitting fourth in the steer wrestling and fifth in the tie down roping standings, Tyrell also competes on both ends of the team roping. “Something that I always tell my friends is: the reason we rope is because it’s fun. At the end of the day, if you can look back and say you had fun, then it was a success,” he said of his reasons for rodeoing.

    Although a four-year card holder, Tyrell competed within the organization off-and-on throughout high school and, after becoming a member, worked his way to the reserve champion tie-down roper in 2012. “The rodeos are run good with decent entry fees and good payouts, but most importantly, they are fair to everyone,” he said of the base that sets a long future with the CePRA.

    A cowboy with deep roots in the sport, Tyrell credits his family for his start. “It’s a family thing and I have them to thank for all of their support, help and encouragement along the way,” he said. While being involved in the once owned family rodeo company [Rumford Rodeo Company], the branches start with his dad (Bronc), who rode barebacks and later competed in the steer wrestling and calf roping in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He is now the Fort Hays State University rodeo coach. His mom (Kate) has worked hard in training barrel horses and competing within the CePRA, but has recently started team roping and is working Pro-Am events. “I hope to be able to at least hit some jackpots with her this year,” said Tyrell. The list does not end there, for both of Tyrell’s siblings have earned a name through their own accomplishments. His brother (Justin), who once competed in the saddle bronc and steer wrestling in the PRCA and the CePRA, is now best known as a two-time PRCA Clown of the Year and the Coors Man in the Can. His sister (Haley Schneeberger) is a six-time PRCA rodeo secretary of the year. “I think I’m the only member of my family that has not been on the cover of the Rodeo News,” Tyrell humored of his family’s achievements.

    It wasn’t until his freshman year of high school that Tyrell got interested in the tie down roping. Upon finding his center for rodeo competition, he expanded to the steer wrestling, which he says his brother helped him get his start. “Justin is so very encouraging and has helped me in so many ways,” he said. Later, he picked up the team roping, but continues to explore other areas in which to master in the arena. Dabbling as a pick-up man since the early years of high school, Tyrell has found himself getting more and more jobs such as the World‘s Toughest Rodeo Series. “It’s a wonderful thing to be able to work with your family,” he said. “And I would love to be selected as a pick-up man for the Prairie Circuit Finals this year.”

    The 23-year old Fort Hays State University senior is working on a major in general studies with an emphasis in leadership, where he is looking into coaching for his future. While he has served as the rodeo club and team president for the past two years, Tyrell is also interested in the arts. He says that at one time he had worked in western, mainly pencil, drawings, but now focuses his talents in braiding much of his own tack and is a self-taught guitarist.

    As a member, of not only the CePRA, but the PRCA and the KPRA, Tyrell qualified for the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, Colo., to kick his 2014 season off. But his goals rest in making the CePRA Finals and the Prairie Circuit Finals.

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • Larry Burgess

    Larry Burgess

    Because of his daddy’s dreams, Larry Burgess became a cowboy. The former National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association contestant and alumni member was born in Poplarville, Mississippi, the son of Ray and Nell Burgess. But his father, who had grown up in Colorado and wanted to be a cowboy, sold the home place in Mississippi and took his young family west to Wyoming, where they lived on a ranch. And Larry became a cowboy.

    He grew up in the Powder River Valley, competing in high school rodeo, and winning the National High School Bull Riding title in 1961, the same year he graduated from Midwest (Wyo.) High School. Larry got a rodeo scholarship to ride bulls and saddle broncs at Casper College, so he went to school forty miles from home, where he competed for three years, from 1961 to 1964, finishing with two associate’s degrees. He then attended the University of Wyoming, where he served as president of the rodeo team in 1964-1965.

    He graduated from Wyoming with a double major in chemistry and mathematics, and put his degree to work teaching high school. He taught in Shoshone, Wyo., then Glenrock, then went back to Laramie to work on a combination master’s degree in mathematics and physics.

    It was there that a friend planted the seed for Larry’s next career move. It was the perfect job for a “cowboy math teacher,” the friend said, and it fit Larry to a T. The Orme School, a college preparatory boarding school was located on a remote ranch near Mayer, Ariz. and emphasized education alongside western living. The school had a rodeo team, an arena, and roping stock, with students from all over the nation. The situation was perfect: it was located in the Southwest, with good rodeos within driving distance, a teaching job, just right for “someone who still wanted to do some serious rodeoing, needed a job, and could practice and ride every day,” Larry said.

    So Larry moved his family to Orme, where he taught for six years. It was while he was at the Orme School that the time came to quit rodeo. His good friend, Claude “Whip” Wilson (the ’65 NIRA bareback riding champion) also taught at Orme, and the two buddies rodeoed together. In 1976, at a rodeo over the Fourth of July, Claude was killed when a bareback horse flipped over on him. That was the end for Larry. “It wasn’t fun anymore,” he said. “I said, ‘I think that’s enough,’ and I didn’t ride actively after that.”

    The family moved to Phoenix in 1977, where Larry taught high school for ten years. Then he took a teaching position at Paradise Valley Community College, where he taught for 23 years, serving as chairman of the math department and president of the local faculty association. He retired in 2010.

    In his rodeo days he was the Western States Rodeo Association Saddle Bronc Riding champion in 1965, and the Western Slopes Rodeo Association champ the next year. He even got involved in rodeo photography, working with his friend Bob Core, and their photography company, Spur Photo.

    Larry and his wife of 52 years, DeEtta, have three children: Dee Ann, Larry, and Brian, and nine grandchildren. He remembers most fondly from his rodeo days his friends, who are still friends today. “You make friends, that even if you haven’t seen them in twenty years, it’s like yesterday. I have friends from fifty years ago.”

  • Kyanne and Ranson Stephens

    Kyanne and Ranson Stephens

    Kyanne and Ranson Stephens are in their second year of membership in the Northeast Junior Rodeo Association. The sister and brother, who are the children of Jason and Randa Stephens, live in Beggs, Oklahoma. Kyanne, who is nine, is a barrel racer who rides a fourteen year old white horse named Gee. She learned to ride on her daddy’s roping horse, Old Yeller, who is 32, and now Ranson’s horse.

    Kyanne is in the third grade, and she loves reading, and seeing her friends at school. Her favorite book is the Magic Treehouse – A Perfect Time for Pandas, and her favorite teacher is her current teacher, Miss Harp, because “she’s nice and she helps me read.” Her favorite school lunch is pepperoni pizza, and she loves her mom’s spaghetti. At recess time, Kyanne likes to play tag, and someday, she’d like to be a veterinarian.

    Ranson is five years old, and he is a goat un-decorator and sheep rider, with sheep riding being his favorite event. He looks up to Lane Frost, and enjoys kindergarten classes. His favorite subject is math, his favorite school lunch is pepperoni pizza, and the best dish his mom makes is goulash. At recess time, he likes to play hide and seek. When Ranson grows up, he’d like to be a firefighter.

    Kyanne has won two buckles, and Ranson has won one. Both kids won their buckles at the Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association finals, of which they were members in 2012.

    The Stephens family has four pet dogs and one cat. The dogs are Penny (a long-haired Chihuahua), Bentley and Boston (mini-Australian shepherds), and Hank (a mutt.) Penny and Boston are inside dogs, and sometimes Penny sleeps with Kyanne. Izzie the cat likes to sleep with Ranson. Randa and Jason competed as kids, and still compete, as a barrel racer and team roper. The family also enjoys their time at the lake each summer.

  • Taylor Donaldson

    Taylor Donaldson

    Taylor Donaldson is a tie-down roper and team roper in the Kansas High School Rodeo Association. The 18 year old cowboy, who lives in Kiowa, prefers the tie-down roping over the team roping, mostly because “I like to get out there, and I like the action. I don’t like to just sit on my horse, like in the team roping.”

    This spring, he’s going to break out a green horse, a fifteen year old sorrel named Freck who he’s been working with all winter. His heading horse is an eighteen year old bay named C.D., who was raised by the family. Taylor heads for Cole Quaney, from Cheney, Kan.

    He is a senior at South Barber High School in Kiowa. His family moved to Kiowa from Louisburg, Kan., which is just south of Kansas City and Taylor went from being in a class of 200 to twenty, which was a big adjustment, but he loves the rural area. The best part is there are more opportunities to rope, but the down side is that if you want to go out to eat, there aren’t many choices. The closest fast food is in Alva, Okla., twenty miles south. But he loves it that “everybody knows you, you know everybody. You can go down the road and talk to everybody.”

    The best part of school is that his two hours of work study at the end of the day are for riding colts and team roping. He makes sure he rides colts pretty quick so he can rope. He plays on the South Barber High School Chieftain football team and basketball team. He is a member of FFA, a member of KAY (Kansas Association for Youth), on the honor roll, and is the Senior Class Student Council Representative.

    Taylor also competes in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association, and qualified for their finals last year in the tie-down and team roping. This fall, he will attend Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva, major in Ag Business, and compete in both roping events.

    His older sister  Tiffany competed in college rodeo, and his older brother, Trevor, competed in the tie-down roping, steer wrestling, and team roping in high school rodeo. He is the son of Scott and Denise Donaldson.

  • Jaden Trimble

    Jaden Trimble

    For Jaden Trimble, church is a pretty important place to be. The Kansas Junior High Rodeo Association member is also a member of the Cowboy Capital Fellowship Church at Lenapah, Okla., where he has a lot of friends, and where he loves to hang out with the youth group kids, who are supportive of his rodeo. He likes his youth group pastor, Steve Brinker, as well as the church’s pastor, rodeo announcer Justin McKee.

    Jaden, who lives in Coffeyville, Kan., is a chute dogger, breakaway roper, ribbon roper (he ropes for McKenzie Storey), and heads for Skyler Kunz. He and Skyler are members of the 2013-2014 Junior High Cinch Rodeo Team. He rides a nine year old blood bay gelding named Barjo, who the family has had since he was two. This will be Barjo’s first year in the breakaway roping; Barjo has mainly been his heel horse.

    Jaden is a seventh grade student at Caney Valley High School in Caney. The best part of school is P.E., where his favorite game is dodge ball. The worst part of school is science, which is “too complicated,” he says. He loves to read westerns, but the best book series he’s read lately is Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He also loves to do pencil sketches, and will enter a horse drawing in the Montgomery County Fair this fall. Jaden enjoys hunting deer and hogs and fishing for bass, too. Of his events, team roping is his strong suit, because he’s been team roping since he was seven. “I’ve always been a better team roper than I have anything else.”

    The family has a three year old English bulldog who weighs 45 lbs. Harley Jo is spoiled rotten, mostly by Jaden’s mom, he says. Jaden’s mom feeds her Blow Pops, which she loves. She holds them for the dog to lick, but makes sure when Harley Jo gets down to the bubble gum, she throws it away so the dog doesn’t eat the gum. Harley Jo sleeps with Jaden, just like a human. She gets under the covers and even rests her head on a pillow. “She’s hard to push over,” Jaden says. “When you’re half-asleep, it’s hard to push a dog over.”

    For fun, Jaden likes to rope with friends and hang out. He is a member of the Peppy Progressive 4-H Club, where he shows horses. When he grows up, he wants to be a professional team roper and steer wrestler and qualify for the National Finals Rodeo.

    He competed at the Junior High state finals last year in the team roping and breakaway roping, finishing in the top five in the team roping. He is also a member of the USTRC, and has enjoyed roping with his dad at the Finals in Oklahoma City the last two years. He has been heeling since he was seven and began heading last year.
    He is the only child of Shawn and Tonya Trimble.

  • Rickki Moyer

    Rickki Moyer

    When it comes to rodeo moms, Rickki Moyer ranks top notch. Splitting her time between her own competition and that of her two kids (Mattox, 7, and Merrick, 5), she still manages to complete her job and volunteer her time as a youth rodeo secretary. “I’m to the point to where I go when my kids aren’t. They come first and I would rather watch them compete and follow their dreams,” she encouraged. Nevertheless, Rickki is a tough barrel racer to go up against as she qualified for the finals in her first year with the Kansas Professional Rodeo Association (KPRA). “Not only, do they have a great finals with lots of added money, they keep good added money flowing throughout the season,” she said of the positive first impression and included, “The rodeos are in good proximity to where we live, and when my kids are junior rodeoing during the day, we can still hit my rodeos at night.”

    Rickki says that she has been running for as long as she can remember, getting her base from her dad (Boyd Hughes), who was a team roper. Although her mom (Brenda) is not a horse person, Rickki says, “My parents are very active supporters. They followed me all through college and still make my kids’ rodeos every weekend.” Rickki’s love for the sport found her competing in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association, Tri-State High School Rodeo Association and was later a member of the Oklahoma State University (OSU) rodeo team for four years. Because OSU did not offer rodeo scholarships, Rickki’s dedication was what kept her going, as she was the only one to compete her freshman year. “I was born and bred to go to OSU, so I was there because I want to be,” she said.

    She walked away from OSU with a degree in education and was a Title-1 reading specialist for middle school students before stepping down and is now the bookkeeper for Moyer Electric – a business owned by her husband (Shawn). “It’s a lot of work, but it’s nice to make my own schedule,” she said. Shawn can also be found in the arena working the team roping on occasion. “He kind of takes the short end of the stick when it comes to rodeoing, because there is not a whole lot of time between me and the kids, but he is a good sport about it,” said Rickki. A majority of their time is dedicated to hauling their kids to the Northwest Oklahoma Junior Rodeos (NWOJR) in the summer and the Heart of Oklahoma Youth Rodeo Association in the winter. Mattox, has advanced to a higher age group this year, and competes in the barrels, goat tying, calf and steer breakaway. “He was able to make the Chute-Out Round of the dummy roping at the USTRC Finals and finished third,” said a proud mom. Merrick competes in the barrels, poles, goats and dummy roping. “They both really like it,” said Rickki.

    When it seems that her plate is full, Rickki has pulled together with other moms to volunteer as a rodeo secretary at the NWOJR. “It’s just to make it better for the kids,” she said. It seems fitting though, as Boyd co-founded the association in the early 90s.

    While she says that it is hard to set goals, she would like to qualify for the KPRA and TCRA finals again, while also getting a younger horse going. “I’m thinking that it won’t be too long before my kids take my two over, so I’ve got to get some others on the line,” she said. The Woodward, Okla., resident also expands her associations to the TCRA, NBHA, BBR and WPRA, where she competes in the Prairie Circuit when there is time. “You’re there to be competitive, but you’re also competing against friends; you’re there to win and encourage,” she said of why she likes to rodeo.

  • JJ Hunt

    JJ Hunt

    JJ Hunt watches rodeos from the best seat in the house. That’s because the Ridgeview, S.D. cowboy is in the arena as a pickup man. He’s been picking up since 2001, but his rodeo career began well before that. Growing up on the ranch south of Dupree, on Cherry Creek, it was natural to rodeo. He competed in the South Dakota High School Association, and after graduating from Dupree High in 1999, he Indian rodeoed for a few years before joining the Northwest Ranch Cowboys Association.

    In addition to picking up, he is a steer wrestler and team roper, and used to ride saddle broncs. It was at one of Lance Lesmeister’s rodeos that he got called into service for picking up. “He needed me for some rodeos, and I worked one or two,” JJ recalls. “Now I do close to twenty rodeos a year.” His work involves Longbrake Rodeos for the NRCA and the South Dakota Rodeo Association, and PRCA rodeos for Tom Reeves and Sutton Rodeo.

    JJ often competes at the same rodeos where he works, which can make a busy weekend. “If I can win (in the steer wrestling or team roping), that’s my bonus for the weekend.” At the NRCA rodeos, he sometimes team ropes with his wife, in addition to his other events. “It don’t leave much time for messing around.”

    JJ ranches on his maternal grandparents’ ranch, running commercial black Angus cattle and raising saddle horses. His dad and grandpa own Hunt Quarter Horses, so JJ often rides their horses and “throws their breeding into mine.”

    He loves to pick up, and has had some great mentors along the way. “It takes a good horse, and when you work with people like Jim Wilson, Shayne Porch, Kirk Schuelke, they teach you and tell you” what you need to do. He was chosen to pick up the NRCA Finals in 2012-2013, and the SDRA Finals the past six years. It’s an honor, he says, to be selected by the roughstock cowboys. His goal is to take care of them in the arena. “I try to set them down safely to get to the next rodeo.”

    JJ is married to Laura, and they have three sons: Daycen, who is 13, Kanton, four, and Koy, two. Daycen competes in the goat tying and breakaway in 4-H rodeo, and made the State 4-H Finals the last two years. Kanton rides and helps gather, and it won’t be long before Koy is in the saddle, too.

  • Sadie and Tanner Stec

    Sadie and Tanner Stec

    Sadie and Tanner Stec love each other, but they can drive each other crazy, too. The twins, sister and brother from Bassett, Neb., are seniors in the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association.

    They get along very well, but there are times they argue. They’re both really stubborn, Sadie says, and they take after their Grandpa, John Stec. “We think our way is best.” But it’s nice to have a twin when it comes to practice time, because there is always someone with whom to practice.

    Sadie is the older of the siblings, and competes in the breakaway roping, barrel racing, and pole bending. She loves starting out young horses and watching them develop. Her brother is the opposite. “He wants a finished horse he can go on. For me, I like to build them up.”  The two spend a lot of time together in the summer, but during the school year, don’t see each other much. Sadie plays basketball, Tanner wrestles, and this year, they only have two classes together every day.

    As a student at Rock County High School, Sadie is FFA treasurer, a member of the speech team, National Honor Society, and plays basketball. She competed at National High School Finals in the breakaway roping her freshman year.

    Tanner, also a student at Rock Co. High, says the best part about school is “getting out of it.” Unfortunately, his schedule got messed up this year and he’s had to take band class, which is not his favorite. He’s playing the drums, which makes it a bit easier. Tanner wrapped up his wrestling career last month with a sixth place finish at state in Class D in the 138 lb. division.

    Tanner, a tie-down roper, team roper and bulldogger, got his PRCA permit this January and has competed at three pro rodeos so far. This summer, he’ll be living with pro cowboy Garrett Nokes, traveling with him and “trying to better my roping.” Last year, he qualified for the Nebraska State Pro Rodeo Association and Mid-States Rodeo Finals. Tanner won the state tie-down roping championship his freshman and sophomore years, the steer wrestling title his junior year, and he finished fourth in the tie-down that year. He’s been to Nationals every year since he became a sixth grader.

    This fall, Sadie will attend Hastings College and rodeo for them. She hopes to major in nursing and get her registered nurse degree. She works at the long term care facility in Bassett and enjoys it. Tanner isn’t sure where he’ll go to college, but he plans on rodeoing collegiately. They are the children of Roger and Sheri Stec.