Author: Teri Edwards

On the Friday before Thanksgiving in 2015, Cody Thornton was in the roping pen training an outside horse. He had already headed ten steers and was getting ready to throw his rope on number eleven. As he stood to throw, without warning, his horse buried his head and bucked, hard. And Cody landed, hard. After spending a night sick from pain he ended up at an Urgent Care clinic the following morning where he learned he had fractured his C5 vertebrae. The injury resulted in two rods, four screws, and his C4 and C5 vertebrae being fused together. After spending seven weeks recuperating, Cody started back riding.
Cody grew up in Huntsville, Texas where he was raised roping and catching wild cows. He started team roping about the age of five. While growing up he went to high school rodeos and earning a rodeo scholarship. Cody graduated from Sam Houston University with a degree in General Agriculture and a minor in Management.
For the six years following college Cody chose to train horses, riding up to 13 per month. Putting his degree to good use Cody now manages the Steinhauser’s Feed Store in Navasota, Texas, where they carry just about everything including a full line of feed, ranch supplies, and even home décor. Steinhausers has total of eleven stores located in southeastern Texas.
As a #9 heeler, Cody enjoys rodeoing on the weekends and giving roping lessons. When he’s not working or roping, you can usually find him spending time in the woods hog hunting with his friends and family.
Cody’s dad, Lynn Thornton, is a farrier in south Texas and shoes some of the best barrel horses in the country. His mom, Tamera Gann, is the City Manager of Huntsville, Texas.
Cody owns and lives on 20 acres next to his sister and brother-in-law, Kassie and Chad White. He spends much of his time with them and their two sons, Cougar and Riggins.

How much do you practice?
Three or four times a week.
Do you make your own horses?
Yes.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Clay O’Brien Cooper, Leo Camarillo.
Who do you respect most in the world?
The good Lord for sure. My grandpa and my sister.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My sister.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Go hog hunting.
Favorite movie?
Lonesome Dove and Where the Red Fern Grows.
What’s the last thing you read?
The Bible.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Caring, loyal, hard working.
What makes you happy?
Being in the country.
What makes you angry?
Being in the city.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
Buy a ranch.
What is your best quality – your worst?
Best quality is I’m very honest. Worst quality is being too independent.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Having a nice piece of property with a nice herd of cows.

Roper Currently sitting 10th in the PRCA world standings, Zac Small is not your typical team roper. He recently graduated from Tarleton University in Stephenville, Texas, finishing the necessary prerequisite courses for vet school in just three and half years. This fall Zac will head to Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee to begin his veterinarian studies. He hopes to have the PRCA finals made by that time.
Zac grew up in Afton, Oklahoma in a very tight knit family. His father, Tony, is a veterinarian who specitalizes in embryo transfer in cattle, in addition to working cattle sales. His mom, Kristi, works in his business.
Zac, 21, and his siblings, sister, Courtney, 24, and brother, Blair, 22, attended private school as youngsters. During high school they were homeschooled using the accredited Christian based A Beka Academy. Even as adults the family remains very close. Blair is involved with the operations of the indoor arena, and Courtney works for her father.
As a child, Courtney’s love of horses got the family involved in their current lifestyle. Zac started roping from a pony when he was just eight. When he was ten, the family built an indoor arena in Grove, Oklahoma, giving the kids more opportunities to rope.
“We would get up and rope the dummy or Hot Heels on colts in the morning, then do school work. There was a lot of emphasis on our school work,” says Zac. “Any time we weren’t doing school work, we roped.”
Throughout high school a fairly large church gathered at their indoor arena with a very active youth group. Ingrained with an exceptional work ethic in roping as well as school, the Small family, has enjoyed their share of success at the USTRC Finals.
Once he completes a four-year degree at veterinary school, Zac plans on returning to Oklahoma and working with his father.
“I believe I’ve been blessed and I give all the glory to God to have the opportunities I now have to rodeo. I’m excited to see what happens in the future.”

COWBOY Q&A

How much do you practice?
Every day possible. I ride three or four horses a day when I’m not competing.

Do you make your own horses?
My best horse was purchased as a two year old and his training was a family effort.

Who were your roping heroes?
My dad. He didn’t rope a lot until we got interested. When I was little he won a couple of trucks and trailer in a month’s time.

Who do you respect most in the world?
My parents.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My family. Especially being home schooled, we’ve been very close.

If you had a day off what would you like to do?
I enjoy hunting occasionally.

What’s the last thing you read?
Good Call by Jace Robertson

How would you describe yourself in three words?
Dedicated, Positive, Hard Working

What makes you happy?
Making good grades and winning.

What makes you angry?
The opposite of my last answer.

If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I would probably invest it in land.

What is your worst quality – your best?
My worst quality is I tend to get stressed. Best quality is a good attitude.

Having a good attitude is essential to be truly successful at anything. Eddie Nieto is a prime example. It’s hard to believe that this #8E heeler did not start roping, or riding a horse, until he was fifteen years old. He watched some roping and decided that’s what he wanted to do.
A neighbor showed him how to hold a rope and his grandfather gave him permission to ride the horse in their backyard. With no teacher, or arena, Eddie learned to rope by watching videos and roping the dummy relentlessly. He also roped a goat and a donkey. In a little over a year, Eddie progressed from a #1 to a #6 (in the old USTRC numbers).
Almost immediately he enjoyed success. At 17, Eddie won $12,000 at the USTRC Finals by winning a Preliminary and placing in the Shoot Out. As a senior in high school he won the New Mexico High School championship for the year and qualified for nationals.
After high school Eddie purchased his PRCA card and filled his permit at his second rodeo. He roped and traveled for a couple of years where at the George Strait Team Roping Classic he made it back to the top 50 both years. He also entered and roped at the BFI.
About that time, when he was 21, Eddie met and married his wife, Melissa. Eddie realized his job would not support a family and allow him to rodeo as well. Knowing he had always wanted to give lessons and train horses, Melissa encouraged him to quit his job and give it a try. Now, twelve years later, they are still in business giving lessons, training horses, and working with a lot of kids.
“My wife and I believe in God and try to live our lives accordingly. The only reason we have our place and are successful is because of God,” explains Eddie.
When he was just four years old, Eddie and his parents were in a vehicle that was hit by a drunk driver. He lost his parents in the accident and was raised by his grandparents.
“My grandparents raised me and did everything they could for me. They supported me 100 percent in anything I wanted to do,” says Nieto. “God spared me from the accident that took my parents.”
Eddie feels blessed that he and Melissa are able to spend every day with their kids, Levi, 5, and Lexi, 2, in the arena roping and riding. Eddie credits Melissa for much of their success and being responsible for the unglamorous behind the scene chores.
The couple often competes together and Levi just won second place in the 5 & Under Junior Looper in Albuquerque.
“People tell me all time that they started roping too late,” says Eddie. “There’s really no excuse. If you put enough time into it and have enough heart you can succeed. I’m proof of that.”

COWBOY Q&A

How much do you practice?
Almost every day. I take two days off every week to give the animals a rest and to spend time with my family.
Do you make your own horses?
Yes. I’ve never bought a made horse.
Who were your roping heroes?
Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper, Speed and Rich.
Who do you respect most in the world?
My wife.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My grandparents. We didn’t have much but my grandpa did whatever he had to do for me to practice.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Spend it with my family.
Favorite movie?
Facing the Giants
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Quiet, fun loving, humble.
What makes you happy?
My family. Knowing I’m blessed with a healthy family. I try to keep life in perspective. We’re not here forever.
What makes you angry?
Not much.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I would like to pay off debt, but I would use most of it to help people who don’t have much.
What is your worst quality – your best?
My worst is sometimes I’m too laid back. My best quality is I don’t get mad.

In 2008, Dustin Hulme and his wife, Alexie, were at a rodeo in West Jordan, Utah. Dustin was roping with his brother trying to help him fill his permit. They won the rodeo, filling his brother’s permit at his first pro rodeo. It was there Dustin saw a PRCA merchandise trailer set up and told his wife, “That looks like a fun job.” Now, less than ten years later, Dustin is the Director of Merchandising for the PRCA.
Dustin grew up in Montpelier, Idaho. One of four boys, Dustin grew up with a rope in his hand. He roped in Junior High and High School rodeo and qualified for the state finals all four years of high school. Dustin also played basketball and football in high school, where he was all state as a defensive tackle the last two years of high school.
Dustin then attended Utah State University where he joined the college rodeo team. He competed in the Rocky Mountain Region in Team Roping and Tie-down Roping for three years. After college Dustin continued to rope at amateur rodeos for a couple of years. Then, in 2006 he bought his PRCA permit and went to pro rodeos in the Wilderness Circuit.
Dustin started his career in western retail in 2003 when he managed a feed and tack store in Layton, Utah. After several years he went to work for Inter-Mountain Farmers Association (IFA) as a Territory Manager over the store managers. Dustin credits that position for propelling him into sales.
After several years at IFA, Dustin decided he wanted to be able to rope and enter jackpots while earning money by selling tack. He started his own business, Travelin’ Tack and had a custom trailer built. He and his wife hit the road and worked at their business for a couple of years.
Through his business, Dustin received an opportunity to work for the PBR as Director of Merchandise, selling merchandise at their events. After a couple of years of being on the road 300 days a year, Dustin accepted the position he now holds with the PRCA.
As Director of Merchandising for the PRCA, Dustin spends most of his time on merchandise for the NFR. He approves and contributes to the design of the clothing sold by the PRCA. He also manages all inventories, in addition to three full-time trailers that set up at PRCA rodeos.
Dustin and Alexie have a 21-month-old daughter, Adri. They live in a small town, Driggs, Idaho, 25 minutes from Jackson Hole. They have nine head of horses and keep a small herd of roping steers.
The Hulmes also operate Teton Valley Rodeo Company and produce rodeos every weekend during the summer months.
COWbOY Q&A
How much do you practice?
Five days a week.
Do you make your own horses?
Absolutely.
Growing up, who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Denny Watkins and Dee Pickett.
Who do you respect most in the world?
My wife.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My brother.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Spend time with my family and my horses.
Favorite movie?
Lonesome Dove.
What’s the last thing you read?
AQHA Journal.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Honest, Reliable, Fun.
What makes you happy?
Succeeding at my roping.
What makes you angry?
Whining.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
Invest every penny into a business that could grow.
What is your worst quality – your best?
Worst quality is being too detail oriented at times. Best quality is I don’t quit until the job is done.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
With a couple more kids, and continuing to succeed at my current job.

Stefan Ramone is the youngest of five children, growing up in Lehi, Utah, roping and riding from the time they could walk. Stefan’s mom, Patricia, says Stefan actually started swinging a rope before he could walk.
“As young kids we used to rope at the National Dummy Roping in Las Vegas each December,” says Stefan. “We would practice all year for it. My sister, Tashina, won it when she was about eight.”
Stefan and older brother, Brady, roped as a team as youngsters. They practiced every day using both a donkey and a lead steer for practice. Stefan credits his parents for pushing him to achieve his goals. Stefan’s father, Benson, is a horse trainer and farrier. His mom, Patricia, is a behavioral specialist at a children’s hospital.
“Stefan just doesn’t give up and has always had a lot of determination,” says Patricia. “He’s very easy going and doesn’t let things get to him. He’s able to shake it off and go to the next one. That has helped him in both roping and baseball.”
Stefan, a junior in high school, was recently crowned the Utah High School Rodeo Association Champion Heeler. He and his partner, Louie Ivie, plan to attend college in Texas after graduation.
In addition to roping, Stefan is an avid baseball player and has played varsity baseball since he was a freshman. He pitches and plays shortstop. Half Native American, Stefan is proud of his heritage and wears his hair in a long braid.
“I’m very thankful to have such a close family,” says Stefan. “My parents are always there to support us and help us achieve our goals.”

COWBOY Q&A

How much do you practice?
Every day.
Do you make your own horses?
Yes.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Speed Williams, Rich Skelton
Who do you respect most in the world?
My mom and dad.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My dad.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Go fishing.
Favorite movie?
Driven
What’s the last thing you read?
American Sniper
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Hard working, dedicated, motivated.
What makes you happy?
Roping, playing baseball and being with my family.
What makes you angry?
When my family gets beat roping.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I’d pay our place off.
What is your worst quality
– your best?
My worst is I get distracted easily. Best quality is being easy going.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
On a ranch in New Mexico.

Ted Chancey, Dover, Florida, has been training horses for over forty years. During that time he has finished two AQHA Supreme Champions. In 2008, Ted earned the last points needed, in heading and heeling, for Mr Joe Im Kool to become the 47th AQHA Supreme Champion, the first in twenty years. Five years later, Ted helped Gotta Good Habit earn the remaining points for his open Supreme Champion title on December 31, 2013, in Tampa, Florida. Gotta Good Habit was the 50th Supreme Champion.
As a kid, Ted grew up watching his elderly neighbor ride a big palomino and begging for a chance to ride. When he was about 12, his parents bought a little Quarter Horse stud. Ted was hooked and that was the start of his training career.
“I got my first check for training a horse when I was 14,” says Ted. “I was doing something I loved and thought it was the greatest thing ever to get paid to ride a horse.
“I didn’t know much but I would watch the people who were winning at the open horse shows and try to emulate what they were doing. I learned a lot from Jack Hennig. He was the first to talk to me about how a horse’s mind works and how they think. I’d ride all day and at night Jack would teach me to rope calves. It just kind of snowballed from there.”
Ted credits several horsemen for teaching and shaping him as a trainer. Henry Kitchen from Plant City, Florida, produced calf ropings where Ted would watch great calf ropers and horsemen. There he learned about position and training calf horses.
“Frank Barnett, Williston, Florida, is probably the best horseman I know. He was instrumental in teaching me how to control different parts of a horse’s body with the least resistance and how to work on position.”
In addition to the two Supreme Champions, Ted will quickly tell you he has been blessed to ride many great horses. “The buckle I wear today I won on a horse named Cody’s Boogie Man. I bought him for just $3,500 and he turned into a phenomenal horse. He was a great head horse that Nelson Linares hauled on the rodeo trail. He was eventually bought by a professional calf roper for $45,000.”
Ted has two grown sons, Trip and Ty, and one daughter Taylor, who is five. Trip and Ty are both farriers and avid team ropers.
“I ride for a living and it’s all I’ve ever done,” explains Ted. “Going to work for me is not really going to work. I enjoy team roping, I just don’t get to go very often. I go to about 30 horse shows a year and that keeps me pretty busy.
“I’ve been lucky to be around some great horses and people in my career, but my kids are still my greatest accomplishment.”

COWBOY Q&A

How much do you practice?
We ride everyday. Sometimes we take Sundays off. I pretty much live at the barn.
Do you make your own horses?
Yes.
Who were your roping or rodeo heroes?
Jack Hennig. Roy Cooper changed the face of calf roping like the Camarillo brothers changed team roping. They might not necessarily be my heroes but I respect the impact they’ve had on the rodeo industry. Now days Trevor Brazile is someone for the younger guys to look up to.
Who do you respect most in the world?
Anthony J. Sacco – he gave me my first really good horse to ride when I was young and had confidence in me. He is still a good friend to this day.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My dad.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Go fishing.
Favorite movie?
Lonesome Dove
What’s the last thing you read?
Bits by Lewis Taylor
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Driven, Laid Back, Patient
What makes you happy?
Listening to the horses eating early in the morning when it’s quiet, that brings me a lot of peace.
What makes you angry?
Abusive people – whether they’re abusive to animals or other people.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I’d build a covered arena and then give the rest to a children’s hospital.

What is your worst quality –
your best?
Though I’m patient with horses, I have a definite lack of patience with people. My best quality is my patience with my horses.

Not many ropers have a week like Scot Brown enjoyed at the World Series of Team Roping Finals at the South Point last December. Scot, a #9 heeler and #6E header from Orange Grove, Texas, was entered up at the finals, thanks to one of his sponsors. Scot and Josh DeBord, won 6th in the #15, earning each man $20,000.
Getting nothing done in the #12 and #13 was not devastating for Scot, who still had a $20,000 check in his pocket. In his last and final roping, the #11, Scot was scheduled to head for one of his sponsors, who ultimately couldn’t make the trip. Brown replaced him with Clayton Moore, a #5, who he had practiced with the week before back in Texas.
The team drew three good steers for an average of 22.90, making them high team back. A short round steer that ran, along with a late start, caused the team to be 9.5 at the back end, but well under the 11.9-seconds needed to keep the lead. Brown and Moore split first place prize money of $288,000, in addition to $6,000 for a rotation fast time.
“At the end of the run, the flagger, Brooks Bearden, rode up and told me that Clayton legged,” says Brown. “He was joking, but I didn’t even care. I told him, ‘That’s okay, we won second or third.’”
Brown, 37, stays busy running his business, Absolute Terra Services and Maintenance. He started the herbicide business in 2007. ATS sprays and kills weeds for commercial farmers and oil well pads, among other businesses. In 2010, the business was expanded and added mowers, seeding, and mulching services.
“Even though it’s a lot of work and responsibility, I enjoy owning my own business,” says Scot. “It enables me to spend more time with my family.”
Brown and his wife, Michelle, have four children, three sons and a daughter: Spencer, 16, Jackson, 15, Makayla, 8 and Brooks, 4. Michelle teaches online for Waldon University.
As a business owner with a large family, there’s not a lot of spare time for the practice pen.
“I’ve been very fortunate,” explains Brown. “I’ve been able to ride good horses and rope with some of the best ropers in the world. My mental game is probably my strongest asset in the roping pen. I thrive on pressure. In the #15, at the World Series Finals, we came from 21st call back where we had to be 6.2 to take the lead and we were 6-flat. I just love that kind of pressure.”
This May 8th & 9th, Brown will produce the 4th Annual Colton Rusk Memorial roping. This roping is held in memory of Colton Rusk, a Marine who was killed in Afghanistan. The proceeds are donated for scholarships. The first year it was held, in 2012, this roping raised $30,000. Each of the last two years the event has raised $100,000.
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” says Scot. “Not only honoring Colton’s memory, but being able to help kids afford an education is amazing.”
Scot is sponsored by Fast Back Ropes, Total Thru Tubing and Noble Outfitters.
COWboy Q&A

How much do you practice?
I don’t get the opportunity to practice as much as I’d like due to running my business. I always practice before an event.
Do you make your own horses?
I used to when I was younger. Now I don’t really have time.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Clay O’Brien Cooper
Who do you respect most in the world?
My dad.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My family.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Spend time with my kids.
Favorite movie?
Tombstone, Lonesome Dove
What’s the last thing you read?
Lone Survivor
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Motivated, easy-going, hardworking
What makes you happy?
My family.
What makes you angry?
Lazy people.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I’d pay off bills, take my family on a vacation and invest the rest.
What is your worst quality – your best?
My worst quality is procrastination. My best quality is being happy go lucky.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I hope that the business I’m building continues to grow and be successful, allowing me to spend more time with my family.

Jennifer grew up horseback riding, playing polo, and helping her late father, Phil Shurden, a blacksmith and horse trainer. As a teen, Jennifer was an aggressive polo player with a bright future. She was also an avid golfer, just two strokes from qualifying as a pro, when she decided she wanted to rope. Knowing her own determination and “all or nothing” attitude, Jennifer sold her polo horses and laid down the golf clubs to devote her efforts to team roping.
Roping was always a family affair. Phil and his five kids spent many hours in the roping arena, with mom, Linda working the video camera and cheering the family on. The Shurdens were regular competitors at Booger Barter ropings in the 1990’s.
Not long after she started roping, Jennifer met her husband, Speed Williams at a roping clinic. The pair began a friendship that grew into the 18-year bond they have today. The couple married in 1997, the same year Speed won his first world title. He would go on to win seven more consecutively. Behind the scenes Jennifer was a vital part of the team. Besides regular rodeo duties like all-night drives and grooming, Jennifer’s horsemanship skills helped keep their horses light, responsive and ready for competition.
After retiring from the rodeo trail, Speed developed a team roping training website, speedroping.com. The site features an extensive library of videos including instructional drills and horse training tips. Jennifer had always wanted to learn to heel and the couple agreed to document her learning journey on speedroping.com. By doing so, low numbered ropers would be able to recognize issues similar to their own and learn how to correct them.

Jennifer is no stranger to the winner’s circle. She has won the Windy Ryon All Girl roping (with mother-in-law, Bobbi Williams). Earlier this year she won second at the Wildfire All Girl roping heeling. She has been the reserve champion header at the PDL Richest Roping in Reno. But undoubtedly she is most proud of winning the #10 at the 40+ Finals in Stephenville, TX, with her dad, shortly before he passed away.
In addition to working on videos for their website, speedroping.com, the Williams’ stay booked with private clinics, mostly held at their home in DeLeon, Texas. Jennifer also home schools their two children, Hali, 10, and Gabe, 7.
It would be hard to meet a nicer person in or out of the arena. But if you want to visit with Jennifer, you better have your track shoes on because she seldom slows down.

COWGIRL Q&A
How much do you practice?
Every day
Do you make your own horses?
Sometimes. Usually we buy horses that need to be finished or fixed.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Clay O’Brien Cooper and my husband, Speed.
Who do you respect most in the world?
God.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My dad, my best friend, and my husband.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Do something fun with my kids.
Favorite movie?
The Big Easy and Lonesome Dove.
What’s the last thing you read?
The Bible.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Patient, loyal, hardworking.
What makes you happy?
My family and friends.
What makes you angry?
Bullies and people who won’t put forth effort.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
After tithing, I would pay off bills and build a covered arena.
What is your worst quality – your best?
My worst quality is I can be very blunt at times. My best quality is my loyalty to people I care about.