Rodeo Life

Category: American Hat

  • Kyle Lucas ~Holding the Standard

    Kyle Lucas ~Holding the Standard

    Canadian tie-down roper Kyle Lucas says his relationship with American Hat Company began years before a partnership was ever discussed. For most of his career, he chose American hats on his own, believing they were the sharpest and most reliable in the industry. He wanted his appearance to reflect the level of professionalism he brought into the arena, and he felt American Hat Company helped him do exactly that.

    “I’ve been wearing American hats for about six years,” Lucas said. He already felt loyal to the brand long before the idea of an official relationship came up. He admired the clean structure of the hats and their consistent shaping. As he traveled from damp Canadian springs to dry summer rodeos across the United States, his hats stayed solid and polished.

    To Lucas, that consistency matters because rodeo athletes represent their sport the moment they arrive at a venue and step into the arena.

    “We have to act like professionals and think like professionals,” Lucas said. “We have to dress like it, too. America is the leader in that.”

    Lucas grew up in Alberta as the son of Canadian standout tie-down roper Joe Lucas. He remembers following behind the chutes while his father competed, watching the standard Joe set in both performance and presentation. Joe retired in 2006 after a final season that Lucas still clearly remembers. Those early years helped fuel the desire that eventually led him into junior rodeos, high school rodeos, and amateur associations throughout Alberta.

    Lucas began in breakaway roping because he was smaller than many of the other kids. As he grew, he fully transitioned to tie-down roping. In 2013, he purchased his Canadian and PRCA cards and qualified for his first Canadian Finals Rodeo. This year, he reached two major milestones: qualifying for his tenth CFR and earning his first Canadian championship.

    Along the way, Lucas developed a close friendship with world champion tie-down roper Tuf Cooper. He spent several winters living and practicing with the Cooper family and credits that time with shaping his roping in lasting ways. Cooper taught him small details that did not always make sense at first but later led to breakthroughs. Cooper also helped connect Lucas with American Hat Company, though by that point, Lucas said he already believed in the product.

    Nothing about the partnership felt forced. Lucas said it developed the same way his loyalty to the hats did, naturally, without a single defining moment.

    Lucas said spending time with Cooper’s late father, Roy, was just as influential. Roy called him weekly or every other week, and each call lasted about thirty seconds. They usually ended the same way, with Roy telling him he was good enough and that he loved him. Lucas said those brief conversations carried weight, especially coming from an eight-time world champion whose belief mattered, no matter how difficult a season felt.

  • The Making of Riley Webb

    The Making of Riley Webb

    By Lori Bizzell
    Photos courtesy of American Hat Co.

    In an arena where speed is celebrated and pressure is unforgiving, Riley Webb has built his career on something quieter: steadiness, not just in his hands or his timing, but in his heart. At a remarkably young age, Webb has become a three-time PRCA World Champion in tie-down roping, not by chasing moments, but by honoring a process shaped by faith, family, and an unwavering respect for his horses.

    Riley Webb didn’t grow up learning how to win fast. He grew up learning how to do things right. In Texas, surrounded by roping, livestock, and long days that reward consistency more than flash, he learned early that rodeo doesn’t hand anything out. You earn it quietly, over time. And along the way, you learn something else: in a sport built on trust, what you wear and who you ride for matters. In that spirit, Webb has aligned with brands that earn it. He is an American Hat Company athlete, riding with a brand known for upholding the highest standards of craftsmanship and character.

    Riley’s foundation was built long before he ever stepped into a PRCA arena. He comes out of Denton, Texas, and even early on, he wasn’t only focused on tie-down roping. He also has experience as a team roping header, which speaks to the depth of his roping background and the way he’s been shaped by multiple disciplines. Behind that is a family deeply woven into the rodeo world. His parents, Dirk and Jennifer Webb, operate Webb Roping Productions, producing sanctioned cattle for major youth events, including breakaway and tie-down qualifiers connected to the Junior World Finals. And the rodeo influence doesn’t stop there. With Dirk serving in leadership at The American Rodeo and Jennifer supporting in an official capacity, Riley grew up around real operations, real standards, and real expectations. That kind of environment doesn’t guarantee success, but it does cultivate a competitor who understands professionalism, pressure, and what it takes to consistently show up and deliver. It’s no surprise, then, that even early in his pro rise, he was already sitting inside the world’s top tier, proving he wasn’t just talented, but prepared.

    Family played a defining role. Expectations mattered. Work ethic wasn’t optional. Accountability wasn’t something you feared. It was something that sharpened you. That foundation shows in Webb today, in how he handles wins without arrogance and losses without unraveling. There’s a maturity to him that goes beyond age, rooted in being raised by people who understood that character lasts longer than trophies.

    Rodeo can tempt competitors into riding on adrenaline alone. Webb rides on something deeper. While he doesn’t make a show of it, there’s a faith-shaped restraint in the way he competes. It looks like believing preparation matters, humility protects you, and pressure doesn’t have to steal your peace.

    You see it in his runs. Clean. Controlled. Intentional. He doesn’t rush moments that don’t need rushing, and he doesn’t force what isn’t there. That kind of patience doesn’t come from confidence alone. It comes from trusting that your job is to be faithful to the work, not obsessed with the outcome.

    When Webb entered the professional ranks, he didn’t arrive loudly. He arrived ready. His rookie season hinted at something special, but it was his composure that caught attention.

    While others fought the nerves of the big stage, Webb treated it like an extension of the practice pen.

    That mindset carried him into his first world title, then his second, then a third. It’s a feat that demands more than talent. Winning once takes ability. Winning three times requires mental endurance, emotional control, and the humility to stay teachable when you’re already on top.

    Tie-down roping is often reduced to times and scores, but Webb understands the truth: the run starts long before the barrier. His success is inseparable from his partnership with his horses. He rides with feel, awareness, and respect, never asking for more than the moment calls for.

    To Webb, a rope horse isn’t equipment. It’s a teammate, one with instincts, limits, and a need for trust. His horsemanship reflects patience and gratitude, the kind that produces consistency under pressure. Something is reassuring about a constant in a world that runs hard. That respect for what’s earned also shows up in what he puts his name beside. American Hat Company represents craftsmanship that’s made to be worked in,not just worn, and you can understand why a champion would value that kind of steady presence on the road.

    The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo has a way of exposing who you really are. Ten nights. Ten chances. No room for excuses. Webb doesn’t change under that weight. He becomes clearer. He manages pressure rather than reacting to it, understanding that championships aren’t won by heroics, but by protecting your average, your mindset, and your horse.

    Despite the accolades, Webb carries himself with humility that resonates deeply in the rodeo world. He speaks with gratitude, credits his circle, and never forgets the horses and people who made the wins possible. That posture has quietly made him a role model, not just for young ropers, but for anyone learning how to carry success without being consumed by it.

    Three world titles would mark a finish line for many. For Riley Webb, they feel more like mile markers. His career is still unfolding, his approach still grounded, and his priorities still intact.

    Faith in the process. Family at the center. Horses first. That’s the formula, and it’s why Riley Webb isn’t just winning championships. He’s building a legacy that will last long after the arena lights go dark.

    Riley Webb | Accolades & Earnings Snapshot

    • Three-time PRCA World Champion (Tie-Down Roping)

    A rare three-peat at the top of the sport.

    • Career earnings (PRCA): $1,443,890

    Reported as of December 4, 2025.

    • Record-setting season earnings (example): $475,214 in 2024

    A season total reported after his second straight world title.

    • 2025 NFR Average Champion: 82.3 seconds on 10 head

    Earned $94,036 for the average title and finished the 2025 NFR with $240,412 in NFR earnings.

    • Go-round wins on rodeo’s biggest stage

    Including a Round 3 win at the 2025 NFR (7.0 seconds; $36,668).

    • Not just wins, but high finishes under pressure

    Example: a second-place finish in Round 7 at the 2025 NFR that added $28,980 to his NFR earnings.

  • American Hats: Rowdy Parrott

    American Hats: Rowdy Parrott

    Steer wrestler Rowdy Parrott is no stranger to the ups and downs of professional rodeo. But after a strong showing at last year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the Louisiana cowboy is carried confidence — and cash — into the end of the 2025 season.

    “This is the best position I have ever been in at this point in the year,” Parrott said. “I have never had this much money won this early, and it is just a way better feeling going down the road knowing you can do your job without stressing about every single win.”

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    Parrott credits much of that success to his partnership with American Hat Company, which signed him just before the NFR last year. He joined through a personal friendship with Jake and Mercedes Bloomer, and the relationship quickly became a natural fit.

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    “My favorite part of being with American is just the values we share — faith, family, all of that,” Parrott said. “They are always there to help, super easy to deal with, and just great people across the board.”

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    While Parrott wears several different American hats on the road, he said he is not particular about which one tops his head. “They just send me whatever, and I roll with it,” he said with a laugh.

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    On the arena dirt, Parrott’s highlight of the season came in Nashville, where he captured the inaugural win at the city’s first professional rodeo. “That one really gave me momentum going into the summer,” he said. “Winning first there set the tone.”

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    Much of his recent success comes aboard Crush, the standout horse owned by world champion steer wrestler Ty Erickson. Crush was named Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year in 2024, and Parrott says the gelding makes his job easier. “When you are riding a horse like that, you do not have to worry,” he said. “You can just focus on the steer. A huge part of my success has been because of him.”

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    Parrott often hits the road with Erickson and fellow steer wrestler Gavin Soileau. His brother, Remey, joins them at times as a hazer, a setup that adds comfort to the grueling rodeo schedule. “It is really nice having good friends and especially my brother out there with us,” Parrott said.

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    The 31-year-old cowboy did not slow down as the regular season wound towards its September finish. With big-money rodeos like Puyallup, Sioux Falls and Pendleton on the line, Parrott planned to “keep the hammer down.”

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    “At the NFR last year, I won fifth, but money-wise it was not a lot,” he said. “This year, the goal is to win as much as possible going in because it can all come down to those last rounds in Vegas.” Parrott’s career reached a milestone last December when he earned his first NFR round win after three previous appearances in Las Vegas. “That was something I had worked so hard for and envisioned for so long,” he said. “I had been close with seconds and thirds, but to finally get that win was awesome. It just lit a fire knowing how close I was in the average, and it gave me confidence moving forward.” He wears the go-round buckle proudly. “I worked hard for that one, so I am going to wear it,” he said.

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    Outside of the arena, Parrott and his wife, Lynette, run a family business — Crawfish Outlet to Geaux — which he says had its best year yet. The venture not only provides a steady income but also allows the family to spend time together when he is home. His wife and three children often travel with him during the first part of the summer, though the school year keeps them closer to home in the fall.

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    With family, faith, strong horsepower and solid backing from American Hat Company, Parrott believes 2025 could be his best season yet. “I am really confident going into the NFR this year,” he said. “I think it is going to be our best year.”

  • American Hat: Pecos Tatum

    American Hat: Pecos Tatum

    Nineteen-year-old Pecos Tatum might be young, but his rodeo résumé already reads like that of a seasoned pro.

    Hailing from La Plata, New Mexico, Tatum said he has been roping and riding nearly all his life.

    “Everybody in my family has always rodeoed or had something to do with rodeo,” Tatum said. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.”

    A longtime supporter of the American Hat Company, Tatum’s relationship with the brand began early.

    “I think I was like seven or eight when Mr. Keith gave me my first hat,” he said, referring to the late Keith Maddox, owner of American Hat Company.

     

    “Before he passed away, he was always just a great guy to me and my family. It’s very easy to support a company with such a great product and great people.”

    That early connection sparked a partnership that continues to shape Tatum’s professional image and confidence, both on and off the court.

    Now a full-time professional cowboy, Tatum bypassed college to hit the road and chase his dreams.

    “Last year was my rookie year,” he said. “I didn’t go to school. I finished high school and left home to go rodeoing.”

    Homeschooled since the first grade, Tatum credits that flexibility with helping him build the skills and experience he needed to excel.

    “It opened up a lot of opportunities,” he said. “Being homeschooled let me rope with more people and go to more rodeos.”

    Last year may not have ended the way he hoped, but Tatum views it as a learning experience.

    “It taught me a lot of things I could do differently,” he said.

    Now ranked in the top 25 in the world standings, Tatum is focused on qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

    “My goal is to get to the NFR this year,” he said. “There was a big learning curve last year. I had to figure out how things worked and improve my mental game.”

    Tatum said he currently splits his time between Texas and the rodeo trail, with a dependable string of horses behind him. His central mount is a horse he purchased during his junior year of high school.

    “I bought him right before state finals and made it to nationals on him,” Tatum said. “It’s kind of just gone on from there.”

    His secondary horse, a sorrel named Raymond, was purchased from a family friend in Arizona.

    “He’s really strong in long setups like Cheyenne and Salinas. He’s my go-to for those,” Tatum said.

    Outside the arena, Tatum said he also enjoys auctioneering, a trade passed down from his grandfather, who spent years selling at local livestock barns.

    “He started teaching me when I was six or seven,” Tatum said.

    “I’d go to the sale barn with him and get to sell a few things, just messing around. I’ve been doing it ever since.”

    Despite his age, Tatum speaks with the quiet confidence of someone who knows the value of hard work, support from family and mentors, and the importance of staying grounded.

    “It’s been a blessing,” he said. “There are so many people who’ve helped me, my parents, my grandparents, friends; I wish I could name them all.”

    With ProRodeo at its peak and eyes on Las Vegas in December, Pecos Tatum said he is focused on two things: roping smart and staying consistent.

  • American Hats: Cooper James

    American Hats: Cooper James

    For Erda, Utah, cowboy Cooper James, rodeo has been more than just a sport — it has been a way of life. From an early age, James said he was captivated by bull riding, an obsession that grew stronger as he developed into a skilled competitor in the rodeo world. 

    James’ journey in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is one of challenges and triumphs. However, one partnership has truly stood out: his collaboration with American Hat Company, a relationship he said feels more like family than a sponsorship. 

    “I’ve been wearing American hats since I could walk,” James said.

    “I have pictures in their hats from when I was a little kid, but I’m still just getting on sheep.” 

    His connection to rodeo started in his early childhood when he dreamed of becoming a bull rider. Over the years, that childhood dream evolved into a successful rodeo career, and he said his relationship with American Hat Company became an integral part of his journey.

    “I met with the team at the Hondo Rodeo in Phoenix,” James said. “My buddy, Lefty Holman, is sponsored by them too, so he introduced me to the team.

    “It’s been great to have them on board and be a part of their team,” James said. “It’s like a family over there.” 

    James added that the relationship with American Hat Company goes beyond sponsorship. 

    “Anything I need, I know I can call them,” he said, underscoring how much the company feels like a support system. 

    While James’ partnership with American Hat Company has been a cornerstone of his career, his rise in the rodeo world has not come without its challenges. 

    Early on, James said he faced difficulties navigating the rodeo circuit. 

    “It was tough at the start,” he said. “You don’t know where to enter and have no real qualifications.” 

    But through persistence and hard work, James found his footing. After competing in smaller rodeos, he qualified for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, where he said his career started growing. 

    “I qualified to go to San Antonio, and that’s where it took off,” he said. From there, he made his way into the top 25 and, later, the top 15 in the PRCA world standings.

    Photo Courtesy of American Hats

    James said a key part of his success has been his mental approach to rodeo. He credited much of his calm demeanor to the guidance from seasoned mentors, including Josh Frost, Sage Kimsey and Clayton Sellars.

    “Clayton Sellars knows he’s showing up to win no matter what,” James said, highlighting Sellers’ strong mental game, which he admires and works to emulate in his career.

    That mental toughness helped James during his first trip to the National Finals Rodeo, where he placed third in the world, second in the average, and was crowned the 2024 Resistol Rookie of the Year in the bull riding. 

    “Everyone going to the finals wants to win the world title,” James said. “It was such a good feeling, and you feel like you can carry that momentum for the next year.” 

    James said he is determined to continue building on his success. While focusing on bull riding, he is also interested in expanding his repertoire. 

    “Shoot, I haven’t been on a saddle bronc horse in a little over a year now, but that’s a dream I want to come true,” he said of his dream of making the NFR in multiple events. 

    However, he added that his love for bull riding stays at the forefront of his career. “Whenever people think rodeo, the fan favorite is the bull riding,” he said. “It’s the most action-packed, the adrenaline rush.”

  • American Hats: Baylee Barker

    American Hats: Baylee Barker

    Atlanta, Kansas, cowgirl Baylee Barker said her relationship with American Hat Company stands out as one of the defining moments of her rodeo career. Barker said it all began in an unexpected way during the National High School Finals Rodeo.

    “It was freshman year of nationals, I believe,” Barker said. “I was just walking around, and I always thought it would be cool to be sponsored by American, but I didn’t think much of it.”

    After a brief conversation with a representative, American Hat Company surprised Barker by following her outside the event and asking, “Hey, do you want to be an ambassador?”

    That moment marked the beginning of a rewarding partnership with the brand.

    “I’ve been an ambassador for a couple of years now,” Barker said. “The best part is that we, as riders, put in the work to earn our sponsorship. We meet the requirements, and American gives back to us. Getting a free straw hat every year is a great perk, but it’s the loyalty that means the most to me. They treat us well, and it’s cool to see that, even as younger riders, we get the same kind of attention and support that the pro rodeo athletes get.

    “It’s not just the product, but the people behind the brand,” she added. “The brand has supported me in my journey, and that’s something I value a lot.”

    Barker said her journey into the rodeo world began at a young age. Growing up in Kansas, she quickly found her passion for the sport.

    “I started rodeoing when I was probably three,” she said. “I did all the things that one to six age group can do—rode sheep, ran barrels, did goat tying. I rodeoed up until about 7 years old before I took a break to play junior high club volleyball.”

    Barker said it was not long before rodeo found its way back into her life.

    “When I was 10, one of my friends was roping, and I told my mom, ‘I kind of want to get on a horse and rope.’ Since then, I’ve stuck with it and been very accomplished,” she said.

    A recent recruit to the Vernon College rodeo program, Barker said she has big goals on the horizon, with aspirations to succeed in both rodeo and her future career. She said she plans to study nursing and wants to pursue a career in the medical field, specifically as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse.

    “I want to be a NICU nurse because I love babies and kids,” she said. “It’s rewarding to be able to send a NICU baby home.”

    In addition to her rodeo and academic pursuits, Barker said she is also focused on making the most of her time at college. She aims to attend the College National Finals Rodeo with winning in mind.

    “I look forward to making it to the college finals and winning before I’m done with college. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I believe I have the work ethic to make it happen,” she said.

    Despite the challenges of balancing rodeo with her academic goals, Baylee remains dedicated to both.

    “I want to give my best effort in both areas. If I can, I’ll continue to compete in pro rodeos after college, but I’ll have to see how it all fits into my career path,” she added.

    Barker also reflected on the pride she has in representing Kansas in the rodeo world.

    “Kansas doesn’t get as much recognition as other states in rodeo, but it’s cool to represent it,” she said. “It’s been a huge part of my journey, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my family, especially my parents and my Uncle Dave.”

    No matter where her journey takes her—whether in the rodeo arena or the hospital—Barker will continue to proudly represent Kansas and American Hat Company.

  • American Hats: Mackenzie Mayes

    American Hats: Mackenzie Mayes

    Mackenzie Mayes said her family has always been friends with Stan Redding, American Hat Company’s national sales manager. She said her professional relationship with the hat brand started while she was in high school.

     

    “I was at a rodeo in the stockyards in Fort Worth, and I talked with Stan while I was there,” she said. “I’ve been sponsored by them ever since, and I am so thankful for the people there and the opportunities they have given me.”

     

    As a third-generation cowgirl from Winnsboro, Texas, Mayes said she is never short of people around her who have helped her grow into the horsewoman she is now.

     

    “My whole family rodeos and trains horses, really,” she said. “My grandma has been to the NFR in the barrel racing, and my dad has made the NFR as a calf roper, so I really have the best of both worlds being a barrel racer and a breakaway roper.”

     

    Mayes was not exaggerating when she said rodeo is a family affair. Her grandmother, Nancy Mayes, qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1983 and was later inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. Her father, Jim Bob, was a two-time NFR qualifier in the tie-down roping.

     

    Mayes said she runs barrels on Chicado Moon, a 2018 AQHA mare by Guys Canyon Moon, and out of Chicados Bully, owned by her great-aunt, Naoma LeBarron. Mayes added her horse is more affectionately known as “Rousey” after the cage fighter Ronda Rousey.

     

    “My aunt bought Rousey from Jolene Montgomery when she was two, but she had an injury that put her out of use until the start of her four-year-old year,” Mayes said. “Once we got her back up, she took to barrels so fast, but she bucked a lot of people off.

     

    “My aunt had sent her to a family friend, and she bucked the lady off and broke a few of her ribs,” Mayes added. “After that incident, my aunt sent her to me, and I started hauling her. The rest is history, really.”

     

    Mayes, currently a business administration student at Northeast Texas Community College, said she decided to take a step back from college rodeo to focus on her rookie year in the WPRA.

     

    “I decided not to college rodeo this semester, so I can go to some pro rodeos for now,” she said. “I am planning on transferring to Texas A&​M Commerce next fall, and I’m going to pick up college rodeo there.”

    With a brother-in-law who was a top salesman for the medical company Johnson & Johnson, Mayes said she plans to pursue a similar career.

     

    “He is going to help me get a foot in the door after I graduate, so hopefully it will all work out,” she said. “A sales work schedule would allow me to still have days to rodeo and work.

     

    “My whole life revolves around rodeo,” she added. “I don’t see life going any other way.”

  • American Hat: Shelby Meged

    American Hat: Shelby Meged

    “I went into the American Hat store to buy a new hat for my first NFR breakaway in 2020,” said Shelby Meged, the 2023 National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) World Champion. “That is where my relationship with them started. I partnered with them after that, and I have been with them since my first NFR.”

    The three-time NFBR qualifier spoke highly of her contacts at American Hat Company and her experience as an athlete
    with the team.

    “It’s more of a family. I can call any of them at any time for anything, even if it is not hat-related,” she added. “If I am ever
    in a bind and need somebody to help me, there is always somebody I can call.”

    Meged, who grew up just outside of Calgary in Langdon, Alberta, Canada, said she had arope in her hand from an early age, but it was a gift from her parents that jump-started her record-breaking roping career. “From the time I started swinging a rope, the only thing I ever wanted from my parents was a Fast Lane dummy,” she said. “Once I got one, all I did was rope. I wanted to be one of the best female ropers ever.”

    Meged said she was at a slight disadvantage as a roper because there were few places forher to compete in Canada as a breakaway roper. “There’s not a lot of opportunity in Canada for breakaway roping, she said. “There were maybe one or two jackpots I could go to each year.”

    Though she said the Alberta High School Rodeo Association lacked the contestant numbers of its counterparts in the United States, the competition was just as fierce. “In Alberta, we only had three regions compared to the ten regions in the Texas High School Rodeo Association,” she said. “I still had to be super competitive, but I was not roping against 200 other kids.”

    After moving to Ranger, Texas, on a college rodeo scholarship in 2017. Meged said she was in awe at the amount of roping found in the state. “I remember running myself broke because I was going to every jackpot. I went a little crazy,” she said. “I went to every jackpot I could once I got here because the amount of roping was insane. It was all just so new to me. I could go to three jackpots a week and an hour from my house.”

    Meged said that although she was roping more often, it was a while before she started to see success in her new home. “I think it took me about two years to win anything down here,” she said. “I got my butt kicked for a long time. It was a pretty big eye-opener for me.”

    Then, in 2019, she was crowned the Reserve National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Breakaway Roping Champion. “I had a huge year in 2019,” she said. “I was making good money and doing well at all the jackpots. I realized I wanted to stay
    here because I was hooked.” Meged qualified for her first NFBR the following year. The Inaugural NFBR ran with the 2020
    Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) at Globelife Field in Arlington, Texas.

    “Roping in Arlington was cool because we were roping out of the same box and in the same arena as the other NFR contestants,” she said. “I did not have a very good NFR my first year,” she added. “I didn’t want to feel that way again when I left the finals that year, so I knew I wanted to work on some changes. They didn’t happen overnight, but everything eventually paid off.”

    After finishing eighth in the world, Meged said she set out to achieve the goal she had set as a young girl. She was the reserve world champion the following year at the 2021 NFBR in Las Vegas. She was ranked fifth in the world standings at
    the end of the 2022 NFBR. But Meged returned to the finals and finished the 2023 season with her first world title and a record- breaking $197,706 earned.

    “I want to keep going back and chasing that next gold buckle because it’s an addiction,” she said. “Our sport is always evolving. There are always new, up-and-coming ropers, and the competition seems to get tougher every year.”

  • American Hat Company: Jarvis Demery

    American Hat Company: Jarvis Demery

    “The rep stopped me and told me I would look good in an American,” Demery said. “That’s where it all started for me. The hat I was wearing before was not good at all. I did not know the difference between 10X and 100X.”

     

  • American Hat: Josie Conner

    American Hat: Josie Conner

    “I have been with American since 2020,” said American Hat athlete Josie Conner. “It has been a great experience.”
    “I love their hats, and the people at American are amazing,” she added. “You walk into one of their stores, and the atmosphere is unbeatable.”

    Iowa, Louisiana cowgirl Josie Conner is nothing short of a superstar in the breakaway roping world. She qualified for her first National Finals Breakaway Roping in 2022 and was the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Breakaway Rookie of the Year. In 2023, she made her second trip to Las Vegas and finished 13th in the world.

    The 20-year-old cowgirl has sat comfortably in the top 15 of the breakaway world standings all year, but she said one rodeo changed her trajectory going into the 2024 NFBR.

    “My win in Ellensburg this year I will remember forever,” she said. “The weekend after that win, I jumped to the number one spot in world standings.”

    Conner won $11,015 in Ellensburg, WA, placing her at the top of the WPRA breakaway roping world standings.

    “The same person had held the number one spot since March,” she said.

    Jackie Crawford, who boasts 19 WPRA world titles, has led the standings since her big win at Rodeo Huston earlier this year.

    “I think the horse I have been riding this year has a lot to do with my success,” Conner said. “He has been great this year. He has been putting me in the places that I need to be and giving me the opportunities that I needed.”

    Conner was referring to her 16-year-old American Quarter Horse Association gelding, Stylish Drifter, whom she affectionately calls Dutch. Before she bought Dutch, Conner said he was being used as a tie-down roping horse.

    “I rode Dutch my rookie year and made the finals, but I was not having the success I would have liked,” she said. “I had not transitioned well into pro rodeo yet. They are so much different than the junior ropings I was used to.”

    Conner qualified for the National Finals Breakaway Roping in 2022 and 2023. She said that in her rookie year and sophomore season, she had to rodeo until the last week of the season to secure her spot at the finals.

    “It has been a lot different this year not having to be on the bubble race,” Conner said.

    The “bubble” Conner referred to is when a contestant sits just on the edge of being in the top fifteen-ranked athletes at the end of the pro rodeo season. She is far from being on the bubble rounding out the 2024 regular rodeo season.

    “My second year in pro rodeo, I gave Dutch the year off, and Riley Webb roped on him for a while,” she said. “I came back with Dutch this year, and he has been so great for me.

    “I think it’s funny how God works in mysterious ways,” Conner added. “I had put him aside for that time in my life, and we came back this year so much better than we ever have been.”

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  • American Hat: Caden Ussery

    American Hat: Caden Ussery

    “I’ve been with American since I was in the sixth grade,” said North Carolina cowboy Caden Ussery. “It’s been a long time. “My mom and I wrote a letter to Keith Mundee. He immediately wrote back and was very welcoming,” he said. “He said he was impressed that I would put myself out there at such a young age. “It really is a relationship I have built with them,” Ussery added. “They always take care of me, and being a part of the American family has been a huge blessing.”

    Caden Ussery from Huntersville, North Carolina, now calls Martin, Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee Martin (UT Martin) his home. “I originally did not want to college rodeo,” Ussery said. “But my mom always wanted me to go to college.” After two years at Central Piedmont Community College, Ussery transferred to UT Martin, where he is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. He still has some time left in school, but Ussery said he hopes to continue his relationship with American.

    “I went to a community college first, and then last summer, right before school started, I got a call from Coach Thrasher at UT Martin,” he said. “He was looking for new talent because they had lost some seniors last year. “People were sending him my videos just from some local and amateur rodeos,” he said. “So, I talked with him and moved to Tennessee.”

    He said he barely missed qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo this year. “I missed out on the finals by only a few points,” he said. “But I won our home rodeo. That was pretty awesome.” Ussery, a sophomore then, won the tie-down roping average with a time of 20.1 and the short go with a 9.8. He tied for second in the first round with a 10.3. “I started roping at a very young age,” he said. “My grandpa introduced roping into my life before anyone else.

    American Hat Rider Caden Ussery

    “I was pretty small growing up and couldn’t handle my rope to dally that well. So I started just breakaway roping,” he added. “I just had an old rope horse I would rodeo on, and he was awesome. When I got to junior high and high school, I bought a few more horses and got a little more serious.
    Ussery had a very successful Junior High and High School Rodeo career. He made the North Carolina High School Finals all

    four years. He said he won the reserve tie-down title during his freshman and sophomore years. He captured the state title in his junior and senior years.
    While Ussery occasionally team ropes, he said his heart is in the tie-down roping. “I fell in love with calf roping. There are a lot of really good team ropers, but the thought of working hard and not having to rely on anyone else to work to succeed appealed more to me,” he said.

    Although he enjoys the sole accountability of tie-down roping, Ussery said his biggest motivation comes from his family.“They have always encouraged me and allowed me to put myself out there,” he added. “If they believe I can do it, then there is no reason I can’t put my mind to it and get to where I want to be.”

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  • American Hat: Erin Taorimino

    American Hat: Erin Taorimino

    “Originally, I wore only American straw hats. The brand was looking to expand farther into the western industry, outside of rodeo with their partnerships,” said NRCHA Trainer and rider Erin Taorimino. “I already had a close relationship with American athlete Jackie Crawford, and so it all just worked itself out.”

    Erin said her favorite hat she has been wearing recently is American’s 100X Black Cherry felt. “It’s a really great color,” she said. “I used to wear a plain solid black felt, but the Black Cherry has won my heart.”

    Originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, Erin Taorimino, a now household name in the National Reined Cow Horse Association, said she moved to Texas after graduating high school and her final trip to the Quarter Horse Congress.

    “I met some people at the Congress show and had the opportunity to come down to Texas to show my youth all-around horse,” she said. “I ended up selling him at that show and just never went back.”

    Erin said she started her career as an assistant in charge of riding a string of two-year-old prospects at the Jim Babcock Ranch in Gainesville, Texas. While there, she met Million-dollar rider and NRCHA Hall of Fame inductee Ron Ralls.

    “That is how I really got into the industry,” she said. “He was in charge of the cow horse at that ranch, and so I fumbled my way through learning as I went with his help.”

    American Hat Rider, Erin Taormino and her son.

    After Ralls left his position there, Erin said she went with him and worked as an apprentice under him for four and a half years. While working for Ralls, Erin met her husband, Anthony Taormino. Together, the couple moved from Ralls’ ranch in Texas to live in Idaho briefly before moving again to work under NRCHA Two-million-dollar rider and NRHA Million-dollar rider Todd Bergen in Oregon.

    “We stayed under Todd Bergen for five years,” she said. “From there, we moved to work with Garth and Amanda Gardiner at Gardiner Quarter Horses in Ashland, Kansas. We stayed there for two years before moving to Oklahoma and working out of Stuart Ranch for Terry Forst.

    “That’s where we started our business, at Stuart Ranch,” she said. “Terry was amazing. She really opened the door for us to start our own program.”

    Since then, the Taorminos have moved back to Texas, where they started their journey as independent trainers. Taormino Performance Horses is located at their home in Lipan, Texas.

    She said she is most proud of what she has accomplished aboard roan stallion Hazardouz Material (Metallic Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes). “I won the NRCHA Stallion Stakes on him in 2021, and I made the World’s Greatest Horseman Finals on him last year,” she said.

    Erin also said her plans for her career are constantly changing and evolving.

    “I’d love to win the Snaffle Bit Futurity, going back to World’s Greatest Horseman next year and becoming a million-dollar rider are at the top of my list, also,” she said. “I want to keep climbing and be one of the best trainers in the industry as long as I can.”

    Erin said she does not keep track of her winnings to know how close she is to attaining her goal of being an NRCHA Million-dollar rider. According to the NRCHA, Erin has a lifetime earning of over $900,000.

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