Who taught you to rope, and how long have you been roping?
My dad taught me how to rope and I would not be where I am today if not for him. There have also been several individuals who have had an influence on my team roping skills, the one that has been the most influential is Slick Robison. I have been roping since I was 8 years old.
Which event do you prefer and why?
I enjoy heading the most, but I have been working on heeling for some time now.
You’ve had a lot of success lately–tell me about your win at the South Texas Championship and your second place at the Texas Championships.
I really enjoy roping with my partners now and they make my job easy. I know if I take care of my job they will take care of their job.
How did you meet your partners Kaleb Macias and Alejandro Gonzales?
I met Kaleb when I started team roping in South Texas. Alejandro and I met several years ago when he started coming to our Texas Region 8 Junior High Rodeos.
What do you like to do outside of team roping?
I like to rope; if not team roping, then I calf rope.
What horse have you won the most of your Junior NFR points on? What’s his/her name, age, where did he come from, and why do you ride him?
My heading horse’s name is Leroy and I have won most of my winnings on him. I got him from our close family friends, Leroy and Sue Rankin, and I have done most of the training on Leroy myself. I take a lot of pride in that.
What are your long-term goals in the sport of team roping?
My long-term goal in team roping would be to make it to the NFR in Vegas.
What’s your goal for 2018?
To qualify for the National High School Rodeo that is coming this summer in Wyoming.
If you could rope with anyone in the world, who would it be?
Junior Nogueira
Where is your favorite place to practice?
We do a lot of practicing at our home arena or we go to a family friend to rope. In addition to roping at my house, I am able to rope at Brandon and Marie Smith’s arena. I spend many hours there roping. Mr. Smith supplies me with cattle to rope and horses to ride. I am so grateful for everything that the Smiths do for me to be the best that I can be.
What rope do you use, and what lay?
I like to use Whistler S or XS by Cactus. I want to say a special thanks to Barry Berg from Cactus for his support and encouragement to always do my best and for supplying me with great ropes to use.
