Raised in the Saddle: Colorado’s Young Riders

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Raised inthe Saddle

Colorado’s rodeo kids pursue a unique passion, one that makes them strong.

Words and photos by Anna Sutterer

Rodeo is no ordinary sport. Riders mount a 1,100-pound animal and charge it to high speeds, weaving intricate patterns or barreling toward livestock on the loose. It requires full-body focus and a trusting relationship with one’s horse. From top-to-toe grooming and practices squeezed in fading after-school light, to full weekends spent on rodeo grounds; it’s a level of commitment and attention to detail that parents say helps their children mature quickly. These riders, though tenderfoot in the grand scheme of life, were raised in the saddle and display an ability beyond their years.

Twins Avery and Chisum Draper, 11, of Wetmore, Colorado live and practice riding on land that’s been part of their family for five generations. Born to Christy Draper, Miss Rodeo Colorado 2003, and Chad Draper, a former Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association team roper, their roots in the arena run deep. The two, who have been riding on their own since age four, were named the Colorado Junior Rodeo Association junior boy and girl Rookies of the Year 2020. They both compete in breakaway, goat tying, and team roping. Avery competes in pole bending and barrel racing, too.

“ I t’s going to be an exciting chapter in our lives ”to take care of this ranch and keep it going.

—Chisum Draper

Competitions aren’t always about competing. You get to share your success and your downfalls with your friends and family, and they always understand and they cheer you on.” —Avery Draper

Savannah Roberts, 14, is from Black Forest, where she lives with her family and their eight horses. Nicole Roberts, her mother, competed as a trick rider with the Westernaires; her dad, Warren Roberts, grew up with horses on a farm in Texas; and Aleeyah, her sister, made the Colorado Pro Rodeo Finals at age 13. Savannah’s competition events include barrel racing, breakaway, and pole bending. She is the reigning Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo world champion and has qualified for the semi finals for the Junior American Rodeo.

“My mom always says, ‘Put your horses first and your homework second,’ which sounds a lot more horrible than it actually means. I have high grades, I just have to equalize ”time between the both of them.

—Savannah Roberts

Tom Anselmi,18, from Lakewood, is part of a Westernaires-devoted family. Each Anselmi child is signed up for their first year by age nine, because their parents believe in the riding organization’s training and character development methods. Tom competes in the Steppes acrobatic team and Varsity Red show team.

“The longer you’re on a team, the more you interact with boys who are older than you…you get to see how much better they work and how they all act around each other. It really helps from a leadership standpoint and discipline. It can help in school, and there are a lot of skills that I think will be helpful for the rest of my life.”

—Tom Anselmi

Helen Erickson, 19, is from Conifer and is the first trained rider in her family. She currently lives and studies in Greeley at University of Northern Colorado, and travels more than an hour each way every Saturday to make it to Westernaires Varsity Red practices. The elite show team includes 30 or so riders, between the ages of nine and 19 years old, who’ve practiced and studied between six and 10 years in order to execute the group’s fast, intricate maneuvers.

This is definitely a hardcore sport. You have to readjust your body to these different things because“ when you ride a horse, you’ re using every muscle in your body, even if it doesn’t feel like it, so you come out of those rides exhausted sometimes.”

RODEO 101

Fast-facts about horse-mounted rodeo events.

BARREL RACING: A horse and rider make a series of sharp turns around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. Competitive Times for junior/high school riders: close to 15 seconds in smaller arenas, 17 to 18 seconds in larger arenas Penalties: knocking over a barrel (five seconds), running an incorrect pattern (no time), recrossing the starting line (no time)

POLE BENDING: A horse and rider run a tight weaving path through six poles arranged in a line, each 21 feet apart. They go through twice and run up the side to finish. Competitive Times for junior/high school riders: 20 to 21 seconds Penalties: knocking over a pole (five seconds), running an incorrect pattern or missing a pole (no time)

BREAKAWAY: A horse and rider wait in the box next to a chute which holds a calf. The calf is released with a head start, and the rider races after it and lassos its neck, then stops their horse so the line breaks away from the saddle. Competitive Times: two to three seconds for high school, three to five for junior high Penalties: a dropped or fallen rope that must be recoiled is considered a thrown rope, breaking the barrier (10 seconds), roping without releasing the loop from hand (no time), breaking the rope away from the saddle horn by hand (no time)

TEAM ROPING: A head roper and heel roper on horses wait in the box next to a chute which holds a 600-pound steer. The steer is released with a head start, and both riders race after it. The head roper lassos the horns, head, or neck, then turns the steer while winding their rope around the saddlehorn. Then, the heel roper lassos the feet to stop the steer. Competitive Times: five to seven seconds for high school and seven to eight for junior high Penalties: roping just one hind foot (five seconds), roping heels before the steer changes direction (no time), dragging steer more than eight feet (no time), broken or dropped rope (no time), roping without releasing the loop from hand (no time)

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