RISING STARS OF RODEO

Florida Youth Qualify For The Junior American Patriot

Written by: Kathy Ann Gregg

It was a mere seven years ago when, in 2014, the concept of “the world’s richest one-day rodeo” came to fruition. The “amateurs”—many of them Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association competitors—arrived at the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to take on the very best of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo champions.

The American Patriot Rodeo, often referred to as just “The American,” has expanded into a week of semi-finals and a weekend for the main event. It now bills itself as “the world’s richest weekend in Western Sports.” The rodeo is scheduled Feb. 26 to March 7, 2021, at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. At press time, qualifying events were underway.

And it, like the NFR, has expanded to include a Junior American Patriot Rodeo for youth who are 19 years old and under. It is set March 2 to 6, 2021, at the same venue. Florida will be well represented, because more than 50 of the Sunshine State’s youngsters are to compete in the events of pole-bending, goat-tying, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling—and the hottest thing in rodeo—breakaway roping, where the ladies get to shine as ropers.

While the team roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing events cover all ages, the other events are broken down into the following divisions: 12-and-under, 15-and-under and 19-and-under. Twelve-year-olds can qualify in all three divisions, if that is what they register for—which is exactly what 12-year-old Harley Pryor of Moore Haven did, in breakaway roping.

Three brothers, Cole, Brody and Owen Clemons, from Okeechobee, are all in the team roping event. The brother/ sister pair of Courtney and Parker Carbajal of New Smyrna Beach qualified together in team roping, and individually with Courtney in goat-tying and breakaway roping, and Parker in tie-down roping. Twin sisters Michelle and Morgan Barnes are in the pole-bending event, with Morgan also qualified in breakaway roping.

Bud Roebuck’s daughter, McLayne, of Lake Placid, will be competing in barrel racing on her horse “French Contender.” (Bud Roebuck was the 2018 National Reining Horse Association champion, featured in the August/ September 2019 issue of Florida Country Magazine.)

McLayne Roebuck of Lake Placid is shown here at the NBHA Youth World Finals this past summer, competing on "French Contender". This pair has since won prize monies at the Pink Buckle in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and the Ruby Buckle in Memphis, Tennessee.

Clockwise from top left, Ryleigh Kaye Adams, of Okeechobee, winning WPRA Junior Barrels at March Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo; Maci McDonald, 16, of St. Cloud, qualifying at National Barrel Horse Association Youth World Finals; New Smyrna Beach's Courtney Carbajal, 15, qualifying in goat-tying at Davie All-Florida Junior Rodeo; Clayton Culligan, 17, of Okeechobee, qualifying in steer wrestling.

Clockwise from top left, Felda's Kaydence Tindall, 15, qualifying at Chris Neal's Future Stars of Calf Roping; Maci at National Little Britches Rodeo; Kaydence at Florida High School Rodeo in Ocala; Courtney at Moore Haven Cinch Junior High Rodeo.

McLayne Roebuck and French Contender did quite well at this past summer’s National Barrel Horse Association Youth World Finals in Perry, Georgia, sending them back to the short round in the 1D Division. They will be joined by 12 other young ladies, with some qualifying on more than one equine partner. Nine-year-old Carlton Pailey Pearce, also from Lake Placid, is a prime example of these Florida rodeo youngsters. Mom Lacy says, “She works so hard with her horses, and it is nice to see how things are working out for her.” Carlton will be competing on “Little Nitro 308,” whom she affectionately calls “Priscilla.” This pair took second place in the WPRA Junior Barrels at the March Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo. In addition to competing, Carlton and younger brother Olan help out in the arena rounding up the stock during the roping events. These talented kids are from Miami-Dade in South Florida to Pensacola in the Panhandle, and all points in between. Many qualified through the Southern Most Rodeo, held July 30 at Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center. Others got in with National Little Britches Rodeo on July 7 at Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma; Roy Cooper, Jr.’s Roping on July 3 or the NRS Timed Events on July 6, both in Decatur, Texas; or the Cody Ohl Roping on July 11 in San Antonio. Early March of 2021 will see them start out at the Semi-Finals at the Fort Worth Stockyards, with hopes of making it to “The American” itself! FCM