all kinds. He learned early to have a strong work ethic, whether helping to check cattle from a backpack worn by his father or in a playpen by the side of the hay field. Since they had cattle, dogs and cats and the occasional squirrel or raccoon, Cimarron learned about loving and caring for animals. All of those early life lessons provided a great foundation for what would be his future life endeavor. As Cimarron grew sports became an integral part of his life. Among the endless farm activities, Cimarron participated in every sport he could; he was on the school basketball, football, soccer, and baseball team, as well as seasonal recreational league teams. To participate in any sports in the Boardman family, you had to have all homework completed and maintain high grades; have all daily chores completed; always do your best; do whatever the coach asked and finally – No Quitting. It seemed like simple rules but as life continued, Cimarron learned that the rules were also applicable to everyday life. Cimarron didn’t begin to rope until very late in life. Cimarron got his first horse when he was 10 years old and with his father’s help, began to learn horsemanship and all of the responsibilities that go with it. A few months later, a family friend suggested that the boys learn to calf rope. Cimarron’s dad built a calf roping dummy and bought It was a cool, summer Missouri day with more ribbons than anyone. a rope for each of the boys. He gave morning. Kids of all ages were getting Who would have ever believed that them implicit instructions: Practice loosened up for their specific swim little guy would grow up to absolutely Every Day. They were not allowed team event. This whole swim team thrive on competition! The frightened on a horse with a rope in hand, until thing was new to the Boardman fam- little swimmer described was Cimar- they could rope the dummy 100 times ily and their first event, the 8 & under ron Breck Boardman, Professional without missing. If there was a miss Freestyle, was about to begin! Each Calf Roper at the grand age of seven. they started over at one. Cimarron was little swimmer was at their appointed Cimarron’s parents loving raised about 13 at that time & suddenly learnposition, waiting for the bang of the their sons to be responsible and inde- ing to handle a rope took priority over gun, except their son who declared pendent thinking young adults. They other sports. that he was not participating. After a wanted them to grow up to be happy, In 1994, Cimarron’s family decided few seconds of heated conversation be- successful men that could have a posi- to build a large indoor arena & their tween father and son and with the ap- tive effect on the world they lived in. western-style activities jumped up a proval of the meet coach, the child was They choose a cattle farm as the en- notch. They planned and implemented gently ‘helped’ into the pool. When the vironment to raise their family. The events every weekend – youth rodeos, race was over their son had handily farm allowed Cimarron to experience team ropings and barrel races. While won the event and he proudly left that a life filled with family and animals of
Boardman Cimarron Boardman
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Cimarron & his brother Kaden spent most of their free time practicing roping, the rest of their time was split between school & working at the arena. Cimarron’s first real rodeo came during his freshman year in high school when he and his brother joined the Missouri High School Rodeo Association. They made it to NHSRA that summer in team roping. Though they did not win anything notable, it was the start to their ‘rodeo careers.’ During his sophomore year in high school Cimarron dropped all other sports for rodeo. His days were spent in school, doing homework, working at the arena & finally practicing. His skills continued to improve as all of his abilities were focused into one area - roping! Competing for the Missouri High School Rodeo Cimarron won the State Calf Roping Championship title. He competed four times at the National HS Finals, at the IFYR Team Roping Championship, and Reserve AQHA Youth World Title. Cimarron realized that roping could be his future and that meant a lot of traveling. His family realized that for Cimarron to continue to improve & to catch up with other ropers his age, he needed every roping experience possible. Most weekends Cimarron & his mother were on the road, either going to a high school rodeo or a calf roping jackpot. As long as calf roping
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was involved, they went anywhere & everywhere. Soon Cimarron was offered a full-ride scholarship to West Texas College in Snyder, TX. Cimarron’s first and second response to the scholarship offer was a definitive “NO Thanks.” It was too far away from friends & family. His third response, on the other hand, was “I’ll think about it” and he finally agreed to meet the coach and visit the campus. When his mother picked him up from the airport, she knew he was Texas bound. Though his family was uncomfortable with him moving 15 hours away, Cimarron realized that if he wanted to be a professional Calf Roper he had to be where the action was, and that meant relocating. Cimarron received the 2nd largest college scholarship in his graduating class of 375, but because they didn’t consider ‘Rodeo’ a legitimate career, it was left out of the program. Cimarron turned Professional as soon as he could and has continued to
professionally rope ever since. He has won some of the nation’s largest rodeos and he still challenges himself to be better and faster. He loves the sport of rodeo and the friendships that have been forged along the way. Rodeo life has been good, though financially tough at times; it has allowed Cimarron to develop the gift that God gave him. There is an old saying about fear – “F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise’; the choice is yours. Through the years, friends and family of Cimarron thought that a successful rodeo career for a young Midwestern farm boy was just a dream. It was and as Cimarron knows, dreams can come true. A lot has happened since that first scary swim competition all those years ago. A lot of miles have been traveled and a lot of hard lessons learned, but, now, looking back, his family is thankful that Cimarron chose to ‘Face Everything And Rise’!