M-SRA member, Justen Nokes – Peter Hammer
story by Terry Rhodes
With the Mid-States Finals just about 15 days from the date of this issue, Justen Nokes has an insurmountable lead in the All Around race. He has a good possibility of picking up steer wrestling and team roping titles as well. In a bit of understatement Justen says, “It’s been a good year, and I’m going to try to keep winning.”
Justen says that the Mid-States Rodeo Association is a good fit into his rodeo program. “It’s a good association and they have rodeos in several different areas that I like to rodeo in.” He made it to about 30 of the Mid-States rodeos and also holds memberships in the NSRA and KPRA.
He had a double hip replacement in 2013 and the recovery and rehab slowed his rodeo activity until this year. “I hadn’t steer wrestled in about five years and now I’m healthy enough to get back into competing. I hadn’t been rodeoing much and Travis Goad convinced me to get back to competing. Travis is my heeler in the team roping and he’s extremely talented, and he is in the lead for the team roping heeling title.”
In the steer wrestling he’s riding a young horse that he and his brother-in-law, Richard Coats have been bringing along. “We started her in April and she’s been doing great. I’m riding a new horse, and I’ve got new hips, so it’s worked out great. It’s been fun. My team roping horse is a high powered Quarter Horse with a little bit of running blood in there which makes him fast and that works out pretty well.”
The Nokes name is well known in the rodeo world thanks to the efforts and success of Justen and his brother, Garrett. His parents helped them get into rodeo at an early age. “We started off in junior rodeo and then went into Little Britches, high school rodeo and college rodeo. I was in pro rodeo for about 10 years.” Justen gives credit to his parents for that help in beginning to rodeo. “My brother and I were always competing against each other and that made us more competitive. But my whole family has been supportive and a big part of my success.”
On any given day Justen will be involved in different career pursuits. He and his wife have a livestock equipment manufacturing business they operate, he’s a college rodeo team coach, and he shoes horses. “My wife is a CPA and has practice of her own. We have LH Manufacturing and make livestock feeders, bulk feeders, bale rings and that type of equipment. And I shoe horses. So no two days are the same around here.”
One of Justen’s main pursuits is his career as the rodeo coach for Hastings College in Hastings, Neb. He’s also involved in the recruiting of up-and-coming rodeo talent. “This is a program I started six years ago. It’s fun to help the kids succeed and be an influence to them in and out of the arena. Sometimes I’ll recruit kids or they will find me, and if it works out for their education goals, then it’s a good deal for everyone.”
Justen and his wife, Ashley live in Hastings, Neb. “She breakaway ropes and we are in the mixed team roping together. So we get to travel together and it’s a lot of fun.” Any spare time is spent with family and friends or maybe on the golf course. Goals are to continue to rodeo, run the businesses and, “…keep the ball rolling.”
