story by Ruth Nicolaus
Brook Jamison comes from rodeo blood.
Her mom, Lisa Poese Jamison, is the 1991 Miss Rodeo America, and her dad, Monte, is a multiple-time Mid-States and Nebraska State Rodeo Association team roping champion.
So it’s no surprise she breakaway ropes, team ropes (heeling for Kurtis Palmer), and runs barrels and poles in the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association.
The eighteen year old cowgirl lives on a ranch north of Ashby, Nebraska, but because of the 32 mile trip to Hyannis High School, which takes 45 minutes on trail roads, she lives at the family’s second home in Hyannis during the week. She usually drives in on Monday morning and stays for the week, returning home for the weekend.
As a senior in high school, she is taking college English and psychology classes. Psychology class is her favorite; college English has been tough, due to the essays the students are required to write.
Brook plays basketball, volleyball, and runs track. She is on the honor roll and is a member of the National Honor Society. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Garner, her former English teacher and the journalism class advisor. Mrs. Garner can be funny, but she knows when to work, too. “She may be joking around, or yelling at you to get your stuff done, but it’s definitely fun,” Brook said. “She gets you. She knows what you’re going through.”
For the breakaway roping, Brook rides a ten year old sorrel named J.B. For the barrels and poles, she rides a fifteen year old black horse named Texas, and her heel horse is Trigger, a six year old palomino who she trained last summer and seasoned during the fall rodeo run.
Brook credits her dad for teaching her how to rope, and her mom for teaching her horsemanship, especially in the barrels and poles. Her mom trained Texas, who is an exceptionally smart horse. “If you mess up (riding him), it’s a rider error,” Brook said.
After high school, Brook will attend college and hopes to play basketball.
She has competed in the breakaway and mixed team roping in the Mid-States and Nebraska State Rodeo Associations the past four years, roping with her dad and making the 2015 NSRA Finals in the breakaway roping.
Brook is also proud of her basketball team, the Hyannis Longhorns, who qualified for the state tournament in 2016, the first time in seventeen years. The team is slated to do even better this year, with ten returning players.
In high school rodeo, she finished her freshman and sophomore years as reserve state breakaway champion, and as a junior, was the barrel racing champion. She has competed at the National High School Finals three times.
Brook has a younger brother, B.J., who is twelve years old.
