story by Siri Stevens
Brooklyn Gunter spends five nights a week in the practice pen with her six siblings; Lexi (17), Gabby (13), William (10), Presley (8), Sianna (6), Jesse (4), and 42 cousins. “We don’t cook Friday or Saturday, because of the rodeos. Maw Maw cooks for about 60 of us, and we all eat at the arena, and then we practice.” The 15-year-old from Sulphur, Louisiana, got a new horse this year for pole bending and they are taking home the saddles. She won every round and the short go in the IFYR pole bending riding the famous, Blaze, a grade mare that was bought at the sale barn for $120 plus a $15 stocking fee. She purchased her from Skylar Ragan, who trained the horse. “The first time I got on him, I was really scared,” she said. “We had a 19.6 – it worked out good.” Blaze knows her job and gets nervous before the run. “It takes a while to get her in the arena, but once she sees the poles she’s fine. I don’t breathe through the entire thing, it happens so fast.” The whole family moved camp from Shawnee to Gillette, Wyo., where Brooklyn is keeping up the winning streak with a 20.0. “My horse wouldn’t go in the arena, and they started the clock to disqualify me, so I got nervous.” She was able to get Blaze going, but ended up doing the entire run without stirrups.
Brooklyn and her brothers and sisters are following in their mom’s family footsteps. Jessica (Martin) Gunter, was one of nine siblings who competed in rodeo. Her brother and Brooklyn’s uncle, Casey Martin, is a 4x WNFR Qualifier.
The upcoming sophomore has another love – basketball. She plays forward and wing, and has been at it since fifth grade. “I love it – that’s another family – I get to spend all week with them and all weekend with my rodeo family.” She splits her time in the summer between rodeo and basketball camps. Although she competes in barrels, breakaway, and pole bending, she is concentrating on poles this summer.
She is hoping to go into the medical field when she grows up, thinking about neurosurgery. For now, she is very happy with life. “I am very thankful for my dad, and my family, who is always there to support me – even after a bad run. We have a group message, called ‘the family’, and we can keep up with everything at home, and they are always sending texts to encourage me. The rodeo family is there to help too. I’m very blessed.”
