story by Lily Weinacht
Rodeo is a way of life for Casey Barnes and his family, starting with his grandpa, passing down to his parents, and now, manifesting itself in 20-year-old Casey and his younger brothers. The steer wrestler, tie-down roper, and team roper from Maybell, Colorado, is finishing his second season with the CPRA, while also working to fill his PRCA permit. He’s currently competing on the Central Arizona Community College rodeo team in Casa Grande. “I like to steer wrestle a lot – there’s more of a rush to it, and it’s different from my roping events,” Casey explains. “I’m a heeler in the team roping, and I often rope with my brother Cutter, who’s a header. He just graduated from high school, so we’ll be roping together a lot.” They also have a younger brother, Cactus, who competes in the NLBRA.
Casey started his rodeo career in the NLBRA, winning the World All-Around Little Wrangler title in 2004, and winning the CJHSRA all-around in 2010. He took first in the CSHSRA steer wrestling his junior year and returned to Nationals his senior year in steer wrestling and tie-down roping. “Rodeo is what I really enjoy doing. My mom and dad, Joyce and Bruce, have helped me out a ton and always made sure I’m on the best horse possible and that I have practice cattle.” Both his parents team rope, while his mom has hazed for him and Cutter since high school, and continues to do so for Casey in the CPRA. He also competes in the USTRC and World Series of Team Roping.
His mount in the steer wrestling is a 14-year-old mare, Baylor, he purchased from WNFR qualifier Baylor Roche two years ago. “My calf horse is Tomcat, and we raised him from a yearling and have done a lot of the training on him ourselves,” says Casey. “I’m borrowing my grandpa’s horse, Catman, for team roping, and my mom’s hazing horse is Scully. He’s another one we raised from a yearling and trained.”
Though the Barnes family often goes south to Arizona for the winter, they make their home near Maybell on their ranch, and most of their family lives nearby. “I like Colorado a lot – just not the winters!” Casey says. “I really like being in Arizona and getting to rope every day in the warm weather. It’s a neat place to be.” He’s a freshman at CACC, starting his first year of the two year welding certification program. During the summer, Casey works on his grandpa’s ranch in Colorado, starting colts for both his grandpa and his parents, with hopes of making his own rodeo horses in the future. “With the rest of my time, I enjoy being around my family. We like to go deer and elk hunting together, and we can fill up a rig pretty easily going to the rodeo. I really enjoy the CPRA rodeos – they’re easy to make it to, and the people are real friendly.”
Casey’s goals include qualifying for the CPRA finals in the future, and filling his PRCA permit. “I just want to keep moving up, and be the best that I can!”
