story by Lily Weinacht
“If you really love something, you’ll give up other things that are just for fun in order to do it,” says 16-year-old Jayla Wortman. “I enjoy rodeo more than school sports, and the accomplishments at the end make it worthwhile!” Her accomplishments – including winning a saddle and more than 20 buckles, and qualifying for the 2016 NLBFR where she finished sixth in the short-go in pole bending – are the results of more than ten years of hard work.
Jayla started competing at age six, following her older brother and sisters’ lead. “Our grandpa, Arlen Ross, used to ride bareback and saddle broncs, so it’s been in our family a long time and I got wheeled into it,” Jayla explains. Her dad, Jay Wortman, grew up training horses with his family, while her mom, Jean Wortman was raised in western Kansas and was familiar with Little Britches, though she didn’t rodeo. Today, Jean helps Jayla train her rodeo horses for her events, including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, ribbon roping as the runner, and team roping, heading for Michael Priest. “The bond between you and your horse in barrels makes it really special, especially when you do well on a horse your family trained. And I like in team roping that you have another person depending on you. It puts positive pressure on you, and when you do well, you enjoy the rewards together.”
Jayla ropes occasionally with her cousin, Landon Hutchison, and they attended a Coleman Proctor roping clinic this winter, after their dads won them a roping clinic package at a benefit auction. “”It was pretty cool, because it was for a good cause, and it was neat for us!” says Jayla. “Coleman was a big help with our roping, and we still call him and he’ll watch our roping videos. My sister Breanna has helped me with my horses, and I’ve put a lot of miles on my brother Kelly’s truck. I want to give a big thanks to my family and rodeo sponsors at Eric Norris State Farm Neosho, and Kenton Beard at Midway Veterinary Clinic. I couldn’t be where I am without any of those people!” She is the youngest of six children – Kelly, Ike, Sidney, Paige, and Breanna – and they all come support her at her rodeos.
Her team is rounded out by her rodeo horses, Flash and Titan. Flash stands 16.2 hands high and can hardly remain still, making poles and barrels ideal for him. Flash came from Jayla’s uncle, and she and her mom and sister finished him. Titan, a gray gentle giant, is her mount in the team roping and well loved by many of the rodeo kids. Jayla and her mom and sister train their own horses for rodeo or sell them for prospects, and take in several outside horses for training.
A junior at Neosho High School, Jayla enjoys math, but her favorite class is choir, singing with the Neosho Choraleers. “We’re a show choir, and we add dancing to our songs and go to competitions with other schools,” says Jayla. “There’s a big Heart of America competition that’s several days long, and it’s a lot like rodeo in that you meet people you never would have met without it.” She’s also the junior president of her FFA chapter, and shows horses.
“After high school, I want to attend OSU on a rodeo scholarship and get my veterinary license with a minor in equine chiropractic.” Jayla keeps her rodeo and life goals on a mirror in her room and even in the brim of her hat. “I write down things like keeping my tip down and riding to my spot – little things I sometimes forget when I’m going in,” she explains. “This season, I want to make it to the NLBFR in the top ten of at least two events, and someday, I want to run down the WNFR alley.”
