story by Siri Stevens
JD Draper has been competing since he was a junior boy in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association. He qualified for the Junior Ironman Championships, held during the CINCH Timed Event Challenge, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, March 3-5. “It was fun – lots of fun,” said the 18-year-old from Oakley, Kansas. “They did over forty runs in an hour – all ten of us.” He competed against nine other boys in tie-down roping, team roping, both heading and heeling, and steer wrestling. The senior told his teachers that he was leaving to go win some money. “They are really supportive behind me.”
JD ended up second ($5,000) at the Junior Ironman Championships, with a 10 second gap between he and Bo Yaussi, aso from Kansas. “I’d say our team roping and bulldogging were our strongest event. My calf roping was the weakest this weekend. I missed my first loop on my first one and I second looped him for 19 at the very back of the pen. My second one was really strong. Yesterday I drew the one that nobody wanted.”
His bulldogging horse, Chance, won the Junior Ironman AQHA Top Horse award, which paid $250 and a plaque. “Chance is an 18-year-old sorrel gelding that I got last summer out of Tennessee. When Troy Orr had him, he won horse of the year four years in a row. I talked to Kyle Irwin on Facebook and he gave me Troy’s number. I called him and he brought him to the National Junior High Finals and I took him home. He was everything Troy told me he was and more. He’s the quietest horse I’ve been around. I can bulldog steers and put my 6 month old nephew on the saddle with me and he walks off like he was retired. He’s quiet in the box, does the same trip every time, never pulls out.” JD jauled seven horses to the event, six of his own and his partner, Trevor Meier’s horse.
JD grew up helping his dad, Chad, at the family feedlot. He started roping at an early age, entering the junior dummy ropings at the USTRC ropings. “I won my first one in 2004 in Cheyenne, Wyoming,” he said. Since then, he’s won four saddles and too many buckles to count. “I made a big coffee table at school that has sand in the bottom and my buckles and a glass top.” He is an only child, which is just fine with him. “It’s fun being an only child; there’s no brothers and sisters to fight with.”
He prepared for the Junior Ironman by practicing at two different indoor arenas every day. And now that it’s over, he has one week before the beginning of his spring rodeo schedule, which includes both NLBRA and Kansas High School rodeo. He is planning to head to Cheyenne next fall and rodeo for Laramie County Community College. “The coach, Beau Clark, called and all he wants to do is practice, which works great for me.” He plans to major in Ag Business and be a feed nutritionist.
Beau is excited to have JD join the Golden Eagles. “Every time I visit with JD on the phone, he is headed to practice or compete. It doesn’t surprise us that he did so well at the Junior Timed Event because of his horse power, talent and work ethic. “
The sky is the limit for JD Draper, and it will be exciting to watch this “young gun,” achieve the goals he has set for his future in rodeo.”
JD thanked his partner and longtime friend, Trevor, for roping with him at the event. “I also want to thank everyone that stood behind me.”
