story by Lily Weinacht
Jeremy Beauchamp is the 2016 SPRA Team Roping Header Champion. The 28 year old from Columbiana, Alabama, secured the title his rookie year in the association after qualifying with his dad, Terry Denard. “Dad has rodeoed for years, and I grew up roping and riding,” says Jeremy, who junior high and high school rodeoed for Alabama. After graduating high school, he entered a number of ropings and later won Rookie of the Year in the PCA in 2012. He heels at the occasional jackpot, and also competed in tie-down roping for several years.
“Rodeo is something I grew up loving, and I want my kids to grow up in the same atmosphere I did,” Jeremy says. “It’s challenging and good family fun, and a great sport to be a part of. My dad has helped me out a lot throughout the years and I have friends that have driven me, but my wife, Kendra, is probably my biggest supporter. I appreciate her following me all last year and going to every single rodeo. She’s had my back and really pushed me to go.”
Jeremy and Kendra’s parents were friends, and the couple met just after he returned from a roping in Florida. Jeremy has been teaching her to rope in between the arrival of their children, and their nine-month-old son, Atticus, has gone to every one of Jeremy’s rodeos and ropings since he was born. They are expecting their second child, a girl, in August. “We even had our gender reveal at a rodeo a few weeks ago,” says Jeremy. “I planned it with the association, and during intermission at a rodeo, they had taken my gray horse and spray painted him. Kendra and Atticus and I came into the arena when they let my horse go, and he was pink.”
Kendra calls the gray horse Wild Bill, and Jeremy refers to him as Gray. The gelding came out of Montana as a four-year-old, and Jeremy bought him a year later. “I just finished him in the last year, and I’ve been training a head horse for Kendra. We also have my old head horse and my dad’s buckskin I’ve been riding. Kendra is a big animal lover – we have eight dogs – and we live on about ninety acres outside of town.”
Jeremy frequently roped with his dad at his arena until Terry was diagnosed with cancer last fall. Since then, Jeremy has been roping with friends, including Phillip Kelce, who heeled for Jeremy at the SPRA finals. “We don’t have to practice a lot since we’re going to so many ropings. I’m doing SPRA, PCA, and Lone Star rodeos this year,” he explains. During the week, Jeremy works for a plumbing company doing leak detection and overseeing dig jobs. “I’ve been with them five years, and they’re real understanding about rodeo and giving me time off. All we really do if we have free time is go to a roping or a rodeo!”
Jeremy also hopes to start competing in World Series of Team Roping events. “Right now, I’m just working to get this gray horse seasoned, and to hopefully win the title in the SPRA again,” he finishes. “I’d really like to rope anywhere and everywhere I can.”
