story by Lindsay King
Twelve year old Talon Tucker from Nardin, Oklahoma, is the second oldest of six siblings: Karlie, 15, Laine, 10, Sage, 9, Rickey, 3, and one-year-old Quincy. All six of the Tucker siblings rodeo to some extent. “My dad, Justin, was in his late 20s when he first started as a tie-down roper, he just eventually got my sisters and I into rodeo too. We all started riding horses and tracking the dummy around when we were little. I started playing around with a rope when I was probably about five,” said the seventh grader. He said his mom, Miranda, and his dad have been his biggest influences in rodeo so far. “Tyson Durfey is probably my rodeo role model. He ropes really well and on top of that he is also a great horseman.”
Talon is a calf roper by trade but dabbles in goat tying and team roping. “I team roped last year but decided I didn’t want to keep doing it. So now I just breakaway, calf rope and tie goats.” His favorite is the fast-paced breakaway roping. “Roping is my favorite thing to do. I get to be out with family and friends all while being around and working with horses when I rope. That is why it is my favorite thing to do.”
Two runs equating to just over six seconds, sent Talon to the winner’s circle at the 2015 AQHYA World Show in the breakaway roping. “That was one of my proudest moments so far. I ended up with the fifth-place ribbon. Getting to line up with all my rodeo friends beside me at the world show was a great moment.” Talon has also made it to the Rising Stars Calf Roping short round twice in both breakaway and tie-down roping. “I never try to be fast, I just want to be smooth. That is all that I am thinking about when I am sitting in the box ready to rope.”
The reigning light rifle state champion also enjoys hunting deer and doves. He also goes to work with his dad on occasion. “He is a plumbing contractor for our family business. It is fun to go to work with him. I want to be a plumber one day just like him.” The Tucker kids are all homeschooled. Talon’s favorite subject is math. “It is really surprising, you never know what you are going to do until you start reading the lesson. I like the mystery of it.” A fan of the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, Talon always looks forward to the Bedlam football game. During the summer when Talon is not practicing, he helps his dad with the cattle at home. “I help dad bale the hay fields, mostly I drive the tractor to get things done. I like all sorts of tractors, but my favorite is probably a John Deere since that is what we have.”
The competitive atmosphere of the OKJHSRA helps prepare Talon and his friends for nationals. “Competing in Oklahoma is fun but my goal for this year is to make it to South Dakota for nationals, just like everyone else. It can be tough to keep your points going all year in Oklahoma.” The Tucker family travels many weekends to rodeos together. Talon’s favorite road food is a walking taco, but his mom still makes the best ones at home. “I love being on the road with my family, we get to do a lot of neat things together because of rodeo.”
