story by Lily Weinacht
Travis Kessler comes from a family of ropers and steer wrestlers. The 15-year-old from Abbyville, Kansas, is carrying on that tradition by competing in the KJHSRA, where he’s sitting fourth in the chute dogging standings. “Rodeo has just been a family thing, and I thought I’d keep it going,” says Travis. “It’s something I find more fun to do than other sports. I’ve done football, but I’m pretty focused on rodeo. I started competing probably three years ago, but I’ve always liked to rope since I was little.”
He’s following after his Uncle Thomas Kessler, who was a 2009 NHSFR qualifier in the steer wrestling. Thomas helps Travis in the chute dogging, and so does Travis’s dad, who steer wrestled and also heads and heels in the team roping. He coaches Travis and his 17-year-old brother, Jacob, in their roping, and the brothers and their parents, Gene and Dona Kessler, travel together to the junior high and high school rodeos. They also have an older sister, Shyanne, who rodeoed in the HYRA. She comes to cheer them on at some of their rodeos, and so do their aunts and uncles.
“I try to practice at least every other day. We practice here at home a lot, and sometimes we go to friends’ houses to rope,” says Travis. “Jacob Bertram is one of my really good friends, and he’s helped me a lot and inspired me to do things I wouldn’t have done. I met him at US ropings and jackpots and we became friends, and he’s helped me get better at heading and rating steers.” Travis enters USTRC ropings with his brother or his friend Jacob, while he heads for his friend Rhett Robbins in the KJHSRA. “We’ve been roping together about two years. I like both my events. Chute dogging—it’s rough and it’s competitive, and in team roping I like the teamwork and Rhett has been one of my friends for a long time, and that makes it even more fun.”
Travis does all his roping off of Little Blackie, a mare that he and his family trained. She’s an all-around horse that can head, heel, and track calves, while Travis plans to start jumping steers soon so he’s ready for steer wrestling in high school. The family’s red heeler, Hooey, spends time with them at the practice pen, while the Kesslers sometimes travel to rodeos with one of their four white Capuchin monkeys, Jody, Parker, Timmy, and Sissy. “They’re very protective of whoever they’re with,” Travis explains. “The center consul in the truck is where Jody normally rides.”
It’s a 15-mile drive to Fairfield School, where Travis is finishing eighth grade. He enjoys all types of science and is currently working on chemistry and lab experiments. Once chores are done, Travis often rides horses and practices his roping. The NXT5 head rope by Classic is one of his favorites. “It’s soft and it’s a pretty snappy rope. I also like to ride four wheelers around and jump ditches, and hang out with family. I like living out here because we have lots of trails and places we can ride.”
Travis enjoys any roping or rodeo that’s held at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and he plans to enter the Jeff Smith Truck Roping next year for a shot at winning a Dodge pickup. He’s also working toward a qualification to the NJHFR and plans to start high school rodeo this fall. “In school, I plan to be a diesel mechanic, and in rodeo, I just want to continue getting better and faster.”
