NJHSRA member, Andy Koenig – JJJ Photo
story by Ruth Nicolaus
Andy Koenig is a tie-down roper, team roper and ribbon roper in the Nebraska Junior High School Rodeo Association.
The 14-year-old cowboy, who lives in Ewing, Neb., rides an eight-year-old bay named Joe for all of his events. Joe is “one of the best horses we have on the place,” Andy said. “He’s always ready to go. He’s been a good horse to me.” The family has owned Joe since he was a weanling. Of all his events, Joe is best at the tie-down roping. “He stops nice and easy, and he works the rope pretty good, keeping it tight for me.”
Andy is an eighth grade student at Chambers High School, where he enjoys math class but isn’t crazy about English. In English class, students have to write essays, each with five paragraphs and five sentences in each paragraph. He loves to read, however, and always has a book or two with him when he’s on the rodeo road. Westerns are his favorite. He’s read Lonesome Dove five times and seen the movie and the sequel. His favorite actors in the movie are Gus (played by Robert Duvall) and Woodrow Call (played by Tommy Lee Jones.)
Andy plays basketball and is a member of the FFA and FCCLA, and is on his school’s honor roll. His favorite teacher was Mrs. Walter in fourth grade. She was fun, and easy to get along with. His sister Kirsten has Mrs. Walter for a teacher this year.
For fun, Andy loves to ride his horse, the four-wheeler, and help his dad around the ranch. He puts out salt and mineral for cattle, helps hitch and unhitch the feed wagon, and helps his Uncle Jim as well. He puts out new posts on the fence line, helps hay, and unhook the grinder from the tractor.
The family has an Australian shepherd dog named Sadie.
Andy competed at state finals the last two years. When he grows up, he’d like to live near Ewing, raise a family, and ranch.
He has two older brothers, Levi, age 19, and Ryan, age 17, and a younger sister, Kirsten, who is ten.
He is the son of John and Brenda Koenig.
