story by Lindsay Humphrey
Although Baylee Barker has many talents, one thing she’s proven most recently is that she can rope three calves very consistently. She went into the KHSRA finals sitting second in the breakaway roping and held onto that spot to punch her ticket to high school nationals for the very first time. “Junior high nationals last summer was really good, but this year was even better,” said the sophomore from Atlanta, Kansas, who was the reserve champion breakaway roper at junior high nationals. “The best way I can describe nationals is that it was happy. I got to do what I love and meet new people. It was a great experience.” After the first round, Baylee was 14th and after another strong round, she was in sixth heading into the short round. “I was a 1.9 but I broke out to be seventh overall. It was definitely devastating, but it was also my first year. I roped all three of my calves and that’s what I set out to do.”
Even though Baylee loves breakaway roping, it wasn’t the event that introduced her to rodeo. “I’ve grown up in a rodeo family – my parents (Zack and Jane) team roped and did some ranch rodeos, stuff like that. But it was really my uncle (Dave Mahlandt) who got me started.” Baylee took the typical junior rodeo route before she went on a detour for a few years and explored school sports. Volleyball was her main interest before she found her way back into the roping pen about 6 years ago. “I don’t really know what made me want to get back on a horse and rope again, I just did it and never looked back. That was just team roping at the time, breakaway roping came later. I went to one of Lari Dee and Hope’s clinics and that’s really where it took over me. It felt like that’s what I needed to do.”
Baylee knows breakaway roping is something she wants to pursue at least through college, but she also couldn’t give up volleyball. She decided to drop team roping this year so she could focus on breakaway roping and volleyball. “Those are two things that I really love doing. I decided that I needed to put all my effort into those two things instead of having a bunch of side things distracting me.” At just 15 years old, Baylee has already figured out that sometimes less is actually more. Dropping team roping will make achieving some of her goals for the upcoming season a little bit easier. “This last year I practiced three to four times a week, but my goal is to practice every day. In the past, it’s just been an option and I want to make that nonnegotiable this year.”
Leading up to nationals, Baylee’s support system flourished. “My uncle taught me a lot of what I know today, and he’s helped me through a lot even if we haven’t always gotten along in the practice pen. The week before nationals, if my mom was working, he would be down at the house poppin’ the chute for me. He’s always been one of my big supporters.” Still not quite old enough to drive herself, Baylee relies on her parents for that. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without them. They’ve supported me and given me what I need to do big things in the rodeo world, you can’t really put into words how much help they’ve provided.”
One of those provisions is horsepower. Baylee took her main mount and her up-and-comer to nationals. “We got both Remy and Midget from a family friend. I wouldn’t have done as well at nationals without Remy. She has a very respectful personality towards the event, and she puts me in position to make great shots every time.” Named for her stature, Midget, is a bit green but boasts the same personality as Remy. “I used her in the jackpots at nationals and she did okay. I think she can be just as good as Remy one day; she just doesn’t have the experience yet.”
