story by Lindsay Humphrey
“I did my bleacher time, so I decided that I wanted to play too,” said Becky Teller who stepped back inside the rodeo arena after almost 25 years on the sidelines. She has the typical rodeo story of growing up around horses and cattle in Hermosa, South Dakota. She got her start in 4-H and moved up the ranks of Little Britches, high school and then college rodeo. She has the unique love story of growing up with her husband, Jerod, in their small town just outside of Rapid City. “Our parents were friends and we both got into team roping so we ended up as partners throughout high school rodeo.” A year older than Jerod, Becky went to college in Rapid City for a year where she competed in breakaway roping, goat tying and team roping at National College.
After Jerod graduated high school it wasn’t long before the two were married and had a baby on the way. They were still going to jackpots and local rodeos when time allowed. Becky was working at Target when she requested a transfer to a store in Chandler, Arizona. “Some of my parent’s friends had wintered there and talked about how nice it was. On a whim I put in the request to transfer, and it went through. We moved to Arizona on a wing and a prayer.” When Becky left South Dakota with her young family, they weren’t even sure where they would be living once they made it to Arizona. All the kinks of a stressful move across the country worked themselves out and Becky settled into her new life.
“We gradually got our horses moved to Arizona. Jerod worked in construction and I worked at Target and some daycares while I was going to school at night.” After leaving South Dakota, there wasn’t a lot of roping or even riding happening for Becky. Before the kids – Clinton, Cullen and Corilynn – were old enough to rodeo, Becky was too busy with work and school to be out with the horses. And then she helped her kids through the ranks of rodeo and before she knew it almost 20 years had passed since she was in the saddle with the competitive spirit coursing through her veins. All that changed when Jerod joined the NSPRA and introduced Becky to a new chapter in their lives.
“I got some mares with Shining Spark lines started and then let my sons season them for a bit. Now I’m competing in the barrels and breakaway. Getting back to competing has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done in my life. But it’s also been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.” This year will mark Becky’s fourth season with the NSPRA and in 2021 she certainly left an impression. Not only was she the 2021 NSPRA World Champion Breakaway Roper, but she also took the title in the 50 and over barrel racing. “All I wanted to do was get some time in the arena with the senior pro. I knew that if I just did my job completely, that things would work out somewhere. I didn’t pay any attention to the points.”
When Becky heard her name called as a two-time world champion at the finals banquet, it was enough of a shock that she thought it was a mistake. “I just wanted to catch everything, and to do the best I can. My son Cullen is very competitive, and he told me on my final calf to come hookin’ and that I would catch and that’s what I did.” Becky finds some sort of inspiration in almost everyone around her, but it’s a special kind that she finds in her own kids. “I’m just so fortunate to have so many people be so encouraging. And I have two little grandsons that are into it as well. If they can come watch a rodeo, they’re on the fence yelling and that’s the best thing ever. I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to go rodeo while I can.”
