By Laurie Dineen
Braxton, the youngest of the Corman family (Greg, Juhree, Stetson and Cheylin) has been involved with the CJRA since he can remember – and even before that! He began competing when he was six, but with two older siblings competing at CJRA, he got his taste for rodeo competition before he could walk.
This 14 year old, from Burlington, Colo. is now competing in the Senior division of CJRA. “I have been competing at the CJRA rodeos since I was six, getting my feet wet in the Pee Wee division then moving into the Jr. division and now the Sr. division,” Braxton said. “I knew this year would be the hardest, competing against all the other Seniors at the most competitive level there is. I haven’t done as good as I had hoped, but I will make it to the finals and that is an accomplishment in itself and I feel good about that,” he replied.
Braxton competes in the tie down, ribbon roping and team roping as a header. “In the mixed team roping and ribbon roping, I rope with my sister, Cheylin, and in the open with Trevor Singleton, and my dad in the Parent/Child. Of all the events I do, I enjoy the team roping the best,” he said. Braxton has also competed at the CJHRA and was the State Champion Header and qualified for four events at Nationals in Des Moines, IA. He will also qualify for the CJRA Finals and is working hard to have a good outcome for the year end.
“I went into the summer with the goal of winning the saddle in my events,” Braxton said, “I am currently in the top five in the team roping. The fact that I have qualified for the finals in this highly competitive division is a good thing and I am thankful for that! There is really a good group of guys and gals in this organization. The competition is great and the payout is good. Practicing has been more difficult this year due to all the rain we have been getting, but I rope the dummy and ride and rope steers as much as I can. Hopefully, we will have some dryer weather in the next couple of weeks to help me prepare for the finals.”
Braxton will attend Burlington HS and looks forward to Agricultural classes and the metal shop the most. He also plays football and basketball. “I like the competitiveness that comes with both sports and rodeo,” he said. “My mentors have been my Dad and my brother Stetson, with both, my school sports and my rodeo. They have instilled in me competitiveness and offer encouragement along with coaching to help me be the best I can be. My mom and my sister are also great supporters in everything I do.”
In his spare time, Braxton enjoys braiding. He started out braiding bracelets and selling them at various rodeo events but now is working on braiding halters. “Right now I’m just making them for my family,” he stated, “they are a lot more involved than the bracelets.”
Braxton has three years before he will be attending college where he hopes to be able to continue rodeoing and would like to pursue a career in agriculture. But in the meantime, he plans to continue rodeoing and win some of the CJRA Finals saddles over the next three years.
