story by Michele Toberer
Carter Perry is an 11-year-old 6th grader at Cedar Creek, a private school in Ruston, Louisiana, and is enjoying his rookie season with the Louisiana Junior High Rodeo Association. He lives with his parents, Chris and Stephanie Perry, and his younger sister, Cate, 5-years-old. Chris works in his oil field equipment rental company, Red Rock, providing necessary equipment to oil field work sites in Louisiana and east Texas. Chris rode horses and roped some growing up; and picked up the team roping hobby once again while he attended Louisiana Tech College. He’s glad to have his son roping with him now, and the family spends lots of time in their home arena in Arcadia, Louisiana, where they keep cattle to practice on. Cate competes in a youth rodeo association, counting the days until she can compete in LJHSRA as well. Stephanie works as a CPA, and although she doesn’t ride or have a rodeo background, she is Carter’s biggest supporter and keeps the family organized so they can accomplish all they need to do, keeping school first, and rodeo second.
Carter was excited to move up to the junior high rodeo ranks this year after competing in youth rodeo from the age of 6. In his younger years, he played football and baseball, but after juggling school, sports and rodeo, decided to narrow his efforts towards rodeo alone. He is currently competing in breakaway roping, tie down roping, team roping, chute dogging, and goat tying. Carter heads and heels in team roping but is competing as a heeler with partner, Bryson Landry for this LJHSRA season. Carter heels on a blue roan gelding, named Blue, that is 15 years old. For breakaway roping and goat tying he competes on a 10-year-old black and white paint gelding named Scout. “Both horses are pretty cool and laid back, I really like riding them both.” Carter’s favorite professional rodeo athlete is world champion steer wrestler, Tyler Waguespack, and he would like to steer wrestle like him in the future.
The Perrys try to give Carter as many opportunities in rodeo as possible, and he was able to qualify for the 2018 Jr. NFR in Las Vegas, Nevada, competing in his favorite event, breakaway roping. He made the trip out to Las Vegas again this past December and competed in breakaway roping at the 2019 Junior World Finals as well as the Mike Johnson’s Tuffest Junior World Championships. Although he didn’t have the luck he hoped for at the events, qualifying was a great accomplishment, and there’s no doubt the wins will be coming soon.
When they have time, the family likes to relax at their lake house on Lake Claiborne in Louisiana, and Carter spends a lot of time behind the family’s boat, mastering tricks as an avid wakeboard surfer. Carter is appreciative to his parents for all they do, and also thankful to Randall Carlisle who helps him in calf roping. “Randall lives not too far from us and has helped me a lot roping calves. In team roping, Speed Williams helps me a bunch and is always good to check on me to see how things are going.” At the midway point in the season, Carter is ready to finish the spring rodeos strong. He hopes to qualify for the national junior high rodeo finals in Des Moines, Iowa to finish off his rookie season with LJHSRA. “I really like the LJHSRA rodeos and getting to hang out will all my rodeo friends.” Once Carter grows up, he would love to become a professional roper competing at the WNFR.
