story by Michele Toberer
Born and raised in Berryville, Arkansas, Chance Biggerstaff has been a card holder with the Arkansas Cowboys Association since he was 17 years old. Fast-forward 18 years, and the cowboy is still competing in the association, now with his 9-year-old daughter Bella, his fiancé, Samantha Cope, and her 9-year-old daughter LeighAnn joining in the fun as well. “It is such a family-oriented association, and I’m really enjoying this part of life. I’ve went with the guys to rodeos for years but going as a family to these rodeos is really the good part of life now. I get so much enjoyment out of watching the girls compete and win.”
Chance has ridden his whole life, influenced by his dad, Wendell Biggerstaff, who was a cutting horse trainer for many years as he was growing up. “My dad started roping with me when I was 12 and things just bloomed from there. The USTRC was just really kicking off then and you could rope for a lot of money. We went to a lot of jackpots, and I started roping at ACA rodeos when I was 17, qualifying for my first finals that year. I played football for Berryville high School, so I couldn’t make the finals during high school because I had football game. All the finals I’ve been to over the years I’ve qualified as a header, this year I’m trying to make it on the heel side.”
Chance is grateful to have an ACA rodeo series that takes place on Monday nights in Berryville, and they fit in as many weekend rodeos as possible in addition to those each season. They have a heavy schedule to juggle because both LeighAnn and Bella are active in sports besides barrel racing, and their basketball and softball schedules keep the family busy. “Samantha is a great athlete and was big in sports growing up, and I was an all-state and all-American defensive tackle in football and set weight-lifting records in the 3A division. I love sports and always said I wanted to raise my kids in sports and staying active. Both girls also run barrels and run on horses we’ve raised, so that’s extremely rewarding.”
For a living, Chance rides horses and he and partner, Shea Bailey, make nice performance horses for clients. “We have a good system starting these horses together and keeping it safe for both of us. We are starting a couple colts for Tyler Worley right now. Shea also heads for me at ACA rodeos.” Samantha works for Fed Ex. Chance is especially proud of the Playgun horses his family rides. “We have full sisters out of a Playgun stud here in Berryville. Ethel is a 5-year-old bay mare that I rides and rope on and Samantha is starting in barrels; and Radar is a 6-year-old dark brown mare I gave Samantha for her birthday when she was a colt. She took off full-steam ahead with her and made the finals in barrels in ACA and also made the BBR Futurity on her as a 4-year-old, made it back to the top 10 there as a 5-year-old, and is on track to do it again as a 6-year-old.”
“I’ve made more friends and enemies in the rodeo world, but with rodeo you always come back around to being friends. When there is competition, whether it’s ping-pong or roping steers, everyone has that hash that ends up working out. This is just a life I love, even with the downs, horses and rodeo have been bred into me, and I have made a lot of friends in the ACA that have helped me along the way. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
