story by Claire Vincent
“The rodeo is won in the practice pen, not at the rodeo itself.” Says the 14 year old eighth grader from Iowa, Louisiana. Cougar Racca is the son of Brad Racca and Kendal and Brandon Henry. He has three siblings Grant, McKenna, and Ainsly. Cougar’s step dad, Brandon, was a calf roper in high school, and he got Cougar into rodeo about five years ago. At the Louisiana Junior High Rodeo Association he competes in tie down roping, ribbon roping, chute dogging, and goat tying. This is Cougar’s third year to rope with his ribbon roping partner, Ava Nunez, at the junior high rodeos, but they have roped together at Little Britches rodeos for many years.
The Louisiana High School Rodeo Association finished up their last rodeo in November until the New Year, and Cougar Racca got the job done every time he backed into the box. At the last junior high rodeo of the season he was the champion tie down roper and champion ribbon roper. At the two rodeos before that, he was second in ribbon roping, second in tie down, and third in chute dogging. The only thing Cougar thinks at the rodeo is “see your start and rope the neck.” He firmly believes the rodeo is won in the practice, and that if you think too much at the rodeo then you have not done your job at home. He says, “Once you back into the box and see your start, the rest is muscle memory.”
Cougar has grown up watching cowboys from his home state make a name for themselves like, Shane Hanchey, Cheyenne and Maverick Harper, and Kincade Henry, so it makes sense that tie down roping is his favorite event. Cougar tie down ropes on his horse Bob. He has owned Bob since July, and he is his go to horse because, he is solid, and he does the same thing every time. He enjoys tie down roping so much because it is challenging and there is no room for mistakes.
Cougar’s idol, Shane Hanchey is a 10 time NFR qualifier, and the 2013 PRCA world champion calf roper. Cougar says, “I can learn a lot from watching Shane rope.” Shane puts on an invitational roping each year, and Cougar is excited to rope in it in the future.
Cheyenne and Maverick Harper have both made the Southeast and Prairie Circuit Finals and they live in the same town as Cougar. He says, “Cheyenne helps me with my roping and Maverick helps me with my horsemanship.” His cousin, Kincade Henry, has won the junior NFR, the Shane Hanchey Invitational, and has now started his pro rodeo career. Kincade lives in Texas now, but when he comes to Louisiana he practices with Cougar. “I’m lucky to have these guys in my corner. They push me to be the best.” says Cougar.
This is his last year to junior high rodeo, but he is looking forward to the start of his high school rodeo career, and getting to compete against his friends at the LHSRA rodeos. This past summer Cougar was the 2020 reserve state champion breakaway roper, and was headed to Des Moines, Iowa to compete at nationals, but unfortunately it was canceled due to Covid 19.
Cougar is ready to start the 2021 rodeo season. In the future, he has big hopes of winning a LJHSRA state championship, along with a junior high and high school national championship. Cougar is still young and has a while to figure out what he wants to do, but he says, “I don’t know what I want to go to college for, but I do know I want to pro rodeo and qualify for the NFR.”
