Story by Heidi Geesen
Almost as far east as you can go in Colorado on Highway 34 you will find a town named in the late 1800’s after the Yuma Indian tribe. Yuma has long been known for productive agriculture using the Ogalala aquafer to grow thousands of bushels of various grain crops yearly and boasting over a quarter of a million cattle on feed at any given time. That has changed over the last decade. Anyone that remotely follows youth rodeo and the CJRA now knows Yuma Colorado as the home of the Evans Family. Coy, Cash, and Cassidy have won to many titles to list in a 600-word article, so the easiest way to sum it up is by saying they have won A LOT! Titles in every youth association in the region, NLBRA, CJHRA, CSHSRA, CJRA, and Young Guns just to graze the surface.
The newest Champion of this elite, but very modest and respectful winning machine is younger brother Cross. Cross has been a member of the CJRA since he could start competing at age 5. The 2021 CJRA rodeo season seen Cross, and his 19-year-old horse Mocha, put on a dominating performance. Cross uses Mocha in every event, Flags, Barrels, Poles, and Goats, and would have probably used her in the Dummy Roping as well if a horse was needed. They won all around titles at 8 of the 12 rodeos during the year and didn’t let off the accelerator when they arrived at Lamar for the CJRA finals. Cross and his fine partner would take home average titles in the barrels and poles, as well as winning second in the aggregate in the flags, and third in the goat tying aggregate. Cross would also strap on a new buckle to his belt for winning the All-Around at the finals. Cross and Mocha would also take home two new saddles for winning the year-end in the barrels and poles, as well as a runner-up Best Ever pad in the flags, and a couple breast collars for third place finishes in the goat tying and dummy roping. Last was what Cross called his most memorable win to date, and that was the 2021 CJRA Year-End All-Around Championship.
The junior boys had better watch the rear-view mirrors as Cross moves up a division next year and sets his sights on more year-end titles in years to come. Cross was excited when he started talking about moving up a division, stating that he couldn’t wait to start entering the Assisted Calf Tying, and the Chute Dogging. His ambitions don’t stop there though, he then told me how he wants to go on and qualify for the NFR in the Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Calf Roping, and Steer Wrestling, and maybe even the Team Roping.
When Cross isn’t in the arena making his rodeo dreams and goals become check marks on the list of things accomplished, you will find him helping his Dad Chris, and Mom Megan on the ranch, as well as his sibling’s. “I like helping on the ranch, moving cows, or branding, or calving. It seems like we always have a blizzard in the winter, and we have to go out and save some calves from the snowdrifts,” Cross told us in Cortez at a CJHRA rodeo. Cold weather and snowdrifts must not bother this little buckaroo to much though, because in his next breath he says, “When I grow up, I want to be a rancher just like my Dad.” If you ever have an opportunity to meet this young talented Cowboy, don’t miss it. He will leave a smile on your face that will last for days.
