story by Lily Landreth
Jaytyn Hash took home his first NLBRA world title at the 2019 NLBFR last summer in the team roping, a victory that even months later is still fresh in the 14-year-old’s mind. “I was really surprised after we won the first round and after the second round, I was getting a little happy,” he recalls of his and his partner Eli Penrod’s team roping runs. “When it came to the short go it was a little nerve wracking, but I usually stay calm. After I caught, I was crying because I was so excited.”
The heeler of the team, Jaytyn has been roping with Eli, who hails from Moscow, Kansas, for four years. Jaytyn also competed at the NLBFR in breakaway roping, flag racing, and ribbon roping with Dillon Gugelmeyer. He says his favorite event—team roping—had his back at the Finals, while Jaytyn’s 18-year-old brother, Jaylyn, took home the senior boys world title in tie-down roping. Jaytyn also enjoyed going to National Saddlery with his friends, and spent the bulk of his free time at the goat roping pen. His dad, Jim Boy Hash, brings around 100 head of goats to the NLBFR each year for the performances. Prior to the NLBFR, Jaytyn also competed in the 2019 NJHFR in team roping and breakaway roping.
“I look up to my dad; brother; and uncles, Fletcher DeVaughan and Daylin Hash; and my grandpa, Terry DeVaughan. My grandma (Rita DeVaughan) and grandpa have an arena at their place a mile from our house where we keep most of our horses and goats,” says Jaytyn. A Little Britches competitor since he was 4, Jaytyn explains that the friends and memories he’s made through the association over the years is one of his favorite things about NLBRA. “We do the Lakin Little Britches, and my mom (Jessica Hash) usually puts those on. We usually have 10 or so, and I like putting it on because it’s fun to be around stock. My mom’s parents used to put on some Little Britches rodeos at Lakin too, so it’s been going on for about 30 years,” says Jaytyn. “Me and my brother want to have a rodeo company, and he’s a bullfighter, so he wants to have Mexican fighting bulls.” Like his brother, Jaytyn is involved in working in the arena, helping pick up broncs at some local bronc riding schools in Kansas.
“The horse I usually ride is Chips. He’s the horse I won the heeling on. I usually ride him for every event, and I haze on him and pick up broncs. He’s 14 and I’ve been riding him for about 3 years. I have another horse that I usually ride if I head, named Bones.” Jaytyn spends as much time as he can out with the horses, or roping goats with Jaylyn, while he’s also training several horses. “Two of them are going to be bulldogging horses, and another one is kind of a pony but a little taller. I’m trying to make him a kid’s horse and make him gentle.”
Jaytyn finished eighth grade at Lakin Middle School via online classes because of the pandemic. He missed seeing his friends, but says he enjoyed having more time to spend on his horses. His goal for the summer is returning to the NLBFR to defend his team roping title with Eli Penrod. “I hope to go to the NFR someday for sure and try to win some world championships,” he finishes. “And I want to get some new horses so I can get them seasoned for college.”
