story by Lindsay King
“I cowboy for a living,” said Jed Gleghorn who spends his days tending the upward of 3,000 head of yearling cattle every year on Richardson Farms. This also requires the daily use of his rodeo event: steer roping. “I work for a guy that owns cattle and I take care of them while he does the farming.” The Yuma, Colorado, cowboy enjoys the practicality of the event. “Steer roping and saddle bronc riding were the first events in the history of rodeo. Steer roping is how a lot of cowboys, including me, doctor cattle by themselves out on the range. I like that aspect of it.” Jed was originally a team roper until a past roping partner let him do a steer roping run for the first time.
“I had been wanting to try it for a while and then 16 years ago I got the opportunity.” Jed was hooked instantly and began training his own horses. He has 15 head that he uses for ranch work and competing, most do both. “I love teaching a horse how to steer rope, I am really passionate about it. It is challenging and rewarding to get a horse to stop when you want after dragging a steer to you. It is a really good accomplishment as a horseman to teach a horse to do that.” Backing in the box and blocking everything out except for the task at hand is the most challenging aspect of actually competing. “My main concern is getting out of the barrier just right so I can rope the horns. Once I get past that, the run is basically set up and the rest of it comes naturally.”
When Jed started steer roping he lived in Oklahoma before changing jobs and heading to Colorado where he has remained. “At any steer roping that I go to I love being around the other guys. I wouldn’t say steer ropers are any better than anybody else, but these contestants are a little different.” It’s one big rodeo family just like the other events. It doesn’t get much better than roping with your friends on the weekend for Jed. “It is also nice to go to Nebraska, it is a nice state and the people are always welcoming. Most of the time we are in the sandhills, which I love so that is a bonus too.” However, Jed’s favorite rodeo isn’t in Nebraska or Colorado.
“Roping at the Don King Days and Pendleton are easily my favorite events to compete in.” Held in Sheridan, Wyoming, the Don King Days are on a polo field of all places. “They play a few games of polo and then fix the divots and then go straight into the steer roping. Then they clean up the field and play polo on it again the next day. It is something spectacular.” This last year Jed won the PRCA rodeo in Grover, Colorado, the first professional event he has won to date. He’s made the NSRA finals twice and the Mountain States Circuit finals four times, the latest being just this last year.
“As passionate about rodeo as I am, my biggest life accomplishment is my family. Without family and friends rodeo wouldn’t be possible.” Jed’s parents got him started and fully supported him growing up in rodeo. “My wife (Cassidee) gives me tremendous support and my boys (Gage, 10, and Gannon, 7) love going with me. I love being able to spend time at home with my boys on the ranch and watching them learn how to rope and ride and do all the daily tasks on a ranch. Having them by my side is one of my greatest accomplishments.”
