NSPRA member Jeff Grill – Terry Rhodes
story by Terry Rhodes
A great example of rodeo being a sport for the whole family would be Jeff and Diana Grill and their family. “We were both into rodeo and from the time we got married, Diana and I talked about this and we decided that if we were going to do this, we were going to do it as a family. When the kids came along, they were interested in it so we were able to keep going.” Jeff and Diana met at college rodeos. “She was at NDSU in Fargo and I was at SDSU in Brookings and in the same region so we had a date just about every weekend.”
Now, Jeff and Diana have been in the Senior Pro association for seven years and say that the camaraderie and friendliness that they have experienced in the Senior Pro association is the best. “When we started going to the Senior Pro rodeos with our kids, they took an interest in going and it’s like having a big extended family for our kids. It’s like having a family reunion when we go to Senior Pro rodeos. The kids have a ball going to the rodeos.” Jeff and Diana are regular competitors in the ribbon roping. Jeff holds title to the 2014 NSPRA Reserve World Champion Calf Roper and won the average at the 2010, 2012 and 2014 SNFR. Needless to say, he is really looking forward to this year’s Finals.
Growing up in Iowa, Jeff didn’t get started in rodeo until his college years. “I taught myself how to team rope and started out roping left handed. Then I switched to roping right handed. I was a junior in college when I roped my first calf and I was 22 or 23 years old.” Being left handed works to Jeff’s advantage in the calf roping. “From birth on we’re taught to do everything on the left side of a horse. The biggest help I had in learning calf roping was from Paul Tierney. He really helped me get things worked out. Until I moved out to South Dakota and ran into Paul, I really didn’t know what I was doing. He caught me up pretty fast.”
Jeff says that his family; wife, parents, siblings have been his greatest influence. “I bounce everything off of them to get me going in the right direction. In rodeo, the whole Paul Tierney family has helped us a lot. His wife, the boys, and the girls, have been a perfect fit for our family. They have just gone out of their way to help us and make sure we’ve got horses and anything else we might need. They are good friends.”
Jeff , 46, and Diana live in the southwest corner of South Dakota, near Edgemoor. Their children are Chance, 14, Taylor, 12, and Cade, 11. “Chance is team roping now and needs a partner to practice with so I think I’m going to get back into team roping. Chance qualified for both the Junior High National Finals and Little Britches Nation Finals. Taylor is into barrel racing and goat tying. And, Cade is into roping.”
During the winter, Jeff is a wrestling coach and Diana is a middle school volleyball coach. “I’ve always liked helping kids out whether it’s wrestling or 4-H or rodeo. I think when you explain the do’s and don’ts to kids, you really get something out of that yourself.”
Jeff and Diana manage a thousand head cattle ranch and are busy dawn to dusk taking care of that. They also own a purebred Red Angus cattle operation and have an annual bull sale. Goals for the future are to continue to rodeo and pick up some more titles. “In the next few years, it’s going to be a lot fun helping our kids as they build their rodeo careers.”
