Meet the Member Johnny Powell

Association Member

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Johnny with his daughter, Megan - courtesy of the family

Meet the Member Johnny Powell

story by Lily Weinacht

Johnny Powell of Eldorado, Texas, has a fond history with the AJRA. He grew up competing in the association in the ‘60s and early ‘70s and has devoted the last eight years to serving on the board of directors while his daughter, Megan, is the second generation of Powells to rodeo with the AJRA.
“My dad got us started in roping – he was the first of our family to rope, because his dad and grandpa didn’t care for it,” says Johnny. “When he was growing up, Dad lived in Fort Worth and would stay with his grandpa on the his sheep ranch in the summer. One time, Dad took a brand new rope that he’d gotten for Christmas, and his grandpa hid it under his mattress until Dad went home.” Johnny was raised on roping, however, and competed in the AJRA 9 – 12 division. “Back when I was in high school, there was a rule in Texas that you couldn’t accept money and play high school sports, so I played sports for about four years and then did another year and a half with the AJRA,” Johnny recalls.
After high school, Johnny competed on Texas A&M University’s rodeo team in steer wrestling and tie-down roping, and today, the 60 year old continues to tie-down rope in the Texas Senior Pro Rodeo Association, as well as Ultimate Calf Ropings. Johnny’s wife, Claire, is a barrel racer, and the two of them have coached Megan, 18, who has been competing in the AJRA for ten years. She served as the AJRA Vice-President, while Johnny served on the board as a director for two years before his six year stint as the AJRA Chairman of the Board and arena director. He recently stepped down from the board since Megan is a senior, though she plans to rodeo as much as she can with the AJRA next summer.
“I think the association does a great job of motivating kids – I love watching them improve and seeing their hard work pay off,” says Johnny. “It’s a great character builder, and it teaches winning and losing and how to be a good sportsman. We have a great family atmosphere and a lot of camaraderie. The association is all volunteer help.” When Johnny was elected as Chairman of the Board in 2008, the AJRA was going through some lean times as more high school rodeos and junior rodeo associations were established. “I enjoyed the challenge of helping get the association back up,” says Johnny. “We give over $100,000 in prizes every year, and this year they’re adding $35,000 to the finals.”
Since stepping down from the board, Johnny is looking forward to roping more, though running 3,000 head of commercial ewes keeps him on his toes. “My family has been in the sheep business for 135 years,” Johnny explains. “We also raise some cattle and a few horses, but we mainly run sheep – we do all our gathering on horseback.” Megan helps on the ranch, as well as her older brother, Marty, who just finished serving in the U.S. Army and returned from Afghanistan ten months ago. “Marty got married about a month ago and he’s back working for us – we’re tickled to death to have him back!” says Johnny. Meanwhile, Megan is looking at colleges and is considering rodeoing for West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, next fall.
“If we do anything other than rodeo, we might fish, but rodeo is our main source of entertainment,” says Johnny. “My wife takes her horses to barrel futurities, and I’m looking forward to roping more.” He adds, “I would encourage anyone looking for a place to junior rodeo to consider the AJRA. We’re going strong with about 200 members, and it’s a great place to junior rodeo again!”

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January 1, 2021
February 7, 2021
13-15 DALLY TR (Header)
1 Gracie Greene 34
2 Jett Fisher 32
3 Kalli Criswell 22
4 Stetson Foster 21
5 Casper Ringelstein 21
6 Cort Peterson 19
7 Britton Belcher 14
8 Rendon Powledge 13
9 Dalton Huston 10
10 Misael Hernandez 10
13-15 Dally Tr (Heeler)
1 Jake Shelton 49
2 Seth Ross 44
3 Audrey Snyder 35
4 Britton Belcher 18
5 Luke Carpenter 17
6 Will Lemay 15
7 Ryder Volf 15
8 Kalli Criswell 9
9 Cterling Hopkins 8
10 Luke Coleman 6
16-19 Dally Tr (Header)
1 Cayden Mcfadden 42
2 Bronc Kothmann 35
3 Colby Holt 34
4 Titan Quigg 30
5 Carson Creach 30
6 Jessi Everett 19
7 Colton Walters 19
8 Rylee Grace Abel 14
9 Shiloh Thomison 14
10 Clayton Huston 13
16-19 Dally Tr (Heeler)
1 Dylan Hancock 64
2 Seaver Senter 54
3 Colton Williamson 37
4 Cort Mcfadden 36
5 Clayton Huston 20
6 Slade Stone 17
7 Brady Fenn 16
8 Braidyn Montoya 12
9 Bronc Kothmann 10
10 Hadley White 9
8U Barrels
1 Isabel Tuchscherer 59
2 Abby Kate Loesch 47
3 Allyson May 26
4 Jaxton Seabourn 25
5 Hadley Durbin 17
6 Bentley Becker 15
7 Reata Strickland 14
8 Pace Pratt 10
9 Henley Cummins 10
10 Caul Cavataio 8
8U Breakaway
1 Isabel Tuchscherer 38
2 Catch Chamberlain 29
3 Bentley Becker 10
8U Calf Riding
1 Jaxton Seabourn 27
2 Ryden Rathmell 19
3 Corbin Bunn 18
4 Owen Huddle 10
5 Bryden Harris 9
8U Goat Tying
1 Isabel Tuchscherer 55
2 Abby Kate Loesch 48
3 Catch Chamberlain 36
4 Jaxton Seabourn 18
5 Bentley Becker 15
6 Pace Pratt 12
7 Caul Cavataio 10
8 Ryden Rathmell 7
9 Tenley Horton 3
8U Pole Bending
1 Isabel Tuchscherer 52
2 Abby Kate Loesch 43
3 Jaxton Seabourn 35
4 Hadley Durbin 18
5 Allyson May 16
6 Pace Pratt 15
7 Reata Strickland 14
8 Bentley Becker 14
9 Caul Cavataio 8
10 Henley Cummins 6
B0912 Breakaway
1 Coen Carroll 37
2 Cross Ringelstein 34
3 Devon Eakin 28
4 Reed Volf 23
5 Owen Martin 15
6 Kash Bates 14
7 Jace James 10
8 Lane Walker 9
9 Dawson Brooks 8
10 Zane Caddell 7
B0912 Steer Riding
1 Zane Caddell 20
2 Evan Deeds 10
B0912 Tie-Down Cr
1 Coen Carroll 48
2 Devon Eakin 38
3 Cross Ringelstein 9
4 Texas Townsend 8
5 Jace James 8
6 Reed Volf 8
B1315 Breakaway
1 Jett Fisher 34
2 Dalton Huston 28
3 Rendon Powledge 27
4 Logan Robertson 26
5 Seth Ross 24
6 Ryder Volf 17
7 Ty Rogers 15
8 Casper Ringelstein 14
9 Jake Shelton 10
10 Jacob Rogers 9
B1315 Bull Riding
1 Ethan Deeds 19
2 Colt Jackson 10
B1315 Tie-Down Cr
1 Dalton Huston 51
2 Jake Shelton 41
3 Rendon Powledge 37
4 Casper Ringelstein 30
5 Jacob Rogers 22
6 Ty Rogers 18
7 Taygan Bertsch 10
8 Logan Robertson 10
9 Jett Fisher 8
10 Ryder Volf 8
B1315 Tie-Down Cr 2
1 Dalton Huston 53
2 Jake Shelton 32
3 Rendon Powledge 26
4 Ty Rogers 22
5 Taygan Bertsch 19
6 Logan Robertson 17
7 Casper Ringelstein 17
8 Luke Carpenter 14
9 Misael Hernandez 14
10 Jacob Rogers 12
B1619 Bull Riding
1 Cort Mcfadden 30
2 Tonka Hamilton 27
3 Riggen Hughes 18
B1619 Optional Td
1 Dylan Hancock 51
2 Riley Jenkins 30
3 Clayton Huston 29
4 Cayden Mcfadden 25
5 Titan Quigg 23
6 Colby Holt 20
7 Braidyn Montoya 19
8 Bronc Kothmann 18
9 Cooper Meador 13
10 Whit Gutierrez 10
B1619 Steer WrestliNG
1 Dylan Hancock 39
2 Hadley White 19
3 Quinten Freeman 17
4 Rowdy Nail 8
B1619 Tie Down Cr
1 Dylan Hancock 48
2 Cayden Mcfadden 31
3 Titan Quigg 28.5
4 Whit Gutierrez 26
5 Riley Jenkins 22
6 Bronc Kothmann 21.5
7 Rowdy Nail 16.5
8 Braidyn Montoya 16
9 Cooper Meador 12
10 Hadley White 9
B912 Double Mugging1
1 Cross Ringelstein 38
2 Devon Eakin 37
3 Jace James 14
4 Coen Carroll 10
5 Lane Walker 10
6 Reed Volf 9
7 Cannon Wescott 8
8 Zane Caddell 7
B912 Double Mugging2
1 Devon Eakin 46.5
2 Coen Carroll 36
3 Texas Townsend 17.5
4 Keiton Simmons 17
5 Zane Caddell 13
6 Cross Ringelstein 11
7 Lane Walker 9
8 Kason Prince 8
9 Owen Martin 7
10 Reed Volf 6
G0912 Barrels
1 Blake Weekley 40
2 Braylin Miller 35
3 Ryan Farrell 28
4 Paige Williams 27
5 Landree Bennett 25
6 Anistyn Abel 20
7 Koel Smith 19
8 Sydni Rae Jones 19
9 Acey Autrey 19
10 Shada Cline 18
G0912 Breakaway 1
1 Landree Bennett 37
2 Ava Loesch 32
3 Kynzi Callaway 32
4 Braylin Miller 28
5 Josey James 20.5
6 Cambryn Mcfadden 18
7 Baye Boutwell 12
8 Zoey Caddell 10
9 Anistyn Abel 10
10 Caylee Durbin 8
G0912 Breakaway 2
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2 Landree Bennett 27
3 Anistyn Abel 21
4 Acey Autrey 19
5 Brooke Choate 16
6 Josey James 16
7 Ava Loesch 15.5
8 Caylee Durbin 10
9 Hayva Hawkins 10
10 Cambryn Mcfadden 9
G0912 Goat Tying
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2 Ava Loesch 38
3 Braylin Miller 37
4 Cambryn Mcfadden 30
5 Landree Bennett 27
6 Audrey Mcelwee 26
7 Anistyn Abel 20
8 Baye Boutwell 18
9 Naia Folmer 17
10 Paige Emmons 10
G0912 Pole Bending
1 Sterling Foster 44
2 Paige Williams 28
3 Sydni Rae Jones 27
4 Braylin Miller 22
5 Cambryn Mcfadden 19
6 Josey James 19
7 Ryan Farrell 18
8 Shada Cline 16
9 Baye Boutwell 16
10 Blake Weekley 14
G1315 Barrels
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2 Kalli Criswell 47
3 Savannah Wilson 24
4 Kameryn White 23
5 Rylie Edens 22
6 Wren Smith 20
7 Gracie Greene 18
8 Ava Garcia 17
9 Spring Pennington 15
10 Kenna Thomas 15
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2 Rylie Edens 35
3 Macy Hancock 19
4 Kaitlee Wyatt 16
5 Emma Settles 15
6 Gracie Greene 13
7 Georgia Shields 10
8 Colee Cox 10
9 Alli Autrey 9
10 Ava Garcia 8
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2 Colee Cox 20
3 Kameryn White 19
4 Spring Pennington 17
5 Kaitlee Wyatt 15
6 Georgia Shields 14
7 Ava Garcia 14
8 Emma Settles 10
9 Macy Hancock 9
10 Channing Wescott 9
G1315 Goat Tying
1 Kameryn White 49
2 Georgia Shields 44
3 Kenna Thomas 38
4 Kalli Criswell 27
5 Rylie Edens 25
6 Macy Hancock 24
7 Gracie Greene 21
8 Colee Cox 19
9 Savannah Wilson 16
10 Alli Autrey 11.5
G1315 Pole Bending
1 Hailey Beal 39
2 Kenna Thomas 35
3 Gracie Greene 28
4 Rylie Edens 26
5 Worth Evans 25
6 Savannah Wilson 23
7 Grace Barnett 19
8 Ava Garcia 17
9 Kalli Criswell 15
10 Emily Womack 15
G1619 Barrels
1 Riley Arrington 37
2 Chayni Chamberlain 36
3 Londyn Ross 29
4 Taber Garcia 27
5 Bryanne Cude 24
6 Rylee Grace Abel 23
7 Chainey Weitz 20
8 Summer Sanders 15
9 Riley Welch 15
10 Ceily Simpton 15
G1619 Breakaway 1
1 Sassy Wilson 38
2 Emily Ward 30
3 Chayni Chamberlain 22
4 Riley Arrington 18
5 Addie Beth Denton 17.5
6 Rylee Grace Abel 17
7 Samantha Haardt 16
8 Jessi Everett 10
9 Londyn Ross 10
10 Shyla Allen 10
G1619 Breakaway 2
1 Sassy Wilson 30
2 Rainey Skelton 30
3 Emily Ward 25
4 Chainey Weitz 17
5 Taber Garcia 17
6 Riley Arrington 14
7 Jessi Everett 14
8 Chayni Chamberlain 12
9 Samantha Haardt 12
10 Rylee Grace Abel 9
G1619 Goat Tying
1 Madison Neal 56
2 Sassy Wilson 52
3 Rylee Grace Abel 28
4 Braley Hudnall 24
5 Lizeth Lares 16
6 Zoey Hortenstine 14
7 Addie Beth Denton 12
8 Christie Moore 12
9 Maci Guay 12
10 Rainey Skelton 11
G1619 Pole Bending
1 Emma Waldrop 30
2 Chainey Weitz 29
3 Zoey Hortenstine 29
4 Kaylynn Martin 25
5 Braley Hudnall 20
6 Kirsten Koch 20
7 Grace Kelley 17
8 Lizeth Lares 16
9 Shyla Allen 16
10 Rylee Grace Abel 13

Association Member

Meet the Member Johnny Powell

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American Junior Rodeo Association (AJRA)