story by Lily Weinacht
Mason Stueve of Newton, Kansas, is the 2019 NJHFR Tie-Down Roping Champion. The 14-year-old went into Nationals as the KJHSRA state champion in both tie-down roping and goat tying, and also qualified in the ribbon roping with Grace Gardiner and team roping with Kacen Smith. “My first calf roping run didn’t shake out the best because I ran him through it and caught a back leg, and I tried to bounce back and make the best runs I could. Then I won the second round and the short round, and I was the national champion,” says Mason, who also finished in the top 20 in the nation in goat tying and team roping. “When I figured out that I won, it took a minute to sink in. It was really cool, and I’m wearing my Nationals buckle but I’ll probably keep my saddle in the house to keep it nice.”
Mason attributes his success not only to many hours of practice, but also the encouragement and advice from his parents, Adam and Nowa Stueve, and his friends Dustin Raupe and Marley Berger. “Dustin Raupe is a good friend of ours and he helps me a lot in the calf roping and has helped me get to the point where I am now. Marley Berger and I have been friends since I was a little baby and he calf ropes too. We’ve run a lot of calves together and he’s helped me a lot too,” says Mason. “Team roping and calf roping are my favorite events. I like to head because it guarantees that you always get to rope, and in calf roping, I like that you get to control the whole run, and it’s all about how fast and smooth you can be.”
He plans to tie-down and team rope in KHSRA rodeos, which he’s already preparing for. “In the summer we go to a few open rodeos. High school rodeos will be starting before we know it, and I’m trying to get ready for those.” Mason has two horses in tow for most rodeos, John Wayne and Gus, who have both carried him to the NJHFR the last three years. “I calf rope and ribbon rope on my black horse John Wayne, and he’s a great horse and does everything. I can even hunt squirrels off of him. I team rope and tie goats off of Gus. We trained John Wayne for calf roping and ribbon roping, but Gus is a little older and my dad rodeoed on him when he was younger and then gave him to me,” says Mason. His dad continues to team rope occasionally, and his mom enjoys barrel racing. “We have some roping calves and a pen of steers to rope. My friends come over every once in a while to rope with me, but it’s mostly my mom and my dad who practice with me.”
A freshman this fall at Remington High School, Mason is looking forward to playing basketball, and he continues rodeoing through the winter in the Young Guns Timed Event Rodeos. “I fish quite a bit, and I hunt a lot,” he adds. “I hunt squirrels and coyotes and deer, and I go down to Oklahoma to hunt hogs. My dad goes with me every once in a while.
“I’m planning to rodeo all the way through high school and even into college. Every time I make a run, I try to make the best run possible, and every time I back into the box, I try to beat my personal best.”
