story by Lindsay King
“I can’t thank my dad enough, he sacrificed a lot while I was growing up so I could rope,” said Miles Garwood from Atkinson, Nebraska. Born into a family of ranchers who roped, Miles became the roper who helped out on the ranch as a kid. “My dad grew up on a ranch just south of town and they were just too busy to for him to rope above the amateur level. I think that’s why my dad wanted me to be able to rope a lot growing up.” Even today, when Miles is lacking chute help his parents will take a break from the ranch. “They are pretty busy on the ranch, but they still help me out when they can. When I’m gone my parents (Arden and Lynn Garwood) always feeds my practice calves for me.”
Taking after his dad, Miles is a tried and true calf roper. “I used to team rope in college, but I have a business now so that doesn’t give me enough time to do both.” Majoring in business with an emphasis in finance kept Miles busy during his time at National American University in Rapid City, South Dakota. The rest of his time was spent practicing with and competing for the rodeo team. Glen Lammers served as Miles’ coach. “It was a real blessing to be able to practice and travel with Glen. Him and his wife, Shelly, are like second parents to me.”
This former high school state champion made it to the CNFR two of his four college years. His senior year was by far his best one. This humble roper attributes his success to drawing a good calf, rather than his skill with a loop. He might not have won a national championship, but he won a round and that’s an accomplishment in its own right. Miles was also the year-end calf roping champion in the NSRA in 2018. “I just can’t express how thankful I am for my wife (Jena). When I am busy at work she takes care of the horses and keeps them legged up for me. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to go at all.”
Some nights Miles will pull into the driveway only to hop into the truck loaded down with horses and equipment. Since Jena is a barrel racer herself, rodeo is a great way for the couple to spend time with each other. “It’s really good for our relationship. We talk about a lot of stuff when you’re just sitting in the truck driving. It forces you to slow down and spend time together. That’s part of the reason we still do it.” Right out of college Miles started an investment business—Waddell and Reed. “It took a lot of time to get started, so for quite a few years I didn’t get to rope much. I didn’t have the time or money for it.” Miles took up roping as a serious competitor a couple of years ago. “I have a couple of employees and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be able to rope either.”
While his employees and wife keep the home fires burning, fellow ropers help Miles stay competitive. “Patrick Martin trains full time and he usually has one of my horses. He’s probably one of my biggest competitors, but if it wasn’t for him I don’t know how competitive I would be.” Miles is thankful to have people like Patrick in his corner. Troy and Riley Pruitt have also been great mentors for Miles for the last few years. “I’m not really driven to win anything specific, I just want to continue to improve upon myself. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized how much I just enjoy roping for roping.” Hitting the practice pen at night is the perfect way to relieve stress for Miles. “I just want to continue to get a little better every time I rope.”
