story by Claire Vincent
Rylie Romero is the 13 year old daughter of Mandy Walker and Troy Romero from Welsh, Louisiana. Rylie has three step brothers, two half sisters, and one full sister Sydnie. Rylie and Sydnie were born into the sport of rodeo and have competed their whole life. Their mom, Mandy was an all- around cowgirl. She rode Little Britches and high school rodeos then went on to college rodeo for Texas A&M.
Taking after her mom, Rylie is an all-around cowgirl herself. In only eighth grade, Rylie competes in breakaway roping, team roping, and ribbon roping with Noah Weeks as her partner. Rylie has had the most success in the breakaway roping on Bulls Eye, her 19 year old bay horse. She has owned Bulls Eye since January of 2020 and says “He is quiet the character.” Rylie gives her horse most of the credit for her success, because he gets her across the line so quick, and she wouldn’t have been able to accomplish so much without him.
Rylie enjoys watching Lari D Guy rope because of how strong her mental game is and how much she takes pride in being a breakaway roper. Like, any competitor, one thing Lari D and Rylie have in common is the will to win. In the past year Rylie has won the 2020 LHSRA state champion header, the 19 and 15 and under breakaway at Mike Johnson’s in Nacogdoches and Alvarado, Texas, and the 15 and under breakaway at the UCR (Ultimate Calf Roping) in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
When Rylie isn’t at a rodeo or in the practice pen, she is working on her photography or she is in the show barn. She has shown Braham cows for almost a year, and has won many showmanship classes. This past June at the Watermelon Classic Show, Rylie won grand champion with her gray heifer and grand champion Braham influencer.
In the future, Rylie plans to continue showing, and she hopes to win a state championship and a national championship in the breakaway roping. In the meantime, she is in the practice pen bettering and improving herself every day. This is her third year as a member of the Louisiana Junior High School Rodeo Association and she says, “I like it so much because of the people. We are like a big family.” Rylie’s sister, Sydnie is her biggest supporter. She can always count on Sydnie to be there for her, and to lend her a helping hand when she needs it. Rylie admires Sydnie for her love and overall kindness to everyone. Rylie says she always remembers Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” because she wouldn’t be the roper she is today without God or her support system. She is especially thankful for her mom for always sticking by her side through the good and bad runs, and Jeremy and Avery Landry for keeping her tuned up and pushing her to be the best she possibly can.
