By Lindsay Whelchel
Taylor Lagasse might be quiet until you get to know her, but her hardworking nature and determination, as well as her dedication to the sport of rodeo speak volumes.
The Kansas High School Rodeo Association cowgirl got her love of the sport from her dad Lance who is a team roper and passed the roping bug along to Taylor and her brother Layne.
She credits Lance and her mom Brenda with all of their support in helping her achieve her own rodeo goals. “I really couldn’t do it without them,” she assures.
Her mom works as an accountant and her dad in auction and real estate, so a work ethic clearly runs in the family. And Taylor is not afraid of putting in her own high level of work when it comes to rodeo.
“We try to rope every day. My main thing is just keeping my horses working so then they help me to rope better and win. I have a summer job. I work for a farmer up by us. I just do all the jobs he needs done around there, and mainly besides school and roping I don’t do a whole lot else,” Taylor laughs.
That focus has paid off for Taylor. She moved up the ranks of junior rodeo in Kansas and is now a senior in the KHSRA with plans to rodeo on the team for Chad Smith at Vernon College in Texas this fall.
Taylor made it back to the short go in the breakaway roping at the National High School Finals last year and even had a prelim win at the USTRC finals in 2014.
Though her main events are team roping and breakaway roping, Taylor also runs poles, goat ties, and when she has a horse for it, barrel races.
She loves being able to travel to many different places and meet the wide range of people you are able to meet when you grow up being involved in rodeo as she has been able to.
After getting her general education degree in Texas, Taylor will go on to pursue a degree in pharmacy with goals of becoming a pharmacist. No doubt, Taylor will be accustomed to the hard work such a profession will require because of rodeo. And it’s safe to say a rope won’t be far from her hands either.
