story by Lily Weinacht
Ty Scott finished his 2018 NLBRA season qualified for the Finals in all four of his events, and went home to Vinita, Oklahoma, the Junior Ribbon Roping World Champion. The 14-year-old cowboy won his first world title alongside ribbon runner Riley McKinnis of Lone Jack, Missouri. They teamed up at a rodeo early in the 2018 season when neither of their ribbon roping partners could make it and decided to finish out the season together. “It was pretty amazing—I was pretty happy,” Ty says of their win. “We were setting pretty good in the world standings. It’s challenging trying to rope fast and watch the barrier and all that.” He also competed at the finals in breakaway roping, goat tying, and team roping with Rydin White, placing in the top five in all of their team roping runs.
This season is Ty’s last in the junior division, and he’s qualified for the 2019 NLBFR in breakaway roping, team roping with Carlee Boots, and ribbon roping with Rydin White. “Team roping is my favorite—I like being with my partner and talking about it. I heel at a lot of bigger US Ropings, and I heel for Carlee and head for Rydin,” Ty explains. He competes in the Arklahoma Little Britches, where he was one point away from winning the year-end all-around in 2018, and the Southeast Kansas Little Britches, where he was the reserve year-end champion in all of his events last year.
Watching professional rodeo athletes inspires Ty to work hard. “I want to grow up to be like them one day, and go to the NFR. I look up to Trevor Brazile and Jake Barnes. They rope fast and they’re gentlemen,” says Ty. “I got to meet Jake Barnes at the sale barn where my dad works.” He also looks up to his dad, Don Harlan; his uncles; and his older sister, Jacey Harlan, who breakaway ropes in the ACRA. “My dad still ropes a little bit, and he helps me with watching my steers and making good runs.”
Ty travels to rodeos with his dad and mom, Mindy, while his 11-year-old sister, Bailey, travels with them occasionally and enjoys playing sports. They haul one to two horses, including Mouse, the ribbon roping horse who carried Ty to his world title. “He’s a really good horse and I’ve gotten along really well with him. My head horse, Cisco, has taught everyone in our family how to ride, and he’s retired now. He got hurt a week before Finals last year, so I rode one of my buddies’ horses. My other head horse, Hoss, is younger, and I mostly ride him at bigger ropings like All Stars and USTRs.” Ty’s family also runs 300 head of cattle, numerous horses, and helps their neighbor run 1,000 head of feeder steers. “My job is feeding and doctoring the cattle,” says Ty. “My dad works at the sale barn in town and I help a little bit.”
He recently finished seventh grade at Vinita Union Middle School, where Ty played football, wrestled, and ran track. Roping with friends and going fishing with his uncle keeps Ty busy during summer break, along with competing in the All Star Team Roping Finals, and the NLBFR for the third time. “We go around Oklahoma City and the water park, and I like seeing a bunch of friends and meeting new people,” says Ty. “Someday I want to try to go to the NFR, and have little kids look up to me.”
