Meet the Member Phoenix Brown
story by Ruth Nicolaus For Phoenix Brown, time is of the essence on school mornings. The fourteen-year-old cowgirl, a member of the Nebraska Junior High […]
story by Ruth Nicolaus
Ty Stevens competes in the roping events and the light rifle shooting in the Nebraska Junior High School Rodeo Association.
The O’Neill, Nebraska cowboy is a team roper (heeling for Paityn Sheffield) a breakaway roper and tie-down roper, and a ribbon roper (roping for Paityn).
He has four roping horses, all Pitzer-bred.
His favorite is Chuck, a 20-year-old blue roan. Duke, a twelve-year-old buckskin, is his team roping horse. Uno, a ten-year-old bay, is his tie-down and ribbon roping horse, and Ace, a six-year-old dun, just got started in the roping. Ty is most comfortable with Chuck. “I’ve rode him longer than the other ones, and I’m more comfortable with him. Chuck has ‘been there, done that.’”
An eighth grade student at O’Neill Public School, Ty loves sports. He plays football (as a lineman), basketball (as a forward), and does track (with the discus and shotput.) Of the three, football is his favorite. “I like playing rough,” he said. The O’Neill Junior High football team did well, only losing two games this past season.
He is an honor roll student and participates in 4-H, in the shooting sports, which includes .22 rifle, .22 pistol, bb gun, archery, and trap. He likes to hunt and fish, hunting deer and coyotes. This year, with the deer he harvested, he’s going to have it made into jerky.
His favorite holiday is Christmas, because of the family get-togethers and special gifts he gives and receives. The best meal his mom makes is steak on the grill, (medium rare for him), and French fries, and the dessert he loves best is his grandma’s chocolate pie.
The best trip he’s been on was to Cody, Wyo., three years ago. His parents took the family to the rodeo and trout fishing, although Ty didn’t catch anything.
When he grows up, he’d like to be a rancher and farmer, like his dad. Ty’s getting a head start on the job already, helping out around the ranch. He feeds and during calving, does some of the day checks and night checks, too. He’s gotten to help pull calves, which was a great experience.
This winter, he’s had lots of opportunity to drive the snowmobile, which he loves. He likes snow, but it makes chores a lot harder. He’s scooped plenty of bunks this winter, alongside his grandma (the chocolate pie maker). Grandma is a hard worker. “I like working with my grandma,” he said. “She’s really nice.”
He has competed twice at the National Junior High School Finals in the .22 light rifle shooting, finishing in the top 70 the first year and in the top 40 the second year. He loved attending Nationals, mostly for the vendors and shopping. He’s not usually a big shopper, but if it’s tack, he’s all in. Last year, he got a new rope and saddle.
His mom and dad, Heidi and Jeremy, appreciate their eldest child. “I enjoy spending time with him,” Jeremy said, “roping together, hunting, and traveling with him. I like being with him.”
Jeremy says Ty has lots of good traits. “He’s quiet, he listens and he’s coachable. If I tell him something, he tries to get it right.”
Jeremy said his kids are growing up before his eyes. “They always say, ‘don’t blink,’ and that’s so true. I’m trying to spend time with the kids. They’re growing up fast.
“I wake up every day and look at Ty and think, man, that happened fast.”
Ty has two younger siblings: a brother, Jax, who is eleven, and a sister, Tess, who is six years old.
story by Ruth Nicolaus For Phoenix Brown, time is of the essence on school mornings. The fourteen-year-old cowgirl, a member of the Nebraska Junior High […]
story by Ruth Nicolaus Haydn Hegemann is not lounging around this summer. The Nebraska Junior High School Rodeo Association member is hard at work. He […]
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Mailing Address: Nebraska Junior High School Rodeo Association 83450 Hawley Flats Ave. Dunning, NE 68833
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