story by Siri Stevens
Wesley Lammers is the National Junior High School Rodeo Association president. “I ran for president last year in Des Moines Iowa, and I didn’t get it; I really wanted to give it another shot,” said the 8th grader from Elizabeth, Colorado. His first job as the national president will come this December during the National Finals Rodeo. “I will help sell raffle tickets for the Bloomer trailer at the National High School booth,” he said. Wesley approached his campaign a little differently this year. “It was nice to have a year under my belt. I got out there and made sure people knew who I was,” he said. – it was a lot of fun and a good experience to talk to people.”
After the NFR, Wesley will travel to Oklahoma for the MidWinter meetings. “It looks like a fun job to go out and represent the kids in the junior high rodeo association. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, traveling, and having those fun experiences.”
Wesley and his older brother, Nathan, both compete in rodeo – Wesley competes in team roping, breakaway, goat tying, saddle bronc steer riding and ribbon roping. He’s been involved in rodeo since he was 6, starting in the CJRA. He likes team roping and breakaway roping the best. “I’m a header, and when I rope with my dad, he heads for me and I heel.” Wesley would love to pro rodeo and go on the road. From there, he’s not sure what he wants to do.
He doesn’t mind school, although he would rather be at a rodeo. “We have around 25 head of horses on the place between mine, my brothers, my dad’s and the young ones.” They have a few that they raise and they also have some young ones that they are riding.
Wesley has an older brother, Nathan, who is a sophomore in high school and rodeos. They will pack up this winter and head to Vegas Tuffest as well as the Junior Patriot. Their dad is ready to make the 12-day trip with his boys. “I’ve always been very involved in rodeo,” said Monty, who used to be a school superintendent and now sells school curriculum. “If you want to make a difference and be part of the decision making, you’ve got to come to the table.”
Monty has served on several boards and Wesley has watched what being part of the decision-making process is like. “He’s a very social kid and he loves meeting new people. He’s got a lot of passion and drive. He practices goat tying by the headlights of the pickup since we don’t have lights yet in the arena.”
Wesley and his brother take care of all their entries as well as taking care of their sponsors. “We’ve been working towards that and they are pretty independent now.”
