story by Lily Weinacht
Little Britches is synonymous with family, and the Panzer family from Lakin, Kan., chose to make the association not only their family, but their lifestyle. Garrett Panzer began competing in Little Britches in 1978, his sister joining in soon after, and his dad, Dwayne, serving as a judge. Today, Garrett is on the executive board and serves as the finals chairman, while Garrison, 17, is the Little Britches youth board president, and an avid competitor. “It takes everybody in a family to pursue any kind of sport or lifestyle, but rodeo in particular,” says Garrett. “It’s not just mom and dad or the kids, it really does take a village to raise a child, and Little Britches offers that opportunity.”
The NLBRA has its ultimate family reunion in July during the six days of the NLBFR. “You can take the whole family to a Little Britches rodeo and everyone has a chance to compete, which is bringing in a lot of families to the association,” says Garrett. Both he and Garrison leave for Pueblo, Colo., four days before the finals start to hold meetings and set up the arenas before launching into the intense fun and competition of the rodeo. As the finals chairman for the last three years, Garrett has many duties, including organizing the three arenas. “We have 18 people on the board, and it takes all 18 of us to make this thing work!” He also judged NLBRA rodeos, and says, “I have the best seat in the house, and I love getting to see those kids grow and mature. Rodeo takes a ton of hard work from people that put in numerous hours away from their families, but I love those moments of being in the arena and watching those kids smiling and having fun.”
Garrison, who competes in team roping and ribbon roping, has been a member of the NLBRA youth board for the last four years. “Little Britches has been good to us,” he says. “It’s given me an experience I don’t think I’d get with any other association or sport out there. It’s one of those life changing events that has brought me closer to lots of people. I feel like being on the board and being willing to go several days early to the finals, or work at local rodeos is my way of giving back a little to the association.” He adds, “I enjoy carrying the American flag, or the Colorado flag before a performance, and I’ve even given a prayer before several performances of the finals. I also like hearing that people are happy with the way things are being done, not just in the arena, but at our other events as well.”
While Garrett and Garrison work behind the scenes of Little Britches, Garrison’s mom, Kim, is the anchor of the family. “She deserves a lot of credit for keeping us together, and being such an encouragement in camp,” says Garrett. Kim times local Little Britches rodeos and helps the secretaries, and she timed the KPRA rodeo in Springfield, Colo., that Garrett judged and Garrison announced, with his 15-year-old brother, Hadley, running sound.
While Garrett judges high school rodeos in between his work as a school teacher and football coach, Garrison is branching off into another part of rodeo production as an announcer. He has announced several rodeos for the NSRA, mini bull ridings, high school rodeos, and the steer tripping slack for the PRCA rodeo in Dodge City, Kan. In June, he also did the radio broadcast of the PRCA rodeo in Garden City, Kan. “A long term goal of mine that would be awesome to have under my belt is to announce the NLBFR when I’m done competing and help produce it,” says Garrison. He graduates from Lakin High School next spring, and is currently on the college hunt. He has every intention of continuing the Little Britches lifestyle, however.
“I think rodeo is more than just competing,” says Garrett. “Winning is good, but it’s temporary. My wife and I want to send our kids out into the world with a respect for adults and their peers, the sport of rodeo, and their country, and most importantly, the God they serve. Those are some of the things they will learn from rodeo.”
