August 31, 2023

Nolan Reardon is invaluable to his family’s ranching operation. The Colorado Junior High School Rodeo athlete helps out on the family ranch, the Rocking R Ranch near Gunnison, Colo., nearly every day. In rodeo, he is a team roper (heading for Casen Pridemore), a ribbon roper (roping for Josey McClain), a goat tyer, tie-down roper and chute dogger. Of his events, the team roping is his favorite, because he’s been doing it the longest. For…

Meet the Member Tally Harthun

August 3, 2023

story by Ruth Nicolaus When Tally Harthun isn’t rodeoing, she’s reading. Or baking. Or showing 4-H steers. Or running with her dad. Or playing basketball. But of all her activities, rodeo is her favorite. The fourteen year old, a member of the Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association, com-petes in the barrel racing and the pole bending. Poles is her strong suit, mostly because she and her horse “work together better at poles, and we…

Meet the Member Gentry Godbey

February 28, 2023

story by Ruth Nicolaus Gentry Godbey has a bright, sparkly personality. The cowgirl, a Colorado Junior High School Rodeo member, is upbeat, positive, and a delight to be around. A resident of Montrose, Colo., she competes in the breakaway roping, goat tying and rifle shooting. Of her events, she feels the goat tying is her best. It’s due to her palomino horse Scooter, “a short little dude that I really love,” she said. “We have…

Meet the Member Sean Arellano

January 19, 2023

story by Ruth Nicolaus Sean Arellano loves riding bulls. When he started his Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association competition a year ago, he said, “I tried it and fell in love with it.” The Jefferson, Colo. cowboy, who is thirteen years old, had been wanting to ride bulls for a long time, and now he’s competing. “I like it a lot,” he said. “It’s going really good.” When he was little, he watched the…

Meet the Member Wesley Lammers

October 20, 2022

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…

Meet the Member Joshua (Jimmy) Love

July 21, 2022

By Lindsey Fancher Fifteen gallons of chocolate milk is what fueled Joshua (Jimmy) Love to Junior High Nationals all the way from Eaton, CO to Perry, GA. Qualified in the saddle bronc, ribbon roping, team roping, and tie down, fourteen-year-old Jimmy made the 24-hour trek with dad, Josh, and team roping partner, Rafael (Raf) Maldonado. “My dad was so annoyed with us. We were full of energy the whole time,” comments Jimmy. “Fourteen naps and…

Meet the Member Rachael Daniels

May 19, 2022

story by Ruth Nicolaus Rachael Daniels isn’t a very girly type of girl, but that’s OK. In fact, if her mom wants to get after her, she threatens to make her wear a dress to school. A Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association member, Rachael competes in the breakaway roping and the ribbon roping, running for Mason Neese. The Keenesburg, Colo. cowgirl has several roping horses she’s working on connecting with, but her biggest success…

Meet the Member Rider Linke

April 25, 2022

story by Ruth Nicolaus Rider Linke is steadily adding more skills to his rodeo repertoire. The Granby, Colo. cowboy, a member of the Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association, does trap shooting and chute dogging, but next year, as a freshman, hopes to add tie-down and team roping. Of his two events, he considers chute dogging his strength because of his skill and muscle strength. Rider is an eighth grade student at East Grand Middle…

Meet the Member Mericia Van Pelt

March 17, 2022

story by Ruth Nicolaus Mericia Van Pelt makes a pretty good travel buddy. The Fredrick, Colo. cowgirl travels with her mom, Amy Smith, as Amy competes as a professional barrel racer. But when she’s not with her mom, Mericia is a pole bender and barrel racer in the Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association. Mericia, who is thirteen years old, considers pole bending her strength of her two events, mostly because of her horse, Ellie.…

Meet the Member Quinton Reule

February 17, 2022

story by Ruth Nicolaus Quinton Reule watched “Eight Seconds” so much that his brother hid the DVD so the family didn’t have to see it again. The first-year member of the Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association has seen the movie too many times to count, he says. A resident of Montrose, Colo., Quinton competes in the team roping as a header and will add tie-down roping to his repertoire this spring. For the heading,…

Meet the Member Myka Grajeda

January 13, 2022

story by Ruth Nicolaus Myka Grajeda has some unique talents that make her family smile. For instance, she can jump on a pogo stick while throwing her rope backwards and catching the family dog. She can also, while jumping on the stick, swing her rope and catch the cat as it’s running past her, down the hallway. She’s also good at calling in elk with her dad, when they go outside. That requires patience and…

Meet the Member: Rudy Mendiola

November 1, 2021

Story by Ruth Nicolaus Rudy Mendiola knows he’s been blessed with good horses, good friends, good family, and rodeo. The Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association member, a resident of Silverthorne, Colorado, appreciates what he has. He appreciates his horses: Revolver and his friend’s horse, Buttermilk, he loves his friends, who he can turn to for help with schoolwork and for fun times, and he loves his mom, dad and little brother. As a breakaway…