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Join Rodeo NewsJunior Southern Rodeo Association (JSRA)
Phone: (704) 578-3753
Mailing Address: 15700 Ewart Rd., Huntersville, N.C. 28078
Email: jrsrarodeo@gmail.com
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Members
Meet the Member Caden Ussery
March 20, 2017
story by Kyle Eustice Twelve-year-old Huntersville, North Carolina native Caden Ussery lives with his father Barry Ussery and mother Glennis Ussery, who happens to be the JRSRA secretary. It’s no mystery where the young rodeo contestant found his inspiration to compete. As a 7th grader at Lake Norman Charter School, Caden has multiple responsibilities, but manages to juggle them all. He joined the JRSRA in 2012 and just recently joined the SCJHSRA, where he participates…
Read MoreMeet the Member Logan MacQueen
February 20, 2017
by Kyle Eustice Born in Mooresville, North Carolina, 14-year-old Logan Alexis MacQueen moved to Kannapolis, North Carolina in October 2014 along with her parents, Heath and Christina and younger brother Christian. Growing up, Logan’s great-grandfather had a horse and that love for horses was passed down to Christina, who passed it on to Logan. “We kind of started a whole horse life,” explained Christina. “We sold our house and everything fell into place. I always…
Read MoreMeet the Member Ryan Rought
January 20, 2017
story by Kyle Eustice Born in Morresville, North Carolina, 14-year-old Ryan Rought has had a passion for riding basically any animal that moves from the moment he got on a sheep at 6 years old. Now solely focused on bull riding, the 8th grade student lives in Granite Falls, North Carolina with his mother Karen Rought, and three brothers—Mikey, 18, Josh, 12, and Tyler, 10—although Ryan is the only son still actively participating in rodeo.…
Read MoreMeet the Member Cadee Carroll
December 21, 2016
story by Kyle Eustice Born and raised in King, North Carolina, 8-year-old Cadee Carroll lives with her mother Brandy, 38, father Jeff, 37, and little brother Colton, 2. Cadee is a third grade student at Mt. Olive Elementary School, Her passion truly lies with rodeo. Her love affair with horses began when she got in the saddle for the first time at 2 years old. A few short years later, while watching the NFR on…
Read MoreMeet the Member Brookelyn Cassley
October 7, 2016
story by Kyle Eustice Born in Newark, Ohio, a small suburb of Columbus, 9-year-old Brookelyn Cassley relocated to Franklington, North Carolina four years ago with her mother, Kelli Waller. Kelli’s parents, Denise and JD Chalfant, lived in the area, and she wanted to be closer to them. Throughout all of the changes in her young life, one thing has remained the same—her love of horses. “The first time I got on a horse I was…
Read MoreMeet the Member Anna Digh
September 23, 2016
story by Kyle Eustice Hailing from the town of Denver, North Carolina, 13-year-old Anna Digh is an 8th grader at North Lincoln Middle School, where she’s immersed in the typical classes like English, Math, and Science. After school and on the weekends, however, she taps into her inner cowgirl and practices her rodeo events, which include goat tying, pole bending, and barrel racing. Anna joined the JRSRA a year ago, but has been riding horses…
Read MoreMeet the Member Justin Currie
September 2, 2016
story by Kyle Eusitce Natalie and Nathan Currie had absolutely no idea their son Justin, 13, would gravitate towards the rodeo world. His mother, in particular, was completely blindsided by her young son’s ambitions. “I was so surprised,” said Natalie, a teacher at Cleveland Elementary School. “We blew it off for about a year, but he kept telling us he wanted to ride bulls. We thought it was a phase or something. My husband took…
Read MoreMeet the Member Lane Barnette
August 19, 2016
story by Kyle Eusitce Troutman, North Carolina native Lane Barnette is something like a rodeo prodigy. At just 8-years-old, the third grader at Southview Christian School got on a sheep for the first time when he was 3. His parents, Cory and Melissa, have watched in awe as their young son has quickly grasped how to effectively compete and to their surprise, actually win. As one of the youngest JRSRA members, which he joined in…
Read MoreMeet the Member Megan Yankee
August 5, 2016
story by Kyle Eusitce Bethlehem, N.C. resident Megan Yankee is normally a spry 14 year old, but the North Carolina Connections Academy freshman is recovering from a recent cold, although it won’t keep her down for long. She has rodeo events to attend, horses to feed and friends to meet, a testament to her resilient personality. Megan started riding horses when she was 4 years old. Her father Chris took her on a pony ride…
Read MoreMeet the Member Sage Dunlap
July 22, 2016
story by Kyle Eusitce In many ways, Bear Creek, N.C. native Sage Dunlap is a typical 15-year-old girl. She loves shopping, hanging out with her friends, drinking red Mountain Dew, and eating Reese Peanut Butter Cups. Beneath the surface, however, she’s a fierce JSRA competitor in both team roping and barrel racing, which she’s wanted to do before she was in double digits. “I started riding when I was 3,” said Sage. “I used to…
Read MoreMeet the Member Cole Compton
July 1, 2016
story by Kyle Eusitce Aside from his older sister Rebecca, nobody else in Cole Compton’s family is involved in rodeo, yet somehow the 17-year-old Kernersville, N.C. native found his way to the arena and has been in love with it ever since. “I started team roping in 2013,” said Cole. “My sister is a vet tech and the doctor she worked for team roped, so I went to his house, tried it once, and was…
Read MoreMeet the Member Ben Bolton
June 17, 2016
story by Kyle Eusitce With his thick, North Carolina accent, Winston-Salem native Ben Bolton has mastered the art of public speaking. During the course of his nearly decade long stint as a JSRA announcer, the 55-year-old married father of two found a way to stay involved in rodeo after retiring from clowning and bull fighting. His announcing career, however, started with the SRA in 1985, when he was still a young bull fighter. After graduating…
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