Roper Review Archives - The Rodeo News

Roper Review

Roper Review: Lane Ivy

Picking up a rope at 4 years old, a seed was planted in Lane Ivy’s heart that grew into a dream. Lane tagged along as his parents, Billy and Joanie Ivy, roped steers; watching, learning, and waiting for his turn. At 5, living on their Canyon, Texas ranch with younger…

Roper Review: Cody Russell

Growing up in West Monroe, Louisiana, Cody Russell never gave much thought to becoming a team roper like his dad. A natural athlete, Cody started playing T-Ball at six, and football in the fourth grade. Those two sports remained his passion until he incurred a major injury during a football…

Roper Review: Brook Styron

Brook Styron, a Texas native, has seen a lot of changes in the roping industry over the years. He grew up in Granbury, Texas and was introduced to calf roping at twelve years old by a neighbor. That was before team roping had caught on, and Brook continued to rope…

Roper Review: Kevin Staples

Kevin Staples grew up in Stephens City, Virginia, where his dad, Billy Staples, trained horses and owned one of the largest sale barns on the east coast. Their monthly horse sale, held the first Saturday of each month averaged 300 to 400 horses, and during the spring months they would…

Roper Review: Troy McDonald

Troy McDonald grew up in the small town of Pierson, Florida, into a rodeo family that competed at and produced ropings. He entered his first jackpot at five years old and won his first buckle at a roping school when he was seven. Troy was successfully active in junior rodeo…

Roper Review : Chance Schuknecht

Chance Schuknecht was raised and graduated high school in Iowa Falls, Iowa. His love for horses and a rodeo scholarship took him to Rapid City, South Dakota where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Equine Management from National American University. Chance, 33, now oversees Sales and Marketing at Silver…

Roper Review: Cody Johnson

Very few cowboys are able to achieve their rodeo dreams and build a business at the same time. To be successful at either requires significant time and dedication. But that’s exactly what Cody Johnson has done over the last few years. At 49, Cody qualified for the PRCA First Frontier…

Roper Review: Scott Stickley

There are a few professions, besides rodeo, that require driving many miles and spending time away from home. One of those occupations is a sales rep, which is what Scott Stickley has chosen to do for the last twenty-six years. Scott, who makes his home in Whitesboro, Texas, is a…

Roper Review: Brock Middleton

Sometimes fate steps in and totally changes our life… “Back in the mid-90’s, one Sunday afternoon, my dad and I were driving around, drinking beer, “says Brock. “We took a wrong turn down a dirt road and stumbled upon Grady Harper’s arena where they were team roping. We had no…

Roper Review : Craig Branham

Craig Branham, 58, grew up, the eldest of three boys, in Tombstone, Arizona. When he was six, his mom, Sue, married Jack Branham, and the family moved to Oakdale, California. Jack was a roper and Reserve World Champion to Ken Luman, in 1966, before Heading and Heeling were recognized as…

Roper Review: Tanner Brown

If you start roping the sawhorse at nineteen months old, and enter your first junior rodeo at five years old... that’s considered an early start by any standard. Mississippi Junior High School Association allows contestants in Kindergarten through 8th grade to compete. However, National contestants must be in 6th, 7th,…

Roper Review: Coy Upchurch

Growing up in the small Texas town of Itasca, Coy started riding and roping when he and his dad would help out on a local ranch. It wasn’t until high school that he truly caught the roping bug that would lead him to attend schools taught by roping legends like…