Evan Darbonne competes in every boys timed event in the Louisiana Junior High Rodeo Association. The Moss Bluff, La. cowboy, who is 14, is a tie-down roper, ribbon roper (roping for Brooklyn Gunter), chute dogger, goat tyer, and team roper, heeling for Kamryn Duncan. His favorite event is the tie-down roping, because of the rush.
For the tie-down and ribbon roping, he rides a ten year old mare named Roxie. She is his favorite horse, in part because he likes tie-down and because he has a great bond with her. In the goats, he rides a thirteen year old gray gelding named Jett, and his heeling horse is a twenty year old sorrel gelding named Little Man.
Evan is in the eighth grade and homeschooled. He loves to study science, but English is not his favorite. He does enjoy reading and is currently reading a biography on St. Vincent de Paul. His favorite all time book is The Hunger Games. He’s seen the movie but prefers the book.
In the last few years, he’s begun a new hobby. He works with Todd Broussard, the father of a fellow rodeo contestant and owner of T-Pop Leather Shop, with leather. He has made phone cases, rope can lids, breast collars and halters. Todd, who lives in Opelousas, taught him, and now Evan has his own workshop at his house. He loves doing the tooling most, and the biggest project he’s done so far was a rope can lid for his roping coach, a gift from his wife for Christmas. He sells his work and advertises through his mom’s Facebook page and his own Instagram page. “People see the pictures and say, ‘I want one of those.’”
In addition to junior high rodeo, Evan competes in the Sulphur Rodeo Club and Little Britches Rodeo. He has qualified for the state junior high finals all three years, making National Junior High Finals in the goat tying and ribbon roping last year. He finished fourth in the nation in the goat tying last year and would love to make a return trip this year.
This fall, Evan will go to St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles. He has qualified for the National Little Britches Rodeo twice but has never made the trip. He has five brothers and sisters: Emma is nine, Ana is eleven, Alex is twelve, Andrew is 18 and Christopher is 20. The family has a boxer named Jazz, an outside dog. He is the son of David and Kelli Darbonne.
