By: Julia Dondero
Briar White wrapped up his Freshman year of High School in unforgettable style– taking home the Oklahoma High School Rodeo Association Tie Down Roping title and securing the Number One Youth Tie Down Roping position on the WCRA Division Youth Leaderboard. This automatic advancement into the Semi-Finals Round provides the young calf roper with the shot of a lifetime at the prestigious title.
As anticipation lingers in the heavy, mid-summer Oklahoma air, the Lazy E Arena prepares to host some of the brightest youth rodeo stars. The excitement is sure to be felt throughout the quant community of Guthrie, but for the young calf roper, it’s just another day in the office.
“I’m super excited to come into the WCJR in the number one position. I am going to just do my best to rope and tie my calf at hand and see how it all plays out” explained the 15-year-old cowboy.
White also plans to compete in the Team Roping with fellow Oklahoman, Hazen Suit. Balancing Heading and Calf Roping is nothing new for the All Around Cowboy, who recently finished third in the OHSRA All Around Cowboy Standings.
This Summer, White has had a full schedule of traveling and competing at rodeos with his younger brother and parents. White jokes, “We’ve been rodeoing so much, the only practice I’ve gotten is at rodeos.”
The calm, cool, and collected cowboy, will be taking his shot at the historic payout atop his trusted calf horse “Bucky”. White and “Bucky” have spent much of their careers together, and now work together like clockwork. For the past 9 years, the duo has been unstoppable together and has only continued to grow together. White explained, “He does the same thing every time and makes my job a lot easier, he’s a great, reliable horse.”
This week, White will join nearly 1000 other competitors and their families for a week of historic youth rodeo at “The Fabulous Lazy E”, all vying for their shot at the record-setting payout. July 25 will kick off the event with athletes competing in the Qualifying Rounds, then advancing to the Semi-Finals and Championship Round, which will conclude Saturday 29. For White, he will have the opportunity to watch the competition and save “Bucky” for the Semi-Finals Round on Friday, accredited by his Youth Leaderboard Position.
In acquiring this title, White explained, “We try to nominate as much as possible. We’ll nominate major calf ropings like Joe Beavers and High School Rodeos.” As his nominating comes to fruition, White looks forward to seeing how the competition unfolds this week in Guthrie.
