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Quinten Schafer

    4-H'ers Roping Skills on DisplayBy Robert Pore
 Published: Monday, July 20, 2009 9:45 AM CDTCowboy hats, white shirts, blue jeans, along with a good rope and horse were the order of the day Thursday at the State 4-H Horse Show and Exposition at Fonner Park.

A rain shower got in the way of the beginning of the break-a-way roping event in the morning. But once the rain clouds passed, it was on with the show.

There were four different roping events for 4-H'ers to compete in Thursday morning, said Monte Stauffer of Gretna, Extension educator for Douglas and Sarpy counties, who was superintendent of the roping events.

The first event and the one interrupted by the morning shower was the break-a-way roping, in which a calf is released from a gate and horse and rider have 30 seconds to rope it.The second event of the morning was tie-down roping, in which the rider must rope the calf, get off the horse, throw the calf to the ground and cross and tie three legs.

The third event was heading, in which the riders are judged on how well they rope the horns or neck of a steer, along with the performance of the horse in the task, and then how they pull the steer across the arena.

The final event, heeling, judges the horse on how well it quiets itself in the box (where the horse and rider wait for the steer or calf to be released), how far and fast it runs to the steer, how well the horse is positioned for the heeling throw to catch the hind legs and how well it stops and holds the steer tight while the header pulls the rope tight and they then turn and face each other.

Stauffer said each event is a test of the rider's and horse's skill.

"You really have to be a good rider," he said.

And becoming a good horseman isn't easy, Stauffer said.

He said it takes a lot of skill developed through hours of hard work and practice to master the art of riding and roping at the same time and doing it as quickly as possible to score points.

"It takes coordination; good, quiet hands; and good horsemanship ability because you have to sit deep in the saddle and be able to have rhythm, balance and coordination to stay on a hard-running horse while swinging a rope above your head and throw it without wrapping it around your neck," he said.

And it all has to come together within a matter of seconds.

Everything the 4-H'ers were doing in the roping arena on Thursday traces itself back to skills cowboys had to have on a working ranch of the Old West.

"These are all events that developed on the ranch with working cattle that either had to be dehorned, castrated or sick cattle to be doctored," Stauffer said. "You have three different animals. You have a person, you have a horse, and you have a calf, and all three have to cooperate."

More than 120 4-H'ers from throughout Nebraska competed on Thursday in the four roping events.

Stauffer said many skills demonstrated by the 4-H ropers on Thursday were developed either as hands on a working ranch or for competing in high school rodeos.

"Many of these kids grew up on ranches and have to use these skills when they get home to help sort and doctor cattle," he said.

Stauffer said the roping events "teach the kids a lot of skills, a lot of patience and develop a lot confidence."

Four-H'er Elise Edgar of Firth, who was participating in the break-a-way roping competition, got involved in roping as a personal challenge.

"It was something new," she said. "I was challenging myself."

Edgar said she has been riding since she was 2 years old. She and her horse, "Cowboy," have been riding as a team for five months. It was Cowboy's first time with Edgar in a competitive event.

"It all depends on the horse and rider," she said. "We connected pretty quick, but we are still working on it."

Allyson Vonderschmidt of Falls City also grew up on the back of a horse. She is a veteran at the break-a-way roping event.

"You have to just stay calm in the box and get out right," she said.

Cody Jensen of Syracuse was also entered in the break-a-way roping.

This was his first year competing at the State 4-H Horse Show, though the 13-year-old said he has been on the back of a horse since he was 2 years old.

His reason for entering the competition was simple: "I like to rope."

But getting to the skill level Jensen has with rope and horse is something that didn't come overnight.

"It takes practice, and I practice as much as I can," he said.   

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Janelle Radney 

Janelle Radney receiving the Dee Cole Memorial Sportsmanship Award from Jim and Sandy Jirkovsky at the Youth World Show in OKC. Dennis Dean and Steve Taylor serve as bookends. Photo by Larry Williams.

Janelle Radney - Amazing Courage and an Award Winner
By Diane Rice

For most Youth World Show participants, competing in three classes and the speech contest isn’t all that remarkable. But for 13-year-old Janelle Radney of Wood River, Nebraska, they’re extraordinary feats. Just a few weeks ago, Janelle suffered so much pain that she was unable to walk and had to be carried. Doctors told her she’d never walk, let alone ride at the show. But this week, she showed in western pleasure, western equitation and showmanship, and to top it all off, she won the speech contest.

Janelle suffers from NOMID: neonatal-onset multisystemic inflammatory disease, a condition caused by genetic mutation that, left untreated, causes chronic inflammation and rashes, hearing loss, blindness, kidney failure and limited life span. Two years ago, severe leg pain led her to Shriners Hospital for bone scans and later to the Mayo Clinic where a biopsy indicated NOMID.

She received the first of her treatment regimen of daily injections just four weeks ago. Within four hours, the rash she’d had since birth disappeared. Her treatments, though painful, have brought Janelle relief. She rode for the first time just 10 days ago.

In the speech contest on Sunday, June 24, Janelle said her illness had taught her “…not to judge others by what they look like, but by what they are like on the inside. Looking at my horse, ‘Denny,’ you might think that he isn’t worth a penny, but if you could see his heart and what he is all about, you wouldn’t be able to put a price tag on him.”

Although she didn’t place in the top 10, she did win a personal championship. And her tenacity and heart are an inspiration. “Denny taught me to never lose my confidence and to always believe in myself,” she says—“just like I believe in him.”

Lydia Placzek

Congratulations!!  Lydia Placzek returned home from the Appaloosa World Youth Competition in Oklahoma City with more additions to her amazing resume!
    World Champion - Breakaway Roping (18 and under)
    World Champion - Heeling (18 and under)
    World Champion - Steer Daubing (18 and under)
    Reserve World Champion - Overall Cattle Horse

Lydia will be attending South Dakota State University this fall on Scholarship- they are lucky to have you!

Way to Go Liddy and Playboy we are so proud of you!

Lea Radney

Lea Radney was featured by KHAS News as the January Outstanding Community Youth.  Lea  just finished her sophomore year and is covaledictorian of her class; involved in High Ability Learners; Quiz Bowl; has lettered in Band and Choir; is a National Honor Society member;a Swing Choir member.  She teaches Bible School in the summer and is active in UMYF.  She will run cross country next fall too.  Lea was chosen as an outstanding young person that month because she exhibited a combination of scholarship, leadership and community service.

Matt Graves

Kallie Rother