BOARDMAN ROPES FIRST AT PRESTIGIOUS YOUTH RODEO

Up and coming cowboy Cimarron Boardman, a 17-year-old entering his senior year at Jackson High School, won first overall in team roping at the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Okla.

The International Finals Youth Rodeo, held in July, is billed as the "richest youth rodeo in the world." Contestants must be enrolled in high school and in good standing to compete. Participants from all over the United States and Canada compete for money, saddles and belt buckles.

The rodeo is sponsored by the International Pro Rodeo Association and is the youth version of the International Finals Rodeo. World Champions are crowned in eight events at the International Finals.

In team roping two ropers compete together to bring down a steer. The "header" or person at the head of the animal, throws his rope around the animal's head and holds it. The "heeler," or person who works from the back end, must throw a loop around the animal's heels. Both parties "dally" or wrap their ropes around their saddle horns, until their ropes are tight. Time is called when both ropes are taut and the steer is down.

Boardman and his partner, Bailey Moore of Mount Vernon, finished their run and won the finals in a mere 7.7 seconds. Boardman won $2,600 in the competition. Individually, he placed seventh at the event.

(Boardman learned to team rope with his older brother, Kadin, around the age of 11. The brothers began their rodeo careers competing in 4-H rodeos.

"We used to show horses and we always had a lot of cows," Cimarron Boardman said. "I got tired of riding around in circles and decided to try something new."

Kadin Boardman has taken his rodeo ability onto college at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Okla., where he has a rodeo scholarship.

"Kadin is a PRCA Cowboy (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association), which is as high of a level as you can go," said father Mark Boardman. "PRCA Cowboy is like being in the major leagues in baseball."

Cimarron Boardman, who placed second in the state in both events this past season, practices team and calf roping three to four hours a day and competes in 50 or more rodeos a year. He said calf roping is actually his event of choice because it poses a bigger challenge to the competitor.

"I don't like depending on someone else," he said. "Calf roping also takes a more sophisticated horse and a lot more practice."

Cimarron's plans for the future definitely include rodeoing.

"I want to go to the High School Finals next year and see if I can get a scholarship to a school," he said. "I hope to go to the college finals and after college make it to the National Finals Rodeo."

The National Finals Rodeo is the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association's finals, the Super Bowl of rodeo.

"One reason we encouraged this was because you can go to college on a rodeo scholarship," Mark Boardman said. "You can't play football forever, but you can rope for a long, long time."

Cimarron Boardman enjoys roping and looks forward to a bright rodeo career.

"It's kind of a rush when you're roping, you know," he said, "but I just try to stay relaxed and have fun.")