FEBRUARY 2017 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
74
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1421 FM 1189 Ste . 4 | Brock , TX 76087 ( 817 ) 599-8085 Mon-Thur : 7:30am – 6pm | Fri : 7:30am – 5pm is like a big extended family . “ I love being on the team ,” 15-year-old Mallory Morris said . “ The social interaction is great .”
Mallory , a homeschooler who competes in breakaway goat tie and ribbon roping , is the only one on the team who doesn ’ t attend WHS . Her mother , Christy Morris , a sponsor of the team , believes that this team is more than an after-school activity . For her , it ’ s the chance for her daughter to get out and do what she loves to do .
It takes money to compete and enter the North Texas High School Rodeo Association . Morris and other parents help raise money for the team . If the kids did not love it , their parents would not work so hard helping them compete and succeed . “ We go out and talk to people to raise money for our kids ,” Morris said . “ It ’ s a sacrifice , and if the kids didn ’ t want to do it , we wouldn ’ t be doing it . I want to see all these kids succeed and have a long-lasting relationship with each other .”
“ If the family is not behind the kids , it is not going to work ,” Russ Henning , Bailey ’ s father , said . “ The kids want to do this . If they didn ’ t want to , there would be no rodeo team .”
For team roper Zane Letson , 15 , knowing that the sponsors work so hard for the team “ makes me feel like I should do better .” Letson dreams of going to Texas Tech University and rodeoing up there . Chute dogger Jacob Hale , 16 , believes that being involved in the rodeo is a “ better way of life .” He plans to continue his love of rodeo at Tarleton State University .
The kids spend multiple hours a week in individual work perfecting their skills for the rodeo . It is this hard work that motivates the parents to pound the pavement and raise money for the team by going doorto-door to ask businesses to buy ads in their brochure for the rodeo .
“ We appreciate the hard work our parents and sponsors do since they don ’ t get a paycheck to do it ,” Bailey said . “ If we didn ’ t have the rodeo team , we couldn ’ t compete in the NTHSRA We could just say we were a team . Bonding and creating