JONESBORO, Ark. – Clay Roemer started rodeoing when he was two-years-old but few could see him putting in the hard work he since has and it is paying off in a big way.
Currently a 5th grader at Brookland Middle School, Roemer is a straight-A student and incredibly laid back, his mother Kerry said. However, he doesn’t care diving into the middle of a tense situation with a bucking-bronco, either!
This year, he competed in the Southeast Mini Bareback Circuit. Their season started in February with rodeos all over Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky. The Finals were held in Monticello over Labor Day weekend and who won the junior division for the circuit?
Clay Roemer.
What makes this special is the top two get to go from Dec. 1-4 to Las Vegas to compete at the Junior National Finals Rodeo.
There are two age divisions with 35 qualifiers in each age group from all across the US and Canada and Roemer is one of those elite 35. It is a pretty amazing achievement, especially since Roemer is still in his first year riding bareback ponies.
It hasn’t been without challenges, either.
Roemer rode some last fall and winter. He was having fun and his family thought it would be a good experience for him. Roemer was at the bottom of the age division for juniors and had little experience starting, but he worked hard and climbed up in the standings through the season. He went into finals sitting second, but unfortunately broke his arm at a different rodeo the weekend before finals.
Even then, he worked hard that weekend and came out in first place.
“We have received a lot of support from the community,” his mother, Kerry, said.
And hopefully, even more will cheer young Roemer on as he continues in this exciting journey to Las Vegas.
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