By Ruth Nicolaus
Jordan Steele is the Kansas Pro Rodeo Association’s 2015 Timed Event Rookie of the Year.
The Colby, Kan. team roper grew up in Aladdin, Wyo., competing in high school rodeo, then went on to college rodeo at the University of Wyoming. He won fifth place in the heading at the College National Finals Rodeo in 2010 and earned his master’s degree in Agricultural Economics two years later.
He spent a year in Laramie while his wife Jori finished college, then the couple moved to Colby in January 2015, where he works for the Kansas Farm Management Association, as a farm financial advisor that helps farmers and ranchers with financial analysis, tax preparation, estate planning, and more.
Jordan also competes in US Team Ropings and jackpots, but last year was the first year he’d been able to really hit the road. His head horse, Pirate, was lame in 2012, Jordan had a broken leg in 2013, and the next year Jori’s head horse was lame so she rode Pirate while Jordan heeled.
Pirate, a thirteen year old big bald-faced bay who carried him to his fifth place finish at the CNFR, has been a good horse for Jordan, but he’s got “an attitude,” Jordan said. “You have to take care of him.” Pirate is “a little cinchy if you saddle him and throw him in the trailer. He’ll lay down.” Last year, when the Steeles took Pirate to a branding with his saddle on in the trailer, he put a cut in Jori’s good saddle. “We were in trouble for that one,” Jordan said. He’s not mean, he just isn’t a “real people horse. He likes to do his job and be left alone.”
Jordan and Jori, who breakaway ropes in the KPRA and team ropes at jackpots, like the KPRA. “We really enjoy everyone we’ve met,” Jordan said.
