story by Siri Stevens
Peanut Schauf, an NLBRA member for four years, just won the level 2 breakaway roping at the AQHYA world show. Peanut competes in breakaway and team roping, carrying a rope around since she could walk. “I went with my dad to the rodeos when he picked up for Phil Summer and he eventually he taught me how to rope.”
Peanut likes Little Britches. “I think it’s very family-oriented and everybody knows everybody.
If my dad’s not there in the arena, there’s another dad there to help. It’s very together and there’s no need to worry about anything.” Her dad, Kelly Schauf, is the Executive Board Director for the NLBRA, a position he has held for two years. “Usually he’s at the roping pens, getting neck ropes done, setting poles – he just fixes things and is there for it all. When he got into Little Britches and got on the Board it came natural.”
She has a younger sister, Cricket 13, who ties goats. She also has an older sister, Shorty, now 25, a cosmetologist, who also was a competitive barrel racer, pole bender and goat tier when she was younger. Her mom, Shelby, aka George likes to paints Kelly’s ties, make jewelry and is super Creative. You can find her stuff on her Etsy page, The Velvet Pony. “She has always been creative and my dad had ties hanging around. Before Little Britches Nationals, he asked her if she could paint some and she did.”
Peanut qualified for Youth World for the past two years. “This year I won the level 2 with a 2.1. You win a big trophy and a buckle. The horse collects points which helps in reselling the horse – not that I’m going to – he’s my baby.” Foundation King, aka, Bug, was purchased from a lady that ranched on him. “He had just turned 9. He was snorty when I got him home and now I’m the only one that can catch him around here. The people at the AQHA finals were trying to put a ribbon on him and he wouldn’t let them – I had to get off him and do it.” Bug knew how to rope, they just had to finish him to be a break-a-way rope horse, which Peanut and Kelly did. “I’ve started horses before, but this one was definitely not ready to haul. He had the good mind from being on the ranch and we finished him.”
Peanut spent much of her childhood on the racetrack, where her dad shod and ponied race horses and her mom was a vet assistant and her grandmother, Debbie Schauf, worked in several capacities behind the scenes. Her grandmother, who was a pillar in the horse racing industry, passed away Saturday, August 10, from complications from a heart procedure. “At the world show, I competed for my grandma. She gave me a necklace last Christmas, and I wore that and roped for her and I ended up doing great. I lifted that up to God.” Peanut plans to go to college to become a chiropractor for both people and equine. “Hopefully breakaway will be pro by then and I plan to do that too.”
