story by Lindsay King
A little later to the rodeo road than others, team roper Aaron Paul from El Dorado, Kansas, has not missed a beat. From breeding top-notch rope horses with his dad Dick Paul to heeling for Dustin Raupe in the Central Plains Professional Rodeo Association every chance he gets, Aaron is hitting his stride with a loop. Originally from Enterprise, Kansas, Aaron grew up on a small family farm, always around horses and cattle but his interest in roping did not start until after high school graduation in 1996. His father was a calf roper prior to having Aaron and his two brothers. Aaron went on to pursue a degree in business administration at Kansas State University while working full-time to put himself through school. Roping took a back seat but he still practiced when he had the time. Aaron moved around the Midwest for a few years pursuing his career before settling in Texas. He met his wife, Tar, through a mutual friend. They were married in 2005 and now have two daughters, Katelyn and Brianna. “My wife is originally from Austin so I always joke that she used me to get closer to her home.” After ten years in Texas, the Paul family decided it was time to be closer to family in Kansas and in 2013 they relocated to El Dorado. Aaron works as the director of human resources for The Golf Warehouse in Wichita.
Aaron and his dad have bonded over the rekindled love for roping. “Really it was one of those things that was a joy because it was something that he and I could do together. He and I kind of got the bug at the same time.” Dick has continued breeding foundation mares tracing back to Doc Bar and Colonel Freckles. They have been proven winners in the arena. “The two horses I have and compete off now both came from my dad’s place. When I lived in Texas there were quite a few guys that rodeo down there that have bought horses from my dad and I that we raised and trained.” When they first got back into the horse business 25 years ago, Aaron and his dad would break and train the horses on their own but now that time is more difficult to come by they send the two and three-year-olds off for thirty days to get started. “I don’t like getting bucked off anymore. It’s just getting them to that point and then spending the time with them, keeping them soft and level, and then getting them exposed to new environments and going from there.” Aaron’s number one mount, Doug, is a 13-year-old bay gelding out of Colonel Hotrodder. “He is probably the best horse I have ever ridden, he has a lot of athletic ability and makes my job a lot easier.” His other two geldings are cut form the same cloth, both sorrels but one is 19 and the other only five.
Even though his wife is not a horse person, she supports Aaron’s roping. “She likes to go watch when she can but it is a big time commitment.” His daughters have not caught the rodeo bug yet but they both enjoy riding with their dad when they can. “My eight-year-old Brianna says she is going to be a barrel racer; she is fearless and likes to go fast. We haven’t quite graduated to that level where dad has the confidence to just turn her loose and let her go.” Roping is all about balance for Aaron, between work and supporting his daughters in their athletic interests, he gets to as many CePRA events as he can. “Ultimately, the CePRA rodeos are convenient for me, they are usually only a few hours away and they pay well.” The past couple of years, Aaron and Dustin have made it to the central plains finals, winning the average in 2016. “I am just somebody that likes to rope, I enjoy it and I like being around horses. Whether that is roping or just out riding with my daughters.”
