story by Michele Toberer
Although 17-year-old Blake Chauvin, of Raceland, Louisiana had every opportunity to ride and rodeo as a young child, he started out with more interest in playing football. However, things took a serious change of direction when Blake picked up a calf rope in 6th grade, and he has hardly put one down, since. Blake lives on his family’s 90-acre farm, with his mother Simone Chauvin, father Jerome Marcell, and step-brother Jacob Marcell, 23. Blake’s grandfather, Ridley Chauvin, is 78 years old, also still lives on the farm, where his daughter Simone was raised, and is a very big part of Blake’s daily life.
Blake started practicing roping while he was in the 6th and 7th grades, and began competing in LJHSRA in the 8th grade. Blake entered tie-down roping, goat tying and ribbon roping, and his first year out, he was the LJHSRA Tie-down champion, and qualified for the NJHFR in all three of his events. That summer, at the NJHFR in Des Moines, Iowa, he won the 1st round in tie-down roping with a smoking 8.8 second run. Blake is now in the middle of his fourth and final year as a tie-down roper with the LHSRA.
Blake has been surrounded by calf horses and ropes his whole life. His grandfather Ridley competed in the Louisiana Rodeo Association long before Blake was born, winning the LRA Tie-Down Roping Champion title in 1966 and 1968. After competing for close to 20 years, in the LRA, Tri-State Rodeo, and PRCA, he hung up his competitive rope at the age of 55. Blake’s mom, Simone, is a breakaway roper and barrel racer, and competed in LHSRA, followed by competing in the LRA and Tri-State Rodeo Association. Blake credits both his grandpa and mom for having great horses for him to ride, and giving him great advice. “My grandpa is always trying to make me better. He watches me practice every day. He is at every one of my rodeos, every single one.”
Blake and his granfather – Courtesy of the Family
Blake has four horses that he practices on, but currently relies on two of them the most for competition. “Pedro is a 14-year-old bay quarter horse. He has a lot of run, a lot of stop, and always pulls no matter how loud it gets.” Blake practices, every day, at his neighbor, Wesley Arcement’s arena, that is just about a mile away from the Chauvin farm. Blake has been competing on a horse named Reno, that he has been borrowing from Wesley. “Reno is a little bay, 10-year-old Quarter Horse, and I actually intend to buy him from Wesley soon, I like him so much. He has a lot of stop, scores good, runs, and he pulls just right every time.”
Blake is a senior at Central Lafourche High School in Raceland, Louisiana. After school, he takes care of the cattle herd he purchased last year. Blake has about 40 head of Black Angus right now, including calves, and hopes to grow that herd for his future. After basic farm chores, he and his grandpa head to Wesley’s to practice roping. Blake’s weekends are filled with rodeos, as he competes not only in LHSRA, but also in the Cajun Rodeo Association, and the Louisiana Rodeo Association. He is generally competing in 2-3 rodeos every weekend, every weekend of the month. Blake has made the finals for the CRA the past three years, and ended up the reserve champion tie-down roper, while winning the average at the 2016 CRA Finals. “Every spare moment, every second I have I’m either roping, or doing something pertaining to roping.” After Blake turns 18 in March, he plans to start competing in the PRCA Southeastern Region rodeos. When he graduates in June, he will head out with friend, Polo Bacque, who currently competes in the region, and take a shot at making the finals.
Blake tries to follow the advice his grandpa and mom have given him, “Always keep God first and try to stay humble.” He looks up to God, his grandpa and Wesley Arcement as wonderful role models to follow. Blake also appreciates his sponsors, Cowboy Cordage and Best Ever Pads.
