story by Lily Weinacht
Roping is Calli Montague’s greatest love in rodeo, but the 16 year old from Mason, Texas, also competes in barrel racing, pole bending, and occasionally, goat tying. She started competing at three, coached by her parents, Frank and Amy Montague. “My grandpa was a cowboy, and my uncle roped calves, so it’s bred into me,” says Calli. “There’s so many people who have been there for me through the worst and best times, but my parents are my rock. We know Matt Crainer from when we lived in South Texas, and when I had a really good horse die and I was in a sticky spot, he helped me get another horse and get going again. Matt brought my competition level up and gave me a drive that nobody else has. I love what I do beyond measure, but he gave me the want to get out there.”
Calli competes in the THSRA and open rodeos in the CPRA and UPRA, while entering her third season in the AJRA. She team ropes, heading and heeling with Saige Sealy, and names breakaway as her favorite event. “Fast is the name of the game, and I’ve mentally broken it down enough to figure out where the cattle are and what my game is. It’s a pretty cool feeling, and it’s an event that doesn’t just stop in high school or college. It’s the same with team roping, but I hustle a little harder in breakaway.”
She qualified for the 2016 AJRA finals and finished second in the average in ribbon roping and breakaway roping. “My close friend, Tristin Lewis, has been dominating the breakaway roping, and I’m really proud of her for that,” says Calli. “The people associated with the AJRA are amazing, and my family has made some incredible lifelong friends in the association. Their rodeo in San Angelo was my favorite last year because competing in that rodeo is a family tradition, so actually roping in that big pen was really cool.”
Calli has a brother, Chase (13), and sister, Casey (9), who also compete in the AJRA. Both qualified for the AJRA finals, and they often practice at a friend’s house, though they are building their own arena. “Before Dad gets home, I hustle to get homework done so we can get horses loaded by the time he’s home and go practice. We have to work together, otherwise it wouldn’t go as smooth as it does. As a family, we’ll turn on music and rope the dummy, but it’s not easygoing – we have matches almost every time.” Calli runs barrels and poles on her horse Holly and team ropes off Blaze, while she also ropes off her brother’s pony, Ace. Her breakaway horse, Mouse, came from her dad’s cousin, Jim Bob Crow. “I give him major credit for selling me this horse, because Mouse is the reason for my success in breakaway and he’s been a complete game changer.”
A junior at Mason High School, Calli is taking several college level classes, including biology. “It’s really difficult, but my teacher is an awesome lady. I want to go into equine genetics and breeding, so biology is huge. I played volleyball for nine years, but when we moved to Mason, they didn’t have a volleyball team, so now I mostly rodeo.”
Competing in several finals rodeos this summer is one of Calli’s goals, including the AJRA finals, IFYR, and NHSFR. “I missed some great calves last year, and I’d like to redeem myself at state finals and make it to Nationals,” she says. “I’ll be there one day, but if not for myself, then for my brother and sister. They definitely have the potential. My short-term goals are to get straight A’s – academics are pretty serious here in Mason – and be as prepared as a college freshman can be, since my big goal is to make the college finals my freshman year. I don’t think winning is everything, but I get fun out of it, and it helps us get down the road. Rodeo is an awesome thing we get to do, and it’s the best thing on earth in my eyes.”
