story by Lily Weinacht
Rodeo found Jacob Haren when he was nine years old, and today, the 14 year old from Erie, Colo., competes in the CJHSRA in goat tying, breakaway roping, chute dogging, ribbon roping, and team roping as a header. “The team roping is my favorite, because when you and your partner do it right, it feels good. I’ve roped with Klayt Staudt the last two years, and Reece Wadhams for a year now,” says Jacob, “and my ribbon roping partner is Shyanna Reeves.”
It’s Jacob’s rookie year with the association, and he is headed to Tennessee to the NJHFR, ending the year second in the boy’s breakaway and fourth in the chute dogging. Originally introduced to the sport by his step-dad, Rod Gracey, Jacob’s motivation to rodeo comes from both his family and his goals of improving with each run. “My step-dad has helped me out a lot – he used to compete in both the timed and roughstock events, and that made me want to rodeo. I look up to him and my mom (Elizabeth Gracey). They come out and help me practice every day, and my mom is a pretty good heeler. We rope together at home, and I’d like to enter the CJRA parent roping with her. We rope at our house, where we have a Heel-O-Matic and a calf sled that Rod’s friend made. My mom or Rod, or my brother, Michael, pulls it for me. Sometimes we load up the horses and rope at our friend Dr. Mark Fitch’s house.” While roping at Dr. Fitch’s, Jacob met 2X World Champion Heeler Walt Woodard. “We’ve roped together a few times, which is pretty cool,” says Jacob. “He’s showed me a lot of things about roping.”
A number of horses make their home with Jacob’s family, including his two Quarter Horses, Hotdog and Charlie. “We’ve had Hotdog for about 11 years, and he’s the first horse I rode. I use him for the breakaway roping, and Charlie for the team roping and goat tying. They both do really well for me. We have team roping steers and quite a few other horses, which we buy, train, and sell. I help ride most of them.” Though Jacob’s least favorite chore is cleaning out pens, he spends the bulk of his time in the arena with his horses. “We live pretty close to town, and the climate is great here, which I really like,” he says.
Jacob recently finished eighth grade at Erie Middle School, where he especially enjoyed reading and writing in his Language Arts class. He also played linebacker for the Erie Tigers, and is looking forward to starting both high school and high school rodeo. This summer, he and his 16-year-old brother, Michael, are planning to go on a packing trip through Wyoming with their dad, Tom Haren. He owns AGPROfessionals, an environmental company that works with dairies and feedlots. Michael enjoys welding, and though he doesn’t compete in rodeo, he helps several of the stock contractors at Jacob’s rodeos.
Jacob is interested in making a career out of rodeo, but he’s also considering becoming a rancher. “Rod’s brother owns a ranch in Nebraska, and we go out there and help them with branding and working cattle,” Jacob explains. “I’d like to have a job like that. I’d also like to win a couple of saddles in my events, and in the future, qualify for high school Nationals.”
