story by Lily Weinacht
Jade Chambers loves the rush of goat tying, goat string at the ready on his belt while poised on the side of his galloping horse, eyes focused on his goat. The 13-year-old cowboy from Centerville, Kansas, experienced a new rush last summer when he was crowned the 2017 NLBRA Junior Boy World Goat Tying Champion, one of several titles he earned during a banner season. “I was pretty surprised!” says Jade, who has qualified for the NLBFR the last three years. “I was sitting pretty decent, but I didn’t think I was going to make it. But I did!” He won buckles in each round of goat tying, and he also competed in breakaway roping.
Jade has entered the flag racing and ribbon roping in the NLBRA in the past, but wanted to focus on breakaway and goats competing in the Southeast Kansas and Arklahoma Little Britches Rodeo Associations. Prior to the NLBFR, he won the state goat tying title in the Missouri Junior High Rodeo Association—the Chambers live 15 minutes from the Missouri border—and the average in the ribbon roping. His horse Boogie was named the NHSRA Professional’s Choice Equine Athlete of the Month in May of 2017, and Jade was awarded the MJHRA Best Boot Forward award. “It’s been pretty amazing to see all his hard work pay off,” says Jade’s mom, Angie, who has roped and shown horses. “He had a very blessed year and we’re very appreciative because it doesn’t always turn out that way. Rodeo is our family time, and there’s no better place to spend a weekend than rodeoing with your kids.”
Jade started competing when he was 4, taking after his dad, Wade, and brother, Logan, who both rope. Logan high school and college rodeoed and now enters amateur rodeos and USTRC ropings, winning a truck at the Lazy E in the USTRC Super Bowl Roping. “My family is a rodeo family, and I just love the adrenaline and rush of rodeo,” says Jade. “I really like to help other kids become good rodeo people, and watch them grow up. My whole family has helped me out so much, and my goat tying coach, Jennifer Duncan, is one of the greatest coaches ever. She’s a two-time world champion goat tyer. Kevin Wiseman is my breakaway coach and one of the coolest dudes you’ll ever find.” Kevin and Logan are also coaching Jade in tie-down roping.
Boogie, the horse Jade won his world title on, stands approximately 13.3 hands tall, but makes up for his height with his speed. “He was a really nice heel horse and breakaway horse, and I taught him how to keep going fast for goat tying. Nelson is my breakaway horse, and he’s a world champion and a reserve national champion goat horse—he’s very talented.” Nelson came from Kevin Wiseman and has competed at every major finals rodeo except the WNFR, winning AQHA Horse of the Year with Jade in the NHSRA in 2017 and again this year. Jade practices daily at home in the family’s arena and helps care for their other animals, including 50 head of goats and counting, 10 cows, 12 horses, and 4 dogs. They breed the goats and sell or lease them, along with keeping a herd of their own for tying.
A seventh-grader at Prairie View Middle School, Jade enjoys science and studying organisms. He does track and field sports, competing in the long jump, 4×100 and 4×200, and medley. All the events also help him with his balance and stamina in rodeo. Once he’s home from school, he’s either tying goats or roping the dummy. Jade and his family also enjoying having their rodeo family over to rope or play pool, and he’s passionate about helping others, including collecting and donating a truck bed full of canned food before Christmas last year.
In May, Jade achieved his goal of qualifying for the NJHFR again, this time in all three events. He won the goat tying and the finals average for the second year in a row, and reserve champion in the ribbon roping. His next goal is to be a back-to-back NLBRA world champion in the goat tying and breakaway.
