story by Lily Weinacht
“Some of my best friends rodeo, and if it weren’t for rodeo, I wouldn’t have met those people,” says 17-year-old Kaprina Jones. “It teaches you more about life than anything, and I think it’s so fun getting to go every weekend and see friends. So much goes into rodeo, and it’s completely worth it.”
Kaprina, who hails from Newcastle, Wyoming, competes in breakaway roping, and team roping with heeler Blake LeClair, but breakaway is first on her list of favorites. “I like that you don’t have to rely on anybody but yourself, and if you mess up, it’s your fault. And it’s more of an adrenaline rush than anything!” She’s been rodeoing for much of her life, introduced to the sport by her parents, Tim and Stacey Jones, who both rodeoed. “My mom was pretty successful in high school, and my dad still team ropes and rides saddle broncs. They haul me and my brother everywhere and coach us, and help with buying horses and steers. I also look up to Ty and Lonnie Farella,” Kaprina adds. “They’ve helped me a lot since I started rodeoing and are like a second set of parents.”
Another part of Kaprina’s family are her horses, Kenny and Speedy G. “They were both head horses when I bought them, and I trained them for breakaway. They give me their all, and they’re my best friends. I also train outside horses, but right now I’m working on one for myself, Titan. He’s coming along really good, and I’ll probably take him to college with me.” The Jones family has numerous horses, roping steers, cows, dogs, and a cat on their ranch outside of Newcastle. Kaprina and her 13-year-old brother, Kacy, pitch in with all the ranch work, though Kaprina admits fixing fence isn’t a favorite, especially when the ground is hard.
Following chores, Kaprina and her family practice every night, spending time together and having roping competitions. Kacy competes in the WHSRA Junior High Division in breakaway roping, team roping, bull riding, and bareback steer riding, which he won state in. He’ll be competing in the NJHFR for the first time. “Kacy and I team rope together – I head and he heels – and Dad will practice with us too. We have automatic chutes, and Mom videos our runs. We live right at the base of the Black Hills, and the scenery is beautiful. We’re like one big family with our neighbors, and we’ve gotten to know a lot of good people here. My basketball coaches taught us so much more about life and being a good person,” says Kaprina, who played basketball with the Newcastle Dogies for four years. “My junior year, our team got super close, and we made it to state. I like being able to have those friends.” Kaprina was also involved in FBLA, National Honor Society, Newcastle Rodeo Club, and FFA, where she did horse judging, and most recently, employment skills.
She graduated from Newcastle High School in May, and this fall, Kaprina is attending Weatherford College in Texas on a rodeo scholarship and studying communications. “I’ve had a lot of success with the Wrangler ropings and their finals, and I’d like to keep competing up there,” she says. “I definitely want to graduate college and make the CNFR, and I’d like to make the NHSFR this summer.”
