story by Lindsay King
Fourteen-year-old Karlie Tucker from Nardin, Oklahoma, is a quadruple threat when it comes to competing in the OKJHSRA. The eighth-grader is a top competitor in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping. Karlie is the oldest of five siblings, Talon, Laine, Sage, Rickey and Quincy. Karlie, Talon and Laine are homeschooled by their step-mom Miranda. Karlie loves science, especially chemistry, when she grows up she wants to possibly become a doctor.
Karlie started to rodeo when she was about five, first in the Cherokee Roundup Club and eventually moved onto Little Britches in all four of her events. Justin (Karlie’s dad) and Miranda have helped Karlie learn how to rope but it was as much of a trial and error process for them as it was for her. A family friend, Luke Blanton, has taught them a lot about roping and been there since the beginning. All of the Tucker kids started out in rodeo at a young age, with Talon starting into his first year of junior high rodeo. Karlie enjoys spending time with her siblings, whether it is fishing in the summer or traveling to rodeos. “We pack up all of our family and go to pretty much every rodeo together.”
Karlie Tucker and BJ barrel racing at an OKJHSRA rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma – Sik Shot Photos
Karlie looks up to Sherry Cervi because of how well she rides, as well as Tuff Cooper to help improve her roping. There is a tie between breakaway roping and goat tying as far as Karlie’s favorite event goes. “You have to be really quick and you have to react to whatever happens, whether the goat goes a different way or the calf, you have to move quick.” Riding, roping and tying everyday keeps Karlie ready for the rodeos. However, the partnership with her three equine companions is one aspect of rodeo she admires most. “I like that you have to put a lot of trust in your horses.” Karlie rides BJ, a 19-year-old bay Quarter Horse, for barrels and poles while she rides Frosty, a bay roan Quarter Horse, for breakaway. Checkers is Karlie’s goat tying horse, an appaloosa that she shares with her sister Laine who breakaway ropes and goat ties with him
