story by Siri Stevens
Kolby Lasyone from Winnfield, Louisiana, is a 13 year old breakaway roper, goat tyer, calf roper, ribbon roper, and flag racer. Kolby has overcome obstacles in his life. When he was two, he began having seizures and the prognosis wasn’t good. For six years, he was medicated, which slowed his motor skills. At one time the doctors were not sure he would be able to ride horses or do much independently. With lots of prayers, God prevailed and he was cured.
He started roping when he was eight. “He practices all the time,” said his mom, Ashley. “If it’s not raining, he’s roping.” His younger brother, Kayson (8), practices with him and so does his older sister, Kaylie (17). The family competes in the NLBRA as well as the Louisiana Junior High and High School rodeo association. His dad was a calf roper, so he helps, and so does his mom when she’s not working as a nurse. His favorite horse is his calf roping horse, Dottie, because she doesn’t get out run. He got Dottie from Victoria Cooper, he found her through an advertisement on Facebook. Dottie replaced Rooster, the horse that he learned on, who is now 20. His little brother is roping on that horse now and catching everything out there.
When Kolby is not roping, he works with his dad on the family farm with cattle or at his family’s equipment auction company, Lasyone Auctions. “My dad, Rex, is an auctioneer,” explains Kolby. “He sells cattle every week and has equipment auctions every other month. We travel and do auctions some of the time too. My mom and sister help my dad at the auctions and so do I.” He plays football where he’s the cornerback and wide receiver; he also likes to hunt.
When Kolby came to his first Josey clinic five years ago, he couldn’t catch anything. “I kept practicing and working hard.” His efforts paid off as he has made it back to the short round and ended the year in 6th in the breakaway roping for the Louisiana Junior High Rodeo Association.
Kolby loves rodeo because of all the friends he has made and the time spent with family travelling and practicing. “He likes to win, so that makes him work hard and he looks forward to seeing his rodeo friends on the weekends.” concludes his mom.
