story by Lindsay King
As the reigning NMJHSRA team roping champion, Teagan Burton from Elida, New Mexico, is looking forward to the challenge of high school competition. “New Mexico is a very competitive state, I have definitively had to work hard at my events every day to be successful. I have had a lot of fun going to unfamiliar places and meeting new people every weekend,” said the 14-year-old heeler. Teagan is also a calf roper but enjoys team roping the most.
“I am roping with my brother, Kaull, 17, this year for the first time. It is really convenient that he is always around, so we can practice and work through our struggles together. We do get into arguments but that is alright, we work it out.” A competitive spirit drives Teagan to work hard to become as good as the man who taught him to do it: his uncle, Jarryd Burris. “I have a lot of people in my life who are talented team ropers and I have always wanted to be like them. This makes me work harder every day to be the best heeler I can be.”
Scott and Tawnya, his parents, have been helping hands from day one. “I started in a local rodeo association close to my house when I was eight. I started in all the events but eventually whittled it down to cattle and now just the two I compete in today.” Bubba Garcia, both Teagan’s employer and local role model, has made the biggest impact on his heeling in the last three years. “I have worked with him for the past three summers and my roping has improved dramatically. He is a nine heeler and been the top heeler everywhere we have gone. I have always looked up to him for that and wanted to rope just like him.”
Teagan looks forward to helping his Uncle Jarryd brand more than 3,000 calves at his Crossroads Ag Ranch every spring. “I have done this for as long as I can remember. My brother and I are earning our stripes right now. We flank the calves and then get to drag them sometimes. I am looking forward to doing a lot more in the future.” Working for Bubba allows Teagan to improve both his horsemanship and roping every summer. “He takes in a lot of outside horses that I help him ride. Who knows, I might become a horse trainer one day.”
His sights are set on managing his own ranch when he grows up. “I like the lifestyle; it is what I have grown up around.” Teagan is working towards another team roping state title and another shot at nationals. “I eventually want to college rodeo and then work my way up as a professional. I would like to try and make a living at it but that is not my biggest goal for rodeo.” His biggest goal is to compete in his dream rodeo one day: the NFR.
The Elida High School freshman can either be found in the arena or a gymnasium. “Every other night my brother and I go to the school gym and play pick-up basketball.” Teagan plays baseball, football and basketball, with the latter being his favorite. A member of the FFA, Teagan’s favorite class is Ag. “I like that we do not just sit at a desk and we get to use our hands. We do woodworking and build all sorts of things.”
Teagan always watches Junior Nogueira rope in the PRCA. “I like that he can catch anything, anywhere. He ropes consistently and never jerks on his horses at all.” Teagan cites growing up in rodeo as a weekly vacation since they take off almost every weekend for a rodeo or jackpot. His heeling moto is: let it lay and it will pay. “Before every run I pray that everyone will have a safe go and thank the Lord for letting me do what I love every day.”
