story by Ruth Nicolaus
It’s hard to tell the Chasek twins apart. In fact, in fourth grade, Justin and Jake Chasek, members of the Nebraska Junior High School Rodeo Association, fooled their teachers for nearly an entire class period; they switched classrooms and the teachers never discovered it, till the boys told them, a few days later.
But it’s not hard for mom and dad, Jennifer and Shawn Chasek, to tell their kids apart. Justin has a bit wider face, Jennifer said, where Jake’s is more narrow. When they were babies, a birthmark on Justin’s arm was their clue.
The boys, who live seven miles north of Mitchell, Nebraska, in Sioux County, compete in the tie-down roping, chute dogging, team roping (Jake as header and Justin as heeler), and ribbon roping (Justin ropes for Faith Storer and Jake ropes for Samantha Schemper.
The twins share a tie-down and ribbon roping horse, Snookie, who the family has owned for two years. Justin’s heel horse is a sorrel named Rosebud, and Jake’s head horse is another sorrel, Lady.
They are eighth grade students at Mitchell Public School, where they both play football, wrestle, run track, and are on the honor roll. Justin’s classroom strengths are reading and science; Jake is a bit better at math than his brother.
The best family trip the Chaseks have made, according to the twins, is a trip to Galveston, Texas. The boys loved swimming in the ocean and spending time on the beach.
They are both great help around the ranch, where they drive tractor, feed cattle, and tag and pair out cows and calves. During calving season, they helped pull a few calves. Their mom said they could run the ranch if they had to. “They know how to run the place way more than I do,” Jennifer said. “Those two could run the whole place. They’re pretty cool boys.”
They both qualified for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo last year, Justin in the team roping and ribbon roping and Jake in the team roping and breakaway roping.
When they grow up, both would like to be veterinarians. Jake would like to specialize in equine veterinary medicine.
Justin and Jake have two older brothers: Ty, who is seventeen, and Lane, who is sixteen.
