By Lindsey Whelchel
Avary Brown has settled right in to the Western way of life at her young age of 13. Her dad and brother got her started in rodeo when she was 5 years old, and she’s already envisioning a life and future career as a rancher.
“It’s different from everything else, like regular life,” Avary says of her potential career path. “I’m always outside,” she adds, making the rodeo and ranching route a perfect fit for the Kansas cowgirl.
In the beginning Avary started out in barrels and poles before moving up to team roping and breakaway roping. She’s been a member of the Kansas Junior High School Rodeo Association throughout middle school.
Her favorite part about it is the people she meets. The sport has taught her to work hard, practice and try your best.
“We practice every day. If it’s wet or anything, we practice,” Avary explains of polishing her roping skills.
Rodeo is the only sport she’s involved in at school, and it keeps her plenty busy.
All of Avary’s practice and focus has certainly paid off. She made it to the Junior High National Finals Rodeo in Des Moines, IA this past year. The Kansas team finished in the top 10 of the national rankings, and Avary no doubt contributed to their success. Individually, she finished the 20th-ranked breakaway roper in the nation.
Of the Brown family, Avary is the youngest. She is described as a kind and shy personality type, and she clearly values hard work. The family calls, Douglass, Kan., home, where Avary has two older brothers, Pepper and Riley. Her mom Keely is a nurse, and dad, Rob, works with airplanes.
Rob also helps her with her roping, giving her advice. One thing she keeps in mind right before she competes is something he told her: “Look at a certain spot at the back of his neck, when I’m roping,” she said. On a deeper level, Avary has no doubt learned the impact of rodeo as a lifestyle. It’s a sport that goes hand-in-hand with some of the oldest American values, and no matter what future path this young roper chooses, it appears that the roots of the lifestyle are already strong.
