story by Lindsay Whelchel
Brooke Howell
– Toni Kahnke Photography
This summer, the concept of being a rodeo family could ring especially true for Brooke Howell. Brooke, a senior at Belle Fourche High School in South Dakota, plans to buy her permit and hit some pro rodeos. Her dad, Guy, a pro-rodeo cowboy is also planning a return to pro arenas by buying his card for the first time in three years.
Pro-rodeos aside, there has never been a shortage of the rodeo lifestyle for the Howell family.
Brooke’s mom, Shanna, college rodeoed, and these days, the family is involved in amateur rodeo.
“I really like rodeo, because our whole family can be involved. Everyone can compete, especially at amateur rodeos, and it’s a good experience. You get to meet people. The sportsmanship is awesome. Everyone is helping everyone. We’re all kind of a big family.” Brooke says.
Brooke competes in the Northwest Ranch Cowboys Association in team roping, breakaway, and barrel racing. She does those events, as well as almost everything else, for high school rodeo, adding in poles and goat tying.
“I like them all. I’ve roped my whole life, so I really like those a lot, but I enjoy barrels and poles as well,” she says.
Brooke is one of four daughters. Her older sister Bridget is a freshman in college, younger sister Shayla is a freshman in high school, and Shyanne is a sixth grader.
“You can never do it alone, you always have to have a support system. That’s the biggest deal, is a family of people who supports you, it helps so much when you have a good background to come from and people that are cheering you on,” Brooke says of being able to rodeo.
Outside of rodeo, Brooke competes in jackpots and trains young horses for herself and others. She spends a lot of time keeping her equine teammates in shape. She keeps herself in shape by playing recreational basketball and running track.
The family also stays busy working their ranch. They have 400 head of cattle and almost 200 range-raised pigs on their ranch in Montana and keep their performance horses and roping stock at their home base in Wyoming, near Belle Fourche.
Brooke is the one her friends go to for advice. She strives to be a good listener and also to keep her focus when it comes to her goals. “When I do something, I want to be able to do my best at it. I don’t want to go in and just halfway do it, I like to give it my all, trying my best and trying to get the best out of others. I like to support people.”
Next year, Brooke plans to college rodeo in Gillette, Wyo. and get her degree in business.
“I want to do something with animals, I know that,” she says.
But rodeo will never be far away. Brooke made Rookie of the Year in the NRCA in 2013 and made the finals in the mixed team roping and breakaway in 2014. No doubt, she’ll be hot on that trail again after graduation.
