story by Ruth Nicolaus
Bryce Derrer is a tie-down roper, ribbon roper and team roper in the New Mexico Junior High School Rodeo Association. The fourteen year old cowboy lives in Portales, N.M. and for the tie-down, rides a fifteen year old sorrel mare named Remmy. Remmy replaced his old tie-down horse who he rode at the National Junior High Finals last year, and who colicked last fall.
For the team roping, he rides Chevelle, a twelve year old sorrel. Bryce is a header for Will Haley. In the ribbon roping, he ropes for Shacie Marr.
He is in the eighth grade and is homeschooled. His favorite subject to study is math; his least favorite is science. Bryce enjoys homeschooling, because when he has his work completed, he can rope. The family has a calf alley, and when it’s time to rope, Bryce, his dad, and his younger brother all head to the arena.
Bryce loves to eat his mom’s tacos and enchiladas, and loves green chili and jalapenos, as long as they’re not too hot. His grandma makes good taco soup, too.
He has a picture of himself with world champion Tuf Cooper; Tuf was Bryce’s brother’s mugger at a tie-down roping in Clovis, N.M. in 2011. Tuf is Bryce’s favorite, because he works hard and doesn’t give up easily. Bryce would love to follow in Tuf’s footsteps and be a world champion.
Bryce is also a member of the Roosevelt Co. Little Wranglers Junior Rodeo Association and has roped in the Ultimate Calf Roping and the Rising Stars Roping. He made the short round at the state junior high finals both his sixth and seventh grade years, and last year competed at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in the ribbon roping and tie-down roping.
He has a younger brother, Jacob, who is twelve. He is the son of Richard and Victoria Derrer.
