story by Lindsay King
Hadlee Oder was born with a rope in his hands and he still hasn’t put it down. That’s no matter for this NMHSRA swap-end team roper with a side hustle in the calf roping, he wouldn’t want it any other way. Team roping is his favorite event, hands down. “It’s just always something I’ve enjoyed a little more. I think the heeling part is the most fun. I’ve always done it since I was little, I’ve always been better at team roping in general really,” said the 17-year-old. Even though heeling is Hadlee’s favorite, he’s heading for the remainder of the season. It was simply time for a change for Hadlee and his partner.
The youngest of three boys – Colt, 21, and Baylee, 19 – Hadlee is the third generation in a line of rodeo competitors. Both of his parents – Brad and Mindy – rodeoed in high school. Brad still ropes at jackpots with his boys on occasion. “I started roping when I was really little. It was something that always came pretty natural to me as far as wanting to rope all the time goes.” A rope is simply an extension of Hadlee’s hand anymore. “For as long as I can remember I’ve always had a rope in my hand; roping dad when he walked or the dummy all day.” It shouldn’t be surprising that Hadlee can do some tricks with his rope.
Growing up in a ranching family made it apparent roping was more than just a sport for Hadlee. “It’s just a little ranch north of town that has about 300 cows on it. We don’t live there right now, my grandparents do.” It’s where Hadlee and his siblings truly grew up. “We work for a lady turning out yearlings. I’ve been here my whole life and the family ranch. It’s been a pretty good life growing up on the ranch and in rodeo.”
Hadlee’s parents have always backed him 100% in whatever he wanted to pursue. Luckily for them, it’s been rodeo. “That’s something they have always done since I was little; they’d do anything for me really. As for learning, they’ll help with what they can and if they don’t know they will figure it out.” Perhaps this is why Hadlee’s dad and grandpa have been some of the biggest influences in both his life and rodeo career. “In the past couple of years I have gone to rope with Chris Francis and Cade Pasig to break in steers. Those four have shown me everything and are the reason I have gotten this far.”
As a Dora High School junior, Hadlee made the decision to work on his education from home. The online program through the local high school gives Hadlee more time to rope and ride. “Team roping is a big goal of mine, I want to do it all the time. I can sit down and do all my work and then go rope when I’m done. I have bigger dreams in team roping than playing sports in town.” Hadlee doesn’t regret his decision to be homeschooled one bit. If anything, time only solidifies that he made the right choice.
Three years ago Hadlee and his family headed to the USTRC finals in Oklahoma City. That first year revealed just how big Hadlee’s goals were in the sport. “It was the first big, big roping that I’d been to. I won fifth in the number nine shootout. That started a fire in me to do more and go rope bigger and better.” Hadlee is the first to say he doesn’t win first place all that often, but he lands among the top placings more often than not. “You just have to do your job and not worry about everybody else. If you see a fast run it’s easy to think you need to be fast too but really you just need to catch. Just rope your calf or steer to the best of your ability and let God do the rest.”
