story by Lily Weinacht
Jack Griffin’s desire to rodeo came as somewhat of a surprise to his parents. While both his parents, Clint and Kriss Griffin, and his older sister, Kirsten, were dedicated competitors, Jack admits that he wasn’t interested in the sport until he was ten. When he told his parents he wanted to compete, Jack says, “They didn’t know what to think, especially since they had just finished a bunch of rodeoing with my sister!” But rodeo he did, and today, the 14 year old from Eldorado, Texas, competes in the AJRA in tie-down roping, ribbon roping, breakaway roping, chute doggin’, and team roping as a header with either Brody Baugh or Titan Quigg. Jack enters in TJHRA rodeos in those same events, excluding breakaway, and also competes in Ultimate Calf Roping events. “Tie-down is my favorite because I’ve done it the longest and it gives me more of a rush than my other events.” Jack is also one of this year’s student directors for the AJRA.
“I just keep trying to get better and improve and be successful,” says Jack. “I really look up to my parents because they haul me everywhere and put up with me, and they still rodeo too. My dad is a tie-down roper, and my mom is a barrel racer.” Family friend Brett Moore is another major influence in Jack’s roping, letting Jack come practice at his house and heeling for him.
The Griffins live about ten miles from Eldorado on a small ranch. “I like it here,” says Jack. “We only have 2,000 people in our county, but I don’t have to be around people.” Jack is perfectly content with the company of his horses, Mighty Mouse, Peppy, and T Money. Mighty Mouse, a sorrel, is his main tie-down horse, while Peppy, a black horse, is Jack’s back-up. T Money, a bay, is his mount in the team roping. “I like them all really good! We also have lots of dogs, some cows, goats, and beef cattle – a little bit of everything!” Jack describes. He is the main person in charge of caring for the animals, while his dad is a lawyer, and both his parents own a title company, Schleicher County Abstract Co., Inc, in Eldorado. Kirsten, Jack’s sister, has finished college and continues to compete in rodeo, having won the breakaway roping at state high school finals three times and once at the NHSFR.
Beyond rodeo, Jack is an eighth grader at Eldorado SCISD. “I really like math and history. We’ve been doing Algebra 1, and studying the time right before the Civil War.” Jack also plays football and basketball and runs track, but he especially enjoys putting on his ski boots and going skiing with his family. They take an annual ski trip to Park City, Utah around spring break, which is always a highlight of Jack’s year. He further enjoys hunting in the fall and fishing in the summer, or roping at his grandpa’s house.
While one of Jack’s favorite AJRA rodeos is in Sweetwater, Texas, he puts his best boot forward at every one of his rodeos. His goals for the next few years include qualifying for the NJHFR, and winning several buckles and maybe even a saddle or two to compliment his sister’s rodeo awards. Jack wants to rodeo after high school, but would especially like to become an engineer. “For now, I just want to be the best that I can be, and whatever I win in rodeo will come with it!”