story by Lindsay King
Tie down and team roping are a tie for Jacob Derrer’s favorite rodeo event, but the Portales, New Mexico, cowboy has a touch more to say about roping calves. “I like when I am holding the slack and the adrenaline rush from getting pulled off my horse by the calf. Everything about tie down is fun,” said the 15-year-old. The fun of roping steers comes from going to jackpots and entering with all sorts of people. “My goal in team roping is to get a four-second run. Getting a quick time is what it is about. The closest I have gotten so far is seven seconds.”
Nine years ago Jacob and his parents Richard and Victoria Derrer, as well as his brother Bryce, 17, moved to New Mexico from Indiana. “We basically started from the ground up, my dad team roped in college a little but that was it. We got involved with the local rodeo association and that was our foot in the door for rodeo.” Jacob was about seven when his family met Vigo and Kelly Torske, his coaches then and now. They are like his second set of parents. “They helped my brother and I start roping and rodeo. They have been the biggest influence on us.” Rodeoing with Bryce gives Jacob a partner for the good times and bad. “It is fun to rodeo with him, we encourage and help each other as much as we can.”
His parents are also to thank for the fun Jacob and Bryce have going down the rodeo road. “They supply us with all the cattle, horses, tack, everything we need to get up and down the road. A big thanks goes to the Torske’s, my parents, Richard Newton and Arkie Kiehne for always supporting me.” Spending time with friends and family is Jacob’s favorite part of NMJHSRA events. “There is a lot of great competition and those competitors are all my friends. We get to spend time together and just rodeo.” With so much time on the road, it makes sense for Bryce and Jacob to be homeschooled. “I have been homeschooled since the first grade. We live outside of town and it is just a lot easier when traveling to take school on the road.”
Looking up to Trevor Brazile not only for his winning personality but for his never give up attitude just makes sense for Jacob. “If something goes wrong in his run you can never tell on his face, he is always happy and outgoing. He does not let much affect him.” Jacob has taken this demeanor with him to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. The site of his favorite rodeo to date. “A lot of my friends go to the Rising Stars Calf Roping over Thanksgiving. I have been there the last seven years. Last year I came back in eighth for the short go.”
Jacob dreams of competing at the American one day, where he can win a million dollars all while roping against the pros. “My long distant goal for rodeo is to go to as many PRCA rodeos as I can and practice a lot. I like to be around good coaches and people that want to help me.” He plans to take the first step in that direction by competing in amateur rodeos. The three-time national qualifier in the junior high association, won his first all-around cowboy title at state finals this year. “I went to nationals in breakaway the first two years and this year I was the state champion in tie down roping and goat tying, fourth in chute dogging and reserve state champion in ribbon roping.” He took sixth roping calves and 15th wrestling steers at nationals this past summer. “It took a lot of hard work to get there, a lot of effort and people backed me to get to that point and it meant a lot to me.”
