Jon Wooters

story by Lily Weinacht

Jon Wooters has been in the Mid-States for the past ten years and is just starting his first year serving as one of the event co-directors for the 45 & Over Tie Down Roping. His duties include representing the event at the board of directors meetings, ensuring rules and regulations are followed at sanctioned rodeos and to address any contestant questions or issues. “We get involved in decision making for the association, selecting prizes, mostly pretty common issues. It’s been real low key up to this point.”
He gets to about 15-20 of the association rodeos each year and enjoys the competition. “I like that Mid-States makes an effort to engage different segments of the rodeo world. For example, they have the 45 and over tie down roping, and they allow junior high and high school kids to come and compete on their school rodeo cards, and they have the main stream amateur competitors. So there is wide cross-section of people that compete at Mid-States rodeos.” In the past Jon has held memberships in the IPRA, ACRA, and URA.
At this stage in his life, competing in the Mid-States rodeo 45 and over tie down roping is a chance to get away and relax. “I like to go and be around people that are like-minded. The competition is not as intense as the regular tie down roping; the guys aren’t roping for a livelihood they are there for fun. I used to spend a lot of time in the practice arena especially flanking and tying, but I don’t have time for that much anymore.” Priorities have shifted to spending time with the family and taking care of his business.
Jon got his initial introduction to rodeo during high school but says he didn’t get serious about the sport until college. “I had a really good college rodeo coach, he was more of a rough stock coach, but he made an effort to get those of us who wanted to participate in the time events outside instruction. As a coach he did an excellent job of promoting the sport of rodeo. I was going to school at the University of Illinois and it was a club sport; not a scholarship program. But he was the one that got me going.”
Jon now makes his home in Ellwood, Nebraska after having grown up in southern Illinois. He and his wife, Bethany have a daughter, Jaycee Lyn, 13 and a son Kayden, 11. He says that his biggest influences have been his parents and his wife. “They both have been pretty strong influences in my life. My parents instilled in me faith, good work ethic, and morals. Bethany and I have been married 20 years and she has been supportive in everything I’ve done. We’re self-employed and when we started out it was kind of a struggle. She has always encouraged me to keep going and to stay the course. So she has been a strong influence in my life.”
Bethany, a former barrel racer, is involved in helping Jaycee Lyn and Kayden in their junior rodeo careers and helps Jaycee Lyn showing her Quarter Horse. “Jaycee Lyn has qualified for the AQHYA World Show for the last two years in both barrel racing and pole bending; so Bethany stays pretty busy coaching them and getting them to their events.”
During the week Jon has retail seed business that sells Delkalb and Asgrow seeds, promotes and supports Precision Planting Products and equipment, and custom bales corn stalks. “That keeps me busy throughout the year. There are always things that come up and there aren’t many free days during the year.” Any leisure time is spent around rodeo and hunting. “Both my kids like to hunt; we hunt waterfowl and spring turkeys.” Goals for the future are to continue expanding his business and help his kids develop into successful young adults.