By Terry Rhodes
It’s been a few years since Marvin Mueller was named Mid-States Team Roping Rookie of the Year and though time may have dimmed some of those memories, the passion that he has for rodeo and roping is still all there. This year in spite of some serious health challenges, Marvin made all but the last few Mid-States rodeos.
At the 2015 Mid-States Finals Marvin was named the 2015 Mid-States Rodeo Member of The Year. About being given the award, Marvin in all modesty says, “Evidently somebody must have liked me.” His daughter, BoDell and also his mixed team roping partner tells a bit more about why her father was given the award. “It was really cool that the members voted him this award. My dad is always there to help with a rodeo and there to help people with their roping. He has taught millions of people how to rope. He’s been involved with teaching high school kids how to rope and he is the type of guy that will help anybody with anything they need.”
Marvin has been in the Mid-States association since the 1990’s. He also has member cards in the NSRA and KPRA and has held cards in the PRCA at different times in his rodeo career. His events are team roping, both open and mixed. “Most of the time I head in the open and heel for my daughter in the mixed team roping.” His regular partner in the open team roping is Dallas Carsen.
Marvin says that the Mid-States Rodeo Association is a great place to rodeo. “It’s a great association and it’s a real family oriented association. There are a lot of families that go up and down the road to Mid-States rodeos and are having a great time at it.”
He names his friend, Larry Trenary as the person that got him started in rodeo. “It was right after I got married that I started to rodeo. I had always team roped a little, but once I started to rodeo, I fell in love with it and have been going ever since. I think it was 1989 or 90.” Today, practice consists of running a lot steers through his roping chute at home. “We work hard at it and go to a lot of them (rodeos).” His competition horse is one that came from Craig Haythorne. “I’ve been blessed with nice head horses over a long time.”
He says that Larry Trenary and Jerry Buckles have been his biggest influence to him. “These guys are my heroes and they have been doing it forever. Larry showed me how to get up and down the road and get entered.”
Marvin lives in the Sandhills of Nebraska where he was born and raised. “I’m back on the home place now.”
He and his wife Janet have three daughters; Brittany, Brandi, and BoDell. Brandi has passed away 13 years ago in a car accident. Besides running the ranch, Marvin is an order buyer, buying cattle for clients. “We’ve got a cow-calf operation, some yearlings, and a back grounding facility. So there are always windmills to check and pastures to ride, and normal ranch work.” Goals for the future are to continue to rodeo and ranch.
