story by Michele Toberer
Over the years, team roping, and the Kansas Professional Rodeo Association have been ties that bind the Morlan family together. Leroy and Norma Morlan raised their five children in Las Animas, Colorado, starting with Rick, Scott, Kevin, Brenda, and finishing with Randy. Roping was a common pastime, and Leroy was glad to share his passion for team roping with his children, providing an arena and cattle for them to enjoy. The Morlan boys roped in several combinations over the years, primarily choosing a sibling as a teammate along the way. They all began their team roping careers tagging along with their dad to jackpots and bypassed the typical junior rodeo and high school rodeo roping paths. They’ve been competing in the KPRA for nearly 30 years, and the brother/brother teams have multiple championship buckles to prove it. The oldest Morlan brother, Rick, doesn’t’ compete in rodeos, but still ropes at the house with his brothers despite being legally blind. “We put bells on a couple of the steers horns, and although he can’t see his hand in front of his face, he can rope a steer from his horse,” explains youngest brother, Randy, about how the brothers continue sharing their love of roping even after the passing of their father several years ago.
Randy and Scott earned their most recent champion buckles after winning the 2018 KPRA Champion 40/40 Team Roping titles. The 40/40 is a 40-and-over team roping division that the brothers have roped in for several years, after competing for many years in the open division. Randy primarily ropes in the header position, and Scott as a heeler. Randy won his first champion buckle with KPRA as the 1996 Champion Team Roper, earning much of his money with Scott that season, and has earned at least 5 other KPRA buckles with Scott heeling behind him. Randy also was the Reserve Champion Header in the open division in 2004. “It’s nice to rope with your brother, not only do you know how they’ll handle different situations, but we practice together and travel together. Living near each other makes it easy and keeps us close.” For the past 15 years Randy has headed on his 18-year-old gelding, named Grey. “He usually always does his job, if I do mine.”
Scott has won a KPRA season championship team roping buckle with his brother Kevin, besides the buckles won with Randy. He also had several successful seasons in the PRCA, qualifying for circuit finals and Colorado state finals multiple times. “I love roping with my brothers, it’s just fun, you know; getting to travel together is great, and we all get along pretty good.” Scott’s main heel horse for rodeos is an 11-year-old buckskin gelding named Bucky, but he has several young horses that he hauls to jackpots. He likes taking young horses with potential and teaching the skills they need to be great rope horses and is proud of a couple that went on to compete at the highest levels. “I sold a roan horse named Blue to Clay O’Brien Cooper and watched him compete at the WNFR, and sold another horse, named Roper, to Ryan Tittle that he took to the WNFR. It’s rewarding to see them go on to bigger things, I think they’re all good, but when I see that, it makes me think maybe I was right.” Scott works as a carpenter in Las Animas and although he used to hunt more when he was younger, he spends most of his free time riding and roping. “I used to hunt and fish, but now I don’t enjoy it when It’s too cold out there; but I really like messing with the young horses.”
Randy and his wife Cindy have two kids, Cassie and Kyle, that are both married and have families of their own. “My daughter has two kids and my son has two with one on the way.” Randy and his brother Kevin own L & R Body and Glass Shop in Las Animas, so they rope and work together. “If I’m not roping, I’m chasing grandkids. I love to watch my grandkids play sports.” Randy also enjoys hunting with his son and grandkids, we enjoy hunting geese, ducks, and quail.”
