story by Ruth Nicolaus
Stranton Martin doesn’t mind changing a dirty diaper now and then, or holding a crying baby. Actually, he’s pretty good at calming babies, and he’s had some experience at it.
Stranton, a member of the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association, is the oldest of ten children, the youngest of whom is fifteen weeks old. Stormie, the baby, was born in October 2015, and she loves it when her biggest brother holds her.
Stranton is a header, tie-down roper and reining cowhorse contestant, and of his three events, he loves team roping the most. He has two head horses, Wrangler and Tiny. He rides Tiny at rodeos where he needs a bit more horsepower, and rides Wrangler as his primary mount. Tiny is a thirteen year old bay and Wrangler is a sixteen year old sorrel. Wrangler is special to him, because he was born on the same day as Stranton: September 19, 1999. Stranton’s papa bought Wrangler for him, and on their birthday, Stranton spoils him with extra feed, a bath and a brushing. Wrangler is an all-around horse. He’s done everything, from breakaway to heading and heeling, barrels, goats, steer tripping, and has even been hazed off of in the steer wrestling.
For the tie-down, he rides a thirteen year old bay mare named Chick, who is his favorite horse, and for the reining cowhorse, he rides a nineteen year old gelding named Major.
Stranton is a junior in high school and has been homeschooled since his freshman year. English and grammar are his strong points, but not math. “Definitely not math,” he says. He also likes science, and likes being able to get his school work done quickly so he can head outside to do chores, ride and rope.
For fun, he likes to hang out with his friends, go to the movies, and have bonfires.
He plans on attending college and competing in rodeo there, but he isn’t sure where or what his major will be.
Stranton has competed at state finals every year since he started rodeo in seventh grade. He is the 2015 state reining cowhorse champion and went on to Nationals in that event.
He has three brothers: Hazen, fourteen, Gatlin, thirteen, and Ryden, nine, and six sisters: Josie, eleven, Saige, seven, Kinsley, six, Brenlee, four, Copelyn, two, and Stormie. He is the son of Josh and Robin Martin.
