Thursday, March 28, 2024

Little cowboys are already rodeo circuit veterans

From rough stock to roping

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NESPELEM -- Two grizzled veterans of the competition circuit were back in action last weekend when seven-year-old Louie Brotherton and his pal, six-year-old Koye Carrington, both of Brewster, turned out for multiple events at the annual Nespelem Junior Rodeo held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 26-28.

Brotherton, son of Levi and Amy Brotherton, and Carrington, son of Justin and Heather Carrington, competed in the PeeWee Division that offers five events for the six-to-eight-year-old entrants: pole bending, barrel racing, goat flanking, dummy roping, and calf riding.

At first glance one would not take this pair to be other than your typical toad-handling, video-game-loving little boys, but the dinner-plate-sized trophy belt buckle worn by young Carrington and won in a roping event suggests something else entirely.

Louie began competing three years ago in Caribou Trail junior Rodeo Association (CTJRA) events, according to his dad, and Koye two years ago. A photo on the group’s web page, www.ctjra.com shows rows of young cowboys and cowgirls decked out in big hats and black jackets.

The CTJRA season begins in April and includes five rodeos in Okanogan County through August: Tonasket (April), Nespelem (April), Omak (June), and Okanogan (June). Age divisions begin with the Little People, five and under, and go up from there to PeeWees (6-8), Juniors (9-11), Intermediate (12-14), and Seniors (15-18).

During the Nespelem Rodeo last weekend, Koye competed in the mounted events on Brumby, a five-year-old gelding that was a wild Colville Reservation mustang until he was captured and gelded before Levi Brotherton assumed ownership of the horse and broke him to ride. While he didn’t break any speed records on the mustang-turned-saddle horse, Koye completed the rounds.

“He didn’t go very fast, but he did all the events and he did great,” Brotherton said.

Louie rode Kid, a small quarter horse that his dad purchased “for a couple hundred dollars eight years ago,” said Brotherton. “I gave him to Amy’s dad who used him on the ranch.”

Now Kid horse is training a new master.

Levi Brotherton began his rodeo career in his early teens riding saddle broncs. He now breaks and trains horses and his Facebook page, Brotherton Horse Training provides the details.

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