Lincoln Yarama is chomping at the bit to compete in the National High School Finals Rodeo in Wyoming July 14-20, his last chance to do so.
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Yarama’s first love wasn’t rodeo. He played with the Salmon Arm Midget T3 Silverbacks where he found a good deal of success. That all changed though when his grandfather bought him his first horse.
Under the instruction of his grandfather, Yarama started to learn the ropes of rodeo. After retiring his first horse after three years, Yarama met Wally – his new four-legged best friend.
“That’s my old faithful horse, I’d never turn my back on him. He’s the kind of horse I can just get on and go and rope and do whatever I want on him,” Yarama said.
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Yarama has been in the competitive rodeo scene for eight years, competing in tie-down roping, team roping and steer wrestling at rodeos across B.C. and the U.S.
In 2017, Yarama placed 13th in tie-down roping and sixth in team roping at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming.
Now in Grade 12, this is Yarama’s last year in the competition, but he is feeling good about it.
“I have had a pretty good year so far so I’m feeling pretty confident going in there,” Yarama said. “I have been trying to practise as hard as I can. Everytime you practise, you just get better and better and better – it’s all just muscle memory.”
Although Yarama will be competing in three events, calf roping is his favourite.
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“I just like that it’s me and my horse out there, I don’t have to rely on anyone. If anything goes wrong I can always blame myself and go home and critique it and fix it,” Yarama said.
Yarama is going to Olds College in Alberta and has plans on going to pro and amateur rodeos as well.
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