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By John Hernandez
Thirteen-year-old John Henry Gaona Jr. competed at the 2012 National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) held in Gallup, New Mexico on June 30, 2012.
The young cowboy and his partner Junior Zambrano III from Tucson took second place in the team roping competition with a time of 32.071, losing out to a team from Texas with a time of 30.448.
John Henry will be entering eighth grade this fall, which means he has one more year to compete for the world title at the junior high level.
The National Junior High Finals Rodeo is tantamount to being the world championships.
It is held every summer with the best of the best from each state and province qualifying for the finals.
The top finishers earned rewards including college scholarships, custom Gist Silversmiths buckles, and other products from sponsors.
John Henry has been roping since the age of five and riding since age three.
John said his dad John Sr. taught him and his brother and sister how to rope. Brother and sister Steven and Cheyanne also compete in rodeos as team ropers. Steven earned a scholarship to Central Arizona College and is a member of their rodeo team and on his way to becoming a professional roper. Cheyanne competes and took second place at a rodeo in Wilcox.
When John Henry and Junior won the state title, John was riding his 16-year-old horse named Clyde. For Nationals, John Henry used a horse that was loaned to him by the Nowlin family of Casa Grande. The horse, Willie was younger and a little faster than Clyde and helped improve the team’s times.
Practice and roping is a family affair, John Henry practices practically every day from 5:00 p.m. until dark, John’s dad and Cheyanne partner up with him and although John Henry’s mother Angie doesn’t rope, she helps them practice.
She will often work the chutes to let the steers run while the other family members
rope them. “It teaches them responsibility and keeps them out of trouble,” Angie said.
She also keeps the kids grounded by making sure they do their chores and their homework. Education comes first and if they don’t keep their grades up,
she doesn’t let them compete.
When asked what is the hardest thing about roping, John Henry said it was “getting the dally” or wrapping your rope several times around your saddle horn after you have roped the steer.
The Gaona family would like to thank their neighbors the Arbizo family, the Nowlin family and everyone in the community who helped make John Henry’s win possible.
John Henry Gaona Jr. is a cowboy through and through, winning second place in team roping at the national level. (John Hernandez photos)
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