Oh, brother!
- July 10, 2025
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- Carrie Stadheim, TSLN Editor
Posted in: Rodeo, Uncategorized
Three of four Montana High School Rodeo Association team roping national qualifiers are sibling groups
At least three sets of Montana siblings were wearing big smiles when the Montana High School Rodeo finals came to a close.
Maybe it’s in their genes, maybe it’s all due to practice and hard work. Probably a little of both – two sets of brothers and one brother-sister combo landed in the first, second and third place slots in the Montana High School Rodeo team roping event.
All three sets of siblings will rope at the National High School Rodeo finals in Rock Springs, Wyoming, July 13-19, 2025. This is a “sudden death” finals, meaning all contestants come in with a clean slate (no points) and the winner of the finals rodeo will be the national champion.
Poppes
Brothers Tate Poppe and Trace Poppe of Fallon rode home with the championship buckles.
Older brother Tate says he doesn’t feel pressure roping with Trace. “I know he’s going to turn the steer no matter what,” said Tate.
Tate, who qualified for the national high school rodeo finals in team roping last year with a different partner, said he has ridden 3 different horses in his quest to be the world’s best.
One of Tate’s rope horses, Tupac, is injured at the moment; Cocoa is well-patterned and great to run slow steers; and Jesse is the sorrel who he rode at state. “He’s fun,” said Tate, who completed his junior year of high school this spring.
Trace, a freshman, qualified for the National Junior High Rodeo Association finals last spring in chute dogging and bull riding, and also competed in team roping after one of the qualifiers was injured. Trace had finished 5th in the state in that event, making him the alternate.
Trace’s national’s goal is simple: “catch all my steers.”
He has been roping the dummy a lot and practicing with his brother whenever possible. When their arena is muddy, they practice at the neighbor’s. Trace focuses on scoring and handling cattle well.
Trace’s mount, Cowboy, was raised and trained by Williams Rope Horses. “Cowboy is great in the box, can run and just tries hard. He’s my pick on the ranch, too,” said Trace.
Their mom, Bree, said the boys persevered through a rough fall to make a big comeback this spring, taking over the lead in the standings after the Memorial Day weekend rodeos.
“They went into the state leading the standings by nine points and widened the gap to 15 to win it. They didn’t win any rounds, just placed along the way…and secured it,” she said. Bree team ropes and ranches alongside her husband Jake and the two boys, and also serves as the publisher of Tri-State Livestock News and The Fence Post.
Cornwells
Second place finishers J.P. (sophomore, header) and older brother Charlie (junior, heeler) of Glasgow, have roped together for quite some time, but Charlie admits that the ride home can be tense if things don’t go right.
“I think there is more pressure roping with your brother than roping with someone else. You have to ride home together,” he said.
But the ride home after state finals was a happy one, and the brothers are focused on keeping their horses in shape for the upcoming nationals.
The boys’ goal at national is to “rope three steers as fast as we can,” said J.P.
Parents Cody and Juli Cornwell have a passion for great horses. JP’s head horse also came from Williams Rope Horses.Charlie said they have focused on keeping their horses in shape by practicing. “When we do practice, we try to make five good runs and call it a day,” he said. Charlie is also entering some NRA rodeos.
Because the Cornwell family owns an auction market in their community, Glasgow Stockyards Inc., as well as a feedyard, the boys often have pen-riding, feeding and other responsibilities on the family operation.
Ericksons
Coming in hot on the heels of the brother-brother combinations, the third place Montana High School Rodeo Association team ropers, Ali (junior, header) Erickson and her brother Tike (freshman, heeler), will both be competing in the NHSRA Finals for the first time.
The two have entered NRA rodeos together at times, and also team up for jackpots in the area. They both attend Moore High School.
Because Ali will travel to the national Family, Career and Consumer Leaders of America convention in Orlando just prior to the national rodeo, making it to Rock Springs will be nip and tuck for her.
“I’m going to National FCCLA. I’ll get back the 10th. I”ll practice then and we will leave on the 11th,” she said.
She hopes to enter some jackpots that will be held during the national rodeo, as a means of practicing.
Ali’s advice for younger competitors hoping to one day qualify for nationals? “Work hard, practice hard. Don’t give up, even when things don’t go your way,” she said.
Tike will be competing in the steer wrestling event in addition to team roping.
Tike’s dad, mom, brother, uncle Bryant Mikkelson, along with family friends Layton Perry and Ron Lund all helped him learn to rope, which is something he’s been doing “since I could walk,” he said.
“Never give up. It won’t be easy, always work hard,” is what Tike advises young ropers.
The brother and sister “mostly get along,” but “there are arguments. We are siblings roping together,” admits Tike.
While this is Ali’s debut at the NHSRA, Tike did compete at the 2024 National Junior High Rodeo Association finals in calf roping.
Posted in: Rodeo, Uncategorized