By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

URBANA, Ohio — Soccer, lacrosse and competitive cheerleading have emerged as popular competitive sports in Ohio the past decade. But the sport of junior rodeo is quickly catching on, too.

Thanks to the formation of the Ohio Junior Rodeo Assoc. (OJRA) this sport, which has been dominated by those in their mid-20s who live in western states, is attracting youth in grades K-12. This club is 60 strong and growing. And, just as there are soccer moms, there are even rodeo moms.
“When they first started in rodeo I was a bit scared and skeptical at first,” said Karyn Forman, OJRA treasurer whose son Ryan, 10, and daughter Tori, 12, participate in the monthly events.

“Ryan began at age 4, Tori started when she was 8. There are great personnel in the OJRA who assist the children as needed and anytime there’s trouble brewing in the ring there’s always four or five guys there to the rescue.”
The rodeo action runs each month from May through August, with the season finale in September. All action takes place at the Champaign County Fairgrounds in Urbana, Ohio. Action is for those in grades K-12 and events include barrels, down and back, dummy roping, breakaway roping, goat tying, steer daubing, calf roping, junior bull riding, poles, steer wrestling and team roping.

“Ryan plays basketball, but the rodeo is his favorite sport,” Forman said.
The Formans live on a farm in Goshen, Ohio. There they tend to grain and cattle. Neither parent has a rodeo background.

“People interested in getting their kids into rodeo should know that it’s very affordable if you already have a horse and a trailer,” Forman said. “Then all you really need is a rope, helmet and a little bit of training. Our sons take lessons on a horse twice a week.”

OJRA is open to any child living in Ohio.

“This all began as the Little Britches Rodeo Assoc. in the early 1990s,” said OJRA President Steve Fischer. “That organization split up a decade later so now we’re the OJRA. The goals and objectives of this organization are to teach the kids the proper way to perform various rodeo events correctly and safely.
“We believe in sportsmanship, hard work and performing to the best of one’s abilities in the rodeo arena as well in school and life. Our association is geared for those in grades K through 12, although we do accept younger participants. Most oftentimes those in grades 9-12 advance to the Ohio High School Rodeo Assoc., and some move on to college and professional competition.”

This Ohio-based club has many officers. There is a president, vice president, treasurer, roping director, rough stock director, chute doggin director and a director of barrels and poles. But no officer in place has more tenure than club secretary Gail Bevington, who has seen her children and grandchildren compete in the ring.

“My two sons started in 1993 when they were just little boys,” Bevington said.
“When our youngest started with rodeo in high school our grandchildren started the sport so we never did get any rest from this sport, but it’s enjoyable. Everyone is so helpful and there’s not any cut-throat going on.”
Bevington spends one weekend a month watching grandchildren Tori, age 12, and Ryan, 10, compete.

“We’ve seen a lot of changes with the OJRA since it began,” she said.
“At first our events were held at different venues across the state. It was a lot of fun meeting all the different people but the down side was having to erect and tear down all the equipment from month to month. The good thing about the traveling was getting a lot of exposure.”

But the last six seasons the group has remained in small confines of the Champaign County Fairgrounds in Urbana. “We probably lose some new members by remaining in Urbana but it makes things a lot easier for our group,” Bevington said.

“And we’re a good group. This sport is wholesome and the people involved are awesome. There’s no better way to spend time with the family and the children.”

The OJRA is an all-volunteer organization. The only paid workers are owners of the stock, judges and the announcer. For more on OJRA, call Steve Fischer at 740-983-3833, Karyn Forman at 513-677-9979 or Gail Bevington at 937-689-8754.