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ENLARGE
Jade Corkill has parlayed his success from high school rodeo to the professional circuit. Although the 19-year-old Nevadan drove thousands and thousands of miles and attended hundreds of rodeos, he captured the PRCA's rookie of the year in team roping as a heeler.
A successful year
The year ended better than what Corkill had envisioned. He was named the PRCA's Resistol Rookie of the Year as a heeler in team roping. He joined six other cowboys who garnered rookie of the year honors in different events.
Snaring a rookie of the year award means Corkill won more money heeling at 60 PRCA rodeos during the year than any other first-year cowboy.
Corkill also teamed with several different ropers at the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Majors Challenge several months ago, and he won a $10,000 bonus for being the best heeler.
Corkill, though, has spent many years refining his trade. He began roping a wooden horse in the living room as a toddler and earned his first rodeo paycheck at the age of 6.
During his adolescent and teen years, his mother and father, both high school state champions themselves, worked with the aspiring team roper. Before he was a teenager, Jade Corkill was competing against adults in team roping ... and beating them.
Besides winning state high school rodeo awards in calf and team roping, the first big break for Corkill came more than a year ago.
A successful year
The year ended better than what Corkill had envisioned. He was named the PRCA's Resistol Rookie of the Year as a heeler in team roping. He joined six other cowboys who garnered rookie of the year honors in different events.
Snaring a rookie of the year award means Corkill won more money heeling at 60 PRCA rodeos during the year than any other first-year cowboy.
Corkill also teamed with several different ropers at the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Majors Challenge several months ago, and he won a $10,000 bonus for being the best heeler.
Corkill, though, has spent many years refining his trade. He began roping a wooden horse in the living room as a toddler and earned his first rodeo paycheck at the age of 6.
During his adolescent and teen years, his mother and father, both high school state champions themselves, worked with the aspiring team roper. Before he was a teenager, Jade Corkill was competing against adults in team roping ... and beating them.
Besides winning state high school rodeo awards in calf and team roping, the first big break for Corkill came more than a year ago.
He and Joel Bach of Weatherford, Texas, lassoed the 2005 World Junior Team Roping Championship.
Corkill remains humble about this year's rookie of the year honor, knowing that he could not have done it without roping partners Matt Tyler and Blaine Linaweaver. Tyler and Corkill roped for first half of the year, and then Corkill teamed with Linaweaver, a San Juan Capistrano, Calif., veteran of the rodeo circuit.
"Matt and Blaine have helped, and both have been to the national finals," said Corkill, who recently spent time at home with friends and family.
Tyler's professional career in team roping dated back to 1985, but after he had Corkill show him his roping techniques, the 41-year-old Tyler had a partner to begin the 2006 season. Tyler told a reporter that Corkill was talented.
"He's a work in progress," Tyler said.
Although Corkill didn't qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the Fallon native said he still has many good years ahead of him.
"I wasn't too burned out about it," Corkill said, sharing his feeling of not competing in Las Vegas.
For, now, Corkill will keep to one event, although he was a good calf roper in high school.
"To be in two events for all-around would be hard on him," said Mitzi Corkill. "He loves to calf rope, but I don't know if he will."
Corkill remains humble about this year's rookie of the year honor, knowing that he could not have done it without roping partners Matt Tyler and Blaine Linaweaver. Tyler and Corkill roped for first half of the year, and then Corkill teamed with Linaweaver, a San Juan Capistrano, Calif., veteran of the rodeo circuit.
"Matt and Blaine have helped, and both have been to the national finals," said Corkill, who recently spent time at home with friends and family.
Tyler's professional career in team roping dated back to 1985, but after he had Corkill show him his roping techniques, the 41-year-old Tyler had a partner to begin the 2006 season. Tyler told a reporter that Corkill was talented.
"He's a work in progress," Tyler said.
Although Corkill didn't qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the Fallon native said he still has many good years ahead of him.
"I wasn't too burned out about it," Corkill said, sharing his feeling of not competing in Las Vegas.
For, now, Corkill will keep to one event, although he was a good calf roper in high school.
"To be in two events for all-around would be hard on him," said Mitzi Corkill. "He loves to calf rope, but I don't know if he will."
Rodeo life
During the year, Corkill tried to juggle rodeo life and family. He competed at the Reno Rodeo and June and was able to spend some time watching his sister compete in the Nevada State High School Rodeo Finals at Fernley.
He couldn't arrange his schedule, though, to see his sister compete at the national finals in Springfield, Ill., when she won her own rookie of the year honor.
"I didn't see my sister compete because I was at Cheyenne Frontier Days. I would have loved to have gone back, but she understood," Corkill said..
During the year, Corkill said he traveled 75,000 to 80,000 miles.
"The traveling got old," Corkill said, "especially with the all-night drives from Montana and Idaho."
Mitzi Corkill said she doesn't worry about her son's extensive travels.
"He handles those long drives pretty good. If he does get tired, he'll pull over," Mitzi said.
Not only does her son recognize the need to rest during long trips, but Mitzi Corkill said he is also responsible for the care of safety of his horses.
During the year, Corkill tried to juggle rodeo life and family. He competed at the Reno Rodeo and June and was able to spend some time watching his sister compete in the Nevada State High School Rodeo Finals at Fernley.
He couldn't arrange his schedule, though, to see his sister compete at the national finals in Springfield, Ill., when she won her own rookie of the year honor.
"I didn't see my sister compete because I was at Cheyenne Frontier Days. I would have loved to have gone back, but she understood," Corkill said..
During the year, Corkill said he traveled 75,000 to 80,000 miles.
"The traveling got old," Corkill said, "especially with the all-night drives from Montana and Idaho."
Mitzi Corkill said she doesn't worry about her son's extensive travels.
"He handles those long drives pretty good. If he does get tired, he'll pull over," Mitzi said.
Not only does her son recognize the need to rest during long trips, but Mitzi Corkill said he is also responsible for the care of safety of his horses.
Yet, the life of a cowboy keeps Corkill's adrenaline flowing.
"I love the whole picture," Corkill said. "I've been going to roping by myself since I was 14. I matured fast, and I know how to keep care of things myself," Corkill pointed out. "I got a taste of what it is like (now)."
Almost every rookie on the PRCA circuit attended the same rodeos as the veterans. Corkill said he began his season in the Southwest and attended a major indoor rodeo in December. As the weather improved, Corkill and Tyler started criss-crossing the West.
"It was fun to see new places and people," Corkill said.
Corkill's family saw him at several rodeos in Nevada and adjacent states.
"We saw him at the Reno Rodeo and went to quite a few others. He was also on television. a few times, and we saw him."
Traveling from rodeo to rodeo can become expensive, but with the help of sponsors and his earnings, Corkill made a decent living in 2006. He said his three sponsors helped him with registration, clothes and ropes, and he also had a private sponsor who assisted him with other items.
With the 2007 season nearing, Corkill has been preparing his vehicle and trailer for life on the road.
"He'll go to the same rodeos as last year," Mitzi Corkill said. "And he will go a little bit harder."
"I love the whole picture," Corkill said. "I've been going to roping by myself since I was 14. I matured fast, and I know how to keep care of things myself," Corkill pointed out. "I got a taste of what it is like (now)."
Almost every rookie on the PRCA circuit attended the same rodeos as the veterans. Corkill said he began his season in the Southwest and attended a major indoor rodeo in December. As the weather improved, Corkill and Tyler started criss-crossing the West.
"It was fun to see new places and people," Corkill said.
Corkill's family saw him at several rodeos in Nevada and adjacent states.
"We saw him at the Reno Rodeo and went to quite a few others. He was also on television. a few times, and we saw him."
Traveling from rodeo to rodeo can become expensive, but with the help of sponsors and his earnings, Corkill made a decent living in 2006. He said his three sponsors helped him with registration, clothes and ropes, and he also had a private sponsor who assisted him with other items.
With the 2007 season nearing, Corkill has been preparing his vehicle and trailer for life on the road.
"He'll go to the same rodeos as last year," Mitzi Corkill said. "And he will go a little bit harder."
