APRIL 11-12,
2025
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Nine-year-old Jaxxon McPherson and draw partner Cheyenne Lummus dominate the OTRA Beginner Roping in Abilene, Texas.
The Original Team Roping Association (OTRA) held their annual finals July 1-6, 2024, at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene, Texas, featuring lucrative payouts and rich prize packages for all levels of ropers. The organization welcomed 3,330 teams to Taylor Telecom Arena where $384,550 was paid out as the season finale unfolded.
When the Beginner Roping took place on Wednesday, July 3, Jaxxon McPherson from Grandview, Texas, who had turned 9 years of age on July 2, celebrated in style when he notched three of the 10 total short round callbacks next to his name. Ultimately Jaxxon’s consistency culminated with him winning the OTRA Beginner Roping Championship when he and his draw partner, Cheyenne Lummus, went 43.46 seconds on three steers. The team banked $2,060 each, plus Champion’s Choice trophy buckles and Scott Thomas Saddlery saddle pads.
“I was scared!” said Jaxxon of making it back three times in the finale. “I told myself, ‘Rope at one spot, dally at one spot.’ That’s what my Papa (George Davis) says to do, so I had that in my mind—and to go have fun.”
That plan worked to perfection for the Rio Vista Elementary School fourth grader. When asked how he intends to spend his OTRA Finals loot Jaxxon says he’s not quite sure yet, but might drop a few dollars at the sale barn to add to his goat roping herd. In fact, Jaxxon started off his week in Abilene by winning second and third in the goat roping held on Tuesday night with his dad Josh and cousin Cutter.
Jaxxon’s generations deep team roping family was all smiles—with a few leaky eyes mixed in—after he and Lummus came away with the win.
“We all had tears,” agreed Jaxxon’s mom Lindsey and dad Josh.
“It was just a little bit emotional! My brothers watched the livestream [on TetonRidgePlus.com] and we all had a little bit of a teary eye, but definitely happy tears,” said Lindsey.
Lindsey explained that Jaxxon has attended the OTRA Finals his entire life—literally.
“Jaxxon was two days old when he took his first trip out there with me,” she said. “Then he won the Dummy Roping there when he was 4 and now he’s finally old enough to rope at Abilene in the big ropings and he wins big.”
Jaxxon says his future goal is to “go win more money!” He said he’s thankful to his mom and dad for hauling him to OTRA roping as well as for their full support of the other activities he participates in like FFA and “all the sports.” He says that some of the best roping advice he’s gotten has come from his parents, and that is, “practice makes perfect,” so he intends to keep working on his craft and climbing the ranks.
Attending the OTRA Finals is an annual tradition for the McPherson family.
“My husband and I, along with our partner, supplied the roping cattle in Abilene for many years,” said Lindsey. “From about 2012 or so until 2020 we supplied the cattle then we kind of got out of that and got into some other things so that kind of went by the wayside.
“We’ve always been at Abilene. In about 2013 or ’14, I don’t remember exactly, I started roping,” said Lindsey. “In 2018 I won the All Girl Roping there at Abilene. My husband has been roping since he was 14 or 15 years old and has roped at Abilene many times. Jaxxon and our three nephews roped at Abilene this year. My brothers, dad and nephews all rope.”
Even the horses Jaxxon competed on at Abilene are like family to the McPherson’s.
“Jaxxon had two horses he rode there, Big Boy and Rooster. My husband bought Big Boy as a 3-year-old from Sammy Cockerell,” said Lindsey. “We had him from the time he was 3 until he was 12 then we sold him to my brother, and he went on with him and won on him everywhere. We got him back and I rode him, he’s the first horse that I won on. That horse has been going to Abilene since we started going there. He is an ’03 model so I guess he’d be 21 now. He definitely takes good care of Jaxxon. All of us have won on him.”
Jaxxon added that he greatly appreciates his uncle Tripp for letting him take Big Boy to Abilene and cash in riding the rock-solid equine.
Aside from their team roping talent, the McPhersons ranch, put up hay and operate a fertilizer business. Lindsey says they probably rope four to five days a week as a family, but she added that Jaxxon and his cousins, who range in age from 9 to 18, are out at the arena more than most and invest countless hours in roping goats and the roping dummy.
The McPhersons appreciate the type of family-centric competition available through the OTRA.
“It’s just a less expensive option and offers a real family friendly, fun environment,” said Josh.
