Roping and riding
He holds the reins tightly, ready. The gate clanks, and the steer takes off, followed by a blur of dust and thundering hooves. In a matter of seconds, Justin Marcus ropes the horns, followed by his father, Jeff Marcus, who catches the two hind feet. They are a team; Justin Marcus is the header, and Jeff Marcus is the heeler, and the sport is called team roping.
Justin Marcus, 16, sat on a horse for the first time at 6 months, had a rope in his hand at 2, and got his first roping dummy when he was 3. His first roping prize, a belt buckle, was earned at 6, and at 8, he got his first rope horse, a horse specifically trained for roping.
Since then, he has won many awards, including riding accessories and cash prizes, earning himself close to $8,000. Last month, he won his first saddle and, more recently, he was the high-point money winner of the day at Hairpin Ranch in Ellensburg.
When he’s not at a rodeo event, he’s practicing, hauling hay, and helping out around the family ranch.
“Growing up on a farm has given him a good work ethic,” said Jeff Marcus, “He’s not afraid of hard work.” By the time he was 8, he was driving a feed truck.
Their homestead is called West Valley Farm, and it sits on 21 acres. There, they raise Corriente cattle, train horses and teach riding. They also produce team roping events.
It’s not just a job or seasonal sport; it’s a lifestyle. Justin Marcus does not have a mySpace account, let alone a computer. He does not play video games or spend much time in front of the television. He has a cell phone and hangs out with friends, but his eye is always on the prize.
At University High School, he wears his cowboy boots and takes advance placement classes. Different from the average teen, he does not feel out of place because he knows what he wants. By his early 20s, he wants to go to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and be a world champion team roper. He wants to own a ranch of his own or, if all else fails, be employed in agriculture. “He’s definitely not lazy,” said his mother, Barb Marcus, “and he’s extremely dedicated.”
Justin Marcus’ has a lot of family support. If his parents cannot take him to an event, his grandfather, Rick Gallaway, takes him, and all of his cousins spend time on the ranch. Justin Marcus gives a lot of credit to his father. “He helps me to be the best that I can be,” he said, “and he knows that I can be the greatest.”
Perhaps his thoughts could be summed up with the lyrics from one of his favorite songs, “Amarillo Sky”: “Lord, I never complain, I never ask why. Please don’t let my dreams run dry underneath this Amarillo sky…”