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| Butch Morgan aboard SF Check Me Out in amateur heeling at the 2006 World Show. |
If Butch Morgan of Elbert,
Colorado, outropes his daughters, he’s on a heck of a run. Christy Brasier of Montrose, Colorado, and Rhonda Holmes of Sarasota, Florida, are Butch’s daughters as well as accomplished horsewomen. To them, it’s just a bit of friendly family competition. “It’s exciting really,” Butch said. “I figure if I can beat my girls I can probably win something. I’m real proud of them.”
Raised on a sheep ranch in Wyoming, Butch cannot remember a time he hasn’t been on horseback. Years on a ranch and his childhood dream of becoming a cowboy enabled him to hone his skill with a rope. Butch rode with the trick-riding group The Fireballs and traveled to various rodeos throughout the country. His family inherited his roping ability and affection for the cowboy lifestyle.
Butch instilled his horse knowledge and provided the necessary tools to his daughters at an early age.
“Oh heck, we’ve been roping and showing horses since Moby Dick was a minnow,” Butch said. “Both my daughters were all-arounds when they were youths. They showed pleasure horses, horsemanship, reining. They did all that stuff. They both went to high school rodeo and roped there and then we started going to Quarter Horse shows. When they got out of the youth, we started competing against each other and they’re tough.”
The girls don’t make it easy on Dad. Christy was the reserve world champion in reining in 2000 and Rhonda was the Region 10 regional experience champion in 2005 in working cow horse, breakaway roping and heading.
“Christy won the Honor Roll (High Point) in heading,” Butch said. “She beat me. I was third. And then Rhonda, she was third in the heeling for the Honor Roll (High Point) and I was like fourth. Those girls are tough on their old dad. They don’t cut me any slack. They’re great.”
Butch doesn’t have just Christy and Rhonda to contend with. His son-in-laws possess outstanding credentials. Jay Holmes is an AQHA Professional Horseman and Dustin Brazier is the 2002 amateur heading world champion.
“My son-in-law Jay, he helps me and Rhonda,” Butch said. “He’s a trainer and he ropes really good. Dustin’s tough, too. He’s a great guy and he’s just like my son. Both my son-in-laws are just like my sons.”
The aptitude for roping has continued in the third generation. Butch’s grandchildren are ready to swing their rope in the arena.
“Then we have the grandkids coming,” Butch said. “Morgan, she’s 11. She won the youth saddle and the high point youth roper at the Congress so here comes another one. Then I have two grandsons and I think they’re going to be in the same deal.”
Butch relishes the competition and feels it helps him keep that spring in his step. His competitive fire has not dimmed but if he can’t take home the prize, he hopes his daughters can.
“It makes me want to rope a little better,” Butch said. “It keeps me young. We’re competitive, we’re both going to try and beat each other no matter what, but I think if it really came down to it they would like to see me win, and I know I would like to see them win. I pray they make a great run. I would rather if anybody’s going to miss one and have bad luck it be me than them.”
They are his daughters, but Butch is still a tough competitor. He has no intention of stepping out of the ring anytime soon.
“As long as I can keep getting on, nodding my head and roping we’re going to keep getting after them,” Butch said. “I’m going to keep trying to beat those girls.”
