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With parents who were both involved in the International Professional Rodeo Association, 17-year-old JW Ery, of Springfield, Tenn., was born into the rodeo world.
Ery’s father Mike is a former IPRA steer wrestler and his mother Linda is a former IPRA barrel racer. He said it was “pretty cool” when his parents competed in the IPRA.
“Ever since I was born, my parents had me in the back of the camper. I was practically raised in the camper,” Ery said. “They would work during the week and rodeo on weekends.”
Ery, who will be a senior at Jo Byrns High School this fall, is competing in his first IFYR. His events are team roping, where he is the heeler, and steer wrestling, which is sometimes referred to as bulldogging.
After watching his father compete in steer wrestling for so long, Ery decided he wanted to give the event a try. Ery said he and his family moved from Michigan to Tennessee when he was in about the 6th grade, and that was when he told his dad of his interest. Then, his dad learned about the Tennessee Rodeo Association, and Ery has been involved in rodeos ever since.
Currently, Ery has his own horseshoeing business, following the lead of his grandpa and dad who have both shoed horses. Ery said part of the reason for doing so is because it does not take much time to shoe a horse, so it is a good job to have that still allows time to focus on school and rodeo.
The other reason for the business is financial.
“It helps earn a little extra money to rodeo and pay bills,” Ery said.
Ery also creates leather goods which he sells at rodeos. He became interested in this when his middle sister was dating Arthur Antonides, a bull rider who has his own leather business. Antonides showed Ery how to make belts and bracelets, and Ery would go to rodeos with him and help sell the products and split the profits.
Ery plans to attend farrier school in the fall. In college, Ery hopes to be on a rodeo team.
Ery said he has two role models: his dad and John Gilstrap, a former rodeo clown and family friend. Gilstrap has also worked on ranches, rode rough stock and done “about everything,” Ery said.
“He doesn’t live far from the house, so we will sit down and talk and he will give me advice,” Ery said. “He is like a grandpa to me.”
Ery considers his father a role model because of the knowledge he has given him.
“Daddy taught me how to bulldog and almost everything I know,” Ery said.
With parents who were both involved in the International Professional Rodeo Association, 17-year-old JW Ery, of Springfield, Tenn., was born into the rodeo world.
Ery’s father Mike is a former IPRA steer wrestler and his mother Linda is a former IPRA barrel racer. He said it was “pretty cool” when his parents competed in the IPRA.
“Ever since I was born, my parents had me in the back of the camper. I was practically raised in the camper,” Ery said. “They would work during the week and rodeo on weekends.”
Ery, who will be a senior at Jo Byrns High School this fall, is competing in his first IFYR. His events are team roping, where he is the heeler, and steer wrestling, which is sometimes referred to as bulldogging.
After watching his father compete in steer wrestling for so long, Ery decided he wanted to give the event a try. Ery said he and his family moved from Michigan to Tennessee when he was in about the 6th grade, and that was when he told his dad of his interest. Then, his dad learned about the Tennessee Rodeo Association, and Ery has been involved in rodeos ever since.
Currently, Ery has his own horseshoeing business, following the lead of his grandpa and dad who have both shoed horses. Ery said part of the reason for doing so is because it does not take much time to shoe a horse, so it is a good job to have that still allows time to focus on school and rodeo.
The other reason for the business is financial.
“It helps earn a little extra money to rodeo and pay bills,” Ery said.
Ery also creates leather goods which he sells at rodeos. He became interested in this when his middle sister was dating Arthur Antonides, a bull rider who has his own leather business. Antonides showed Ery how to make belts and bracelets, and Ery would go to rodeos with him and help sell the products and split the profits.
Ery plans to attend farrier school in the fall. In college, Ery hopes to be on a rodeo team.
Ery said he has two role models: his dad and John Gilstrap, a former rodeo clown and family friend. Gilstrap has also worked on ranches, rode rough stock and done “about everything,” Ery said.
“He doesn’t live far from the house, so we will sit down and talk and he will give me advice,” Ery said. “He is like a grandpa to me.”
Ery considers his father a role model because of the knowledge he has given him.
“Daddy taught me how to bulldog and almost everything I know,” Ery said.
