Since the age of 15, Skyler Moore from Mount Vernon, Missouri has been roping calves.

Moore followed in the foot steps of his older brother Bailey, who roped mainly while in high school.

“Dad was able to provide us with plenty of roping calves,” Moore says. “Roping cattle is something I have been around everyday.”

Moore is the son of Jackie and Kristy Moore who co-own the Joplin Regional Stockyards.

While Moore was in high school he won the Missouri High School Rodeo state championship and was the reserve state champion twice in tie down calf roping. During his junior year in high school, when he won the state championship, he also finished in the top 10 of the National High School Rodeo Association.

After high school he decided to take a few years off from rodeo. During his time off he went to auctioneer school and began working at the Joplin Regional Stockyards selling calves.

“I have been working and selling cattle at the sale barn since I was 18,” he admits. “I was able to buy two or three farms and now have 300 acres and 600 head of yearlings and continue to work at the sale barn selling calves in between rodeos.”

“I never stopped roping during those three to four years off, I just wasn’t roping competitively,” he adds.

According to Moore, he missed the people in rodeo, the fans and everything associated with rodeos which is why he wanted to return to roping last year.

“This year I am going to rope full time and I am very excited to have the opportunity to rodeo with my wife Ashlee, who runs barrels,” he admits. “I will also be rodeoing with my friend Cimarron Boardman when I am not with my wife.”

Since his return to tie down calf roping last year, Moore won rodeos in Springdale and Harrison Arkansas, Licking, Missouri and Cherokee, Iowa. By Moore winning these rodeos and placing in 20 other rodeos he secured the top spot in the Great Lakes Rodeo Circuit and won the tie down calf roping by nearly $10,000 ahead of the runner-up.

The Great Lakes Rodeo Circuit is one of 12 regions in the PRCA. This circuit includes Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Moore plans to travel and compete in more than 100 rodeos this year. According to him, he will travel to half the rodeos with his wife and the other half with Boardman who is from Stephenville, Texas.

And this 24 year old roper has set a goal for himself to make it the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada. And according to him, he will do this by taking and focusing on one rodeo at a time.

“I do consider myself to be successful since I have been able to accomplish every goal I have set for myself and see my roping career continue to escalate,” he says.

Moore works with his horses everyday and runs about 15 calves a day in front of them to keep them in shape.

“I rope on my horses everyday to keep them sharp and alert,” he mentions. “So when I am in the box, I know they are going to work.”

Moore has already won in 2010 at the Denver Qualifier at the National Western Stockshow and Rodeo this past January, and plans to travel just about everywhere he can this year.

“I am thankful my dad has two arenas where I am able to practice and prepare when I am home,” he says.

Moore has five horses he will compete on this year. He will continue to use both horses he won on last year and this year.

According to him, the horse he won the Great Lakes Rodeo Circuit is 12 years old and he bought him in ‘07. While the horse he won the Denver Qualifier is seven years old and this is the first year to haul him.

This competitive roper, began his career at a young age with break away roping and roping dummies. He also would rope from a post, where the calf would be tied to post and he would run down and tie the calf. Moore continues to set goals and work hard to achieve his goals each year.

“When I am on the road I try to find a place where I can go and practice and keep my horse in the best shape as possible,” he concludes.