Raising A Phenom

Roping and riding is all 10-year-old Ketch Kelton ever wants to do.

- Julie Mankin

It shows in the 25 trophy saddles he’s already brought home to Mayer, Ariz. He comes by it naturally—roping is all his dad, Chance Kelton, ever wanted to do, too.

Chance, 41, won a National High School Finals Rodeo team roping title, then parlayed that into heading steers for Brent Lockett at three straight WNFRs and has made five trips to the National Finals Steer Roping.

But he slowed down in part because making a living and full-time rodeo hardly coincide. So how do he and his wife, Tammy, toe the line on raising a kid whose talent is so glaring that Ketch has already been featured on USA Today Sports?

First of all, by keeping it fun. That started a decade ago when Tammy was pregnant and Chance smarted off and said they might as well name the baby Catch or Miss. And it stuck.

“We don’t want him to put too much pressure on himself,” said Chance. “I just want him to go have fun.”

Here’s what Chance had to say about raising a phenom: 

No Crying in Roping