​By: Hope Sickler

Bruneau, Idaho, is home to one of the best team ropers in the sport -- Bobby Jean Colyer. She is not only a champion inside the arena but also a role model outside of competition due to her demeanor and overall way she carries herself.

Colyer and her family live along the Snake River just south of Boise, where they help manage a purebred Angus and Hereford ranch. When she is not helping in the branding pen or doctoring cattle, Colyer can be found running her own rodeo entry company called Rodeo Central and helping save lives as a certified EMT. She also serves as a volunteer in the Bruneau area on emergency response -- Wonder Woman, perhaps?

The brown-haired beauty juggles all of this while raising two young children, Piper and Cruz, and yet still manages to devote her free time to her horses and her passion: team roping.

"I guess you could say I am a go-getter," Colyer said with a laugh. "I am always staying busy, and I love it that way. I love that every morning when I wake up I get to do what I love. Most people can't say that, and I feel very blessed that I can."

Although she grew up in a non-rodeo, non-horse related household, Colyer credits her parents for their constant love and support and helping her to follow her dreams.

"I couldn't have asked for better parents and the amazing support they always gave and still give me," Colyer said. "I am also very fortunate for the friendship and guidance of the Black family. When I was a kid, Rob Black took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew about roping. He is a like a father-figure to me. I went over to his house every day when I was a kid and practiced roping and riding. He definitely molded me into the roper and rider that I am today."

With over $100,000 in team roping earnings, Colyer is considered one of the top women with a rope in her hands. While she is easily one of the best, you would never guess that if you had a conversation with her. Humble and down to earth, Colyer is the first one to compliment another roper on a good run.

"I love the comradery in team roping, and I absolutely love watching other women rope," she said. "Team roping is so different than barrel racing. I used to run barrels and had an exceptional horse that took me places I only dreamt of, but it was very cutthroat. Team roping is very competitive, but for the most part, everyone is rooting for everyone else. It is exciting to be part of something where everyone wants everyone else to do good and win."

Like many young athletes, Colyer grew up idolizing Beverly Robbins and Tammy West-White, two of the best women ropers of all time. When Colyer first started roping, she remembers watching Robbins and White and taking note that they were the two women that every man wanted to rope alongside.

"This is all opinion but I also think it is 100 percent accurate," Colyer said. "I think women always ride the best horses, and I think that women rope more correct than a man does.

Woman are so cautious with how they handle cattle, and if you watch a woman rope, you'll see it with your own eyes. They are so focused. Sure, a man might be able to out-rope us and outreach us, but I truly believe woman are always correct in their roping. I am always impressed watching other women rope, and I think most men would rather rope with a woman.

Colyer herself spends countless hours in the arena working on bettering her roping. Whether it be working on handling her cattle sharp or scoring sharp, Colyer is constantly honing her skills. In addition to the physical aspect of roping, Colyer also explains that a solid mental game is imperative if you are wanting to win.

"You have to enjoy your wins but you have to learn how handle it when you are not winning," she said. "It is a mental game, and I have worked incredibly hard over the last several years on how to handle pressure situations. Now I enjoy being under pressure but it wasn't always that way. I had to learn how to mentally prepare myself, and I had to learn how to not be against anyone else but myself. Do not compare yourself with anyone else."

We have all heard the saying "it takes a village," and that couldn't be any truer for Colyer. Without the support of her family and friends, Colyer knows that she would not be able to chase her dreams.

"I am very thankful for the people that have stood behind me throughout the years, and I am especially thankful to my husband and my kids," she said. "My husband, Kyle, always has my back and is there to pick me up when I need it the most. There are times where I don't win, and as we all know, it can get very expensive. Kyle keeps my head screwed on right and pushes me to keep going."

Colyer is also incredibly grateful to the companies that have seen her through the good times and the bad but continue to have faith in her and her talent.

"I am very blessed and grateful to have such awesome sponsors," she said. "Silver Lining Herbs and BioMane are great products that I have had incredible results wit,h and I just recently got a deal with EquiBrand and Classic Ropes. I am very grateful for these wonderful opportunities and truly could not do it without any of them."

With so many wins under her belt, Colyer was quick to comment when asked what her biggest goal is in roping this year.

"I would love to win a big roping in Las Vegas in December," she said. "That would have to be my No. 1 goal."

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