SWR: Tell me how you got started roping professionally?
Jade: I've roped my whole life; I grew up on a ranch. All I've ever wanted to do was rope. In 2005, I was at the Junior Worlds and that's when Allen Bach got me hooked up with Matt Tyler.
I had always planned on trying to rope professionally one day, but when I cracked out is when I got the chance to rope with Matt and it kind of went from there.
SWR: That's not a bad first professional partner.
Jade: Yeah, that was pretty exciting. I never planned on being able to start out with someone like that, but it just kind of happened. I knew a lot of guys, though. Jake Barnes was who first told me to call Matt, then Allen got me in touch with him. I just practiced with him one day and then he told me he wanted to rope and it all worked out.
SWR: What did you learn from Matt that first year?
Jade: I learned a lot from him. My first year was like his 21st year. He knew everywhere to go and everything to do. I just tried to sit back and take it all in. It was good, I liked doing that because I didn't know what to expect and he could fill me in on what to expect before going everywhere so that eased my mind a lot. Every time we went somewhere he'd be telling me on the way there what was going to happen, how the rodeo was going to be and what the setup was like. So that helped a lot, too.
SWR: Most of the time, it takes a few years for someone to jump straight from high school to the professional ranks, but that hasn't been the case for you, why is that?
Jade: I had always dreamed of being able to jump out and get started the way I did, but I didn't know it was going to be a reality. I figured I'd start out with one of my buddies who roped good, but it was just good fortune that it worked out that I got to rope with Matt. Then that opened so many doors for me. When you're roping with somebody like that, then somebody else who ropes that good will rope with you, too.
SWR: I guess winning rookie of the year at the end of that season was a great honor.
Jade: You only get one shot to do that no matter what. I began that year wanting to make the Finals and that was definitely a goal besides that. Since I didn't make the Finals, I was glad I at least got to get that.
SWR: Who has helped you most the first couple years with your heeling?
Jade: Anytime I've had any trouble with my roping, I try to talk to Kory Koontz. He came over to Matt's to practice with me a couple times if I was wanting to learn this better or that better. He's been really good to me. There have been a lot of guys who have been helpful too, but I've been the most comfortable talking to Kory.
SWR: Is that who you'd say your roping is most similar to?
Jade: No, not really. I try to pattern my style after Clay Cooper, mostly. I don't think I rope as good as him, but I try to have a more normal style like he does. There's nothing I do that's much different. I've tried to take some stuff Clay does, some stuff Kory does and some stuff Allen does: little things that each of them do and try to mold it into my own style.
