Being born into the world of rodeo, 16-year-old Denver Gompf continues to put in the work, and is looking to see his star continue to rise.
"I'm a team roper, and a calf roper," Gompf says proudly. "In team roping, I rope the feet of the steer and my brother heads the steer for me."
At a young age, Gompf was brought onto the rodeo scene. "I've been a part of it my whole life, but I really started roping when I was around 10. That's when I got into it. My dad used to ride bulls and steer wrestle, and then my older brother rode bare back horses, so I went to a lot of rodeo's with him. I was truly born into rodeo."
Through the years, Gompf says he enjoyed the travel of it all. "I remember going to different communities, watching my brother get on bucking horses, and I thought it was all so cool."
Now that he's into the sport, the young phenom says it's been fun developing his skillset. "It's been so good. I practice a lot, but it all pays off in the end."
When he's getting ready for a run, Gompf says there's a few things that he's thinking about. "I try and just not think about it too much, because I know I can do it. I've practiced, so I want to stick to the basics, and just do it."
It's not just Denver Gompf of Oak Lake out there, he's built trust and a relationship with his horse, who he considers a partner. "It's fun, because you train them up and you take them through the steps with you. You get used to that horse, you trust they'll do their job for you."
The rodeo community has always been close, and Gompf says it's a real family atmosphere. "It has a lot to do with family. Everyone supports you. There's nothing quite like that everyone wants you to do well, as well as themselves. It's cool when the people you're competing against are cheering you on, and want you to do as well as they do."
More people getting into rodeo makes competitors like Gompf very happy, as he loves having families closer to the action. "More people are interested in rodeo these days, it's great. To have rodeo events around Manitoba, it's huge. For me, I like having rodeos in Oak Lake because the kids I grew up with can come watch, and they can understand it."
Denver Gompf is going to be quite busy in the next stretch. "This week, we're off to Austin (today), Swan River on Friday and Brandon on Sunday for rodeo's. Next weekend, we're in Brandon for three days for the Canadian Finals Rodeo."