Family, Lifestyle and Passion: the Southerland Way

The western lifestyle is defined by the great people who live it and the horses they love. Long time NRS customers, James and Arlene Southerland and their family, may not have lived it their whole life, but as newcomers, have embraced it full force. James and his family have partook in many other hobbies, but none have become a true part of the family like horses. If you are ever out at the NRS Training Center during a Tuesday night practice and jackpot team roping, you may have seen this family enjoying what they love. When not running his business, DFW Concrete, James spends time focusing on the things he truly appreciates, his family and roping.

James and Arlene have two children: Hunter, who is a sophomore baseball player at Texas Tech, and Skylar, who is in her senior year of high school. Although Hunter can ride, Skylar has the true passion for riding and competing.

The Southerland family began their “western adventures” in 2006. They purchased some land in Hubbard, TX, and a couple of horses. They began looking for somewhere to take riding lessons when Arlene discovered her hair dresser, Vince Guerrero, had been raised with horses and was a skilled trainer and horseman. Skeptical at first, they were quickly won over by Guerrero’s ability to work with horses. Guerrero played an integral part in where the Southerland’s are today in their horsemanship and rodeo career.
“When we first started riding, we actually bought a book on ‘how to buy a horse’,” Arlene laughed. The first few horses they bought did not live up to their expectations, so they eventually bought their own stud and mares and began breeding. Their trainer, Guerrero, also provided Skylar’s first competing horse, Chicken.
“Chicken would do everything I asked,” Skylar fondly remembered. “He just went with the flow and taught me barrels, poles, calf roping, team roping, you name it.”

With the help and training of many, including Justin Parrish and Martha Josey, Skylar began competing in local play days and quickly moved onto junior rodeos. During this time, the family purchased land in Poolville to move their horses closer to home in Eagle Mountain Lake area. Eventually, they moved to Poolville to have even more time to ride and compete.

One of the first rodeos James attended with Arlene and Skylar, James remembers asking, “Why don’t they just catch the steer when it first comes out of the “box thing” instead of waiting for it to get all the way to the other end of the arena.” Chuckling, James said, “I told them that I could learn to do that in six months easy, but when I began learning I started thinking, ‘holy cow! This is really hard!’” Even so, James won a saddle in one of his very first ropings at a USTRC Roping in Waco in 2008.
“I enjoy the competition and riding the horses. I go to have fun, and if I miss a couple that’s OK.” James explains that although he loves winning, he ultimately just wants to have a good time riding his horses. “It’s what makes me happy,” James said.
“He has always been competitive, ever since I met him,” Arlene said about her husband. “When we met he was a competitive body builder, then he got his black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. He even raced cars and trucks for a while. But he’s calmed down a little – it’s the age.” Arlene said humorously.

James has now passed that competitive edge onto his daughter, Skylar. Skylar has goals to continue rodeoing through college and dreams of going to the college finals in a few years.
“I remember one of the first rodeos we watched; Skylar leaned over to me and asked, ‘Mama, am I going to have to go that fast?’ Now there is no slowing her down!”
Arlene described a time when Skylar was bucked off at the Pro Youth Finals. Skylar went to the emergency room where she was diagnosed with a wrist fracture and was placed in a brace. “Yet she still wanted to go back and compete! She always wants to be part of the win. She is very driven and determined.” Arlene explained of her daughter.
Skylar is an NRS Trailers All-Star Team member and on the Panhandle Slim and Rock & Roll Cowgirl Team. She attends two to three UPRA rodeos a weekend, attends jackpots and competes in the Texas High School Rodeo Region Three. She has also been to the Spicer Gripp, Salado All-Girl Invitational and the All-Girl Roping in Waco. Her largest win was the Roy Cooper Junior World Calf Roping where she took home a saddle, money, Twisted X boots and more.

“I want to make a difference in the roping and rodeo world,” Skylar said. “I think it should become more mainstream – I hope that more people outside the rodeo world, or those just entering it, can become more involved.”

When asked what Arlene enjoys most about the horses she said, “I love just pleasure riding and loving on them. Skylar wants to get on and run, but I like brushing them and enjoying my time in the saddle.”

“Arlene is ‘Mrs. Positive’,” James exclaimed, “she is level-headed and keeps us all going. She keeps us encouraged even when we have a down day.” Arlene explains how keeping up with all of Skylar and James’s rodeos can sometimes be a full-time job in itself. “I have to stay very organized to keep everything together. I’m the cheerleader, the chauffeur, checkbook writer and camera lady,” Arlene said with a grin.

“The thing that is so great about the rodeo world is just how friendly and genuine everybody is. When Skylar had her accident, everyone was stopping to help and asking if we needed anything or if they could do anything.” James  said referring to a trailer accident Skylar had in which she lost her best barrel horse. “You just wouldn’t find that kind of friendliness outside of the rodeo world,” James admitted. “That’s what we love about NRS too. Everyone is so friendly, and they know us by our first names – it’s like family.” James said. “Krece is just phenomenal. He makes everyone feel so encouraged and like they can do it.” Krece Harris is the NRS arena Director and Clinician.

James described one of the first clinics they went to at the NRS Arena and said, “We were all just eating the wonderful breakfast that Lori (Brookshire) had cooked for us that morning, and this really nice gentleman came up and began talking to us and eating with us. We had a wonderful conversation. It wasn’t until later someone said that was the David Isham. I was amazed. He was such a nice guy just chatting with us as if he was someone else at the clinic.”

James and Arlene have purchased three different trailers from NRS Trailers. They describe the experience as an experience filled with “phenomenal” customer service. James said, “That’s what is important to me. If I know I can go to a place with competitive pricing, and know I’m going to be taken care of, that is what I want.”
“Roping and rodeoing is a love and a passion. We’ve only been involved for about eight years, but can’t wait for what the future holds. Especially with Skylar and her potential,” James said.

The western lifestyle isn’t just about the clothes or the dually truck, it’s a way of life that includes morning feedings, late night rodeos and the people who are there to cheer you on. NRS takes pride in supporting the western lifestyle with quality tack, the latest western fashions, feed, horse trailers and a training center and arena where it all comes together for families and friends, like the Southerlands.