Kyla may be the youngest of the Matthews family, but her wisdom and skill set in the breakaway roping far surpass her years. With her mother a barrel racer, her dad a calf roper, and her sister a breakaway roper, she grew up with no shortage of horsemen (and women) to learn from. When she was 3 years old she started riding, and at 5 years old began running barrels. While she was interested in the roping, she had trouble swinging a rope because she was so little, so she stuck with the barrels instead.
Within a few years, she was competing in the junior rodeo, and her initial style is a source of teasing within her family still today. In those early years, she would track a calf around the pen on her one-eyed pony Killer and then throw the rope just as the buzzer went off–and only then because her arm was tired, which is quite the contrast to her fast throws today.
As the years went by, her dad instilled so many valuable lessons in her that have led to her development into a world-class athlete. Today, she holds arena records and 2 International Pro Rodeo Association (IPRA) World Champion Breakaway Roper titles, with runs clocking in at 1.9 seconds. She credits the support of her loving family, her faith in God, and her horsepower for these opportunities and tries hard to be respectful, maintain a positive attitude, and treat those around her fairly regardless of how things turn out.
Her personality and humble attitude are highlighted in what she describes as her favorite moment–seeing her own smile on her face in the video of her winning the World Championship. Joy trumps all, and it’s extra personal when your dad has taught you everything you know, your sister is your strongest cheerleader, and your mom is right by your side at every rodeo.
In the small world that is East Coast breakaway roping, many faces become familiar, especially when you’ve been to as many rodeos as the Matthews family has. However, Kyla’s success has taken them beyond the East Coast. Just this past year, Kyla qualified for the Rope for the Crown in Vegas, and will not only be returning there this year, but also has her sights set on roping for a million dollars through the new Kimes Ranch breakaway event being planned in Arizona.
Never one to shy away from hard work, Kyla earned a two-year business degree, college rodeoed, and kept practicing/rodeoing while attending esthetician school.
Kyla will surely give competitors a run for their money at the big events this year with her mindset, skillset, and strong horse string. Oh, and her three strand Dub Grant rope–a personal favorite.
Her horse partners are Lizzo, What, and Senorita, and she has one black mare coming along named Coco.
Lizzo is a very powerful roan mare with a nice stop, What is a sorrel gelding who is her “old faithful” (and her dad’s tie-down horse), and Senorita is a buckskin mare with a special story.
Kyla’s dad, Daryl, bought Senorita for $2200. When he purchased her, she was an outlaw who bucked everyone off. But she and Kyla clicked, and from junior rodeo onward, Kyla has found a wonderful partnership with her. Today, Senorita is 22 years old, and still cold backed at times, but a wonderful blessing for Kyla’s roping and has carried her to both world championships.
Kyla is going to continue to do great things in the roping world and is definitely one to watch. You can learn more about her special family through the stories on her mom, Misty, her dad, Daryl, and her sister, Bailey.
all photo credit to each respective photographer.
