P. J. King has roped in cash, a saddle and various other prizes as he strives to make a name for himself in the youth rodeo world.

Recently, King, 14, competed in the fifth annual Rising Stars Calf Roping Rodeo in Ada, Okla., winning $4,000 in cash and a custom leather rope can in the junior breakaway competition with a time of 1.67 seconds. In June 2005 King won a saddle at a rodeo in Tunica. He specializes in calf roping.

King said he has been roping calves since he was 5 years old and has been competing since he was 10.

“I like the adrenaline,” he said. “Catching a cow is challenging. You have to catch them before anything else goes on.”

In calf roping, the objective is for the rider to rope the calf around the neck, dismount from his horse and tie three of the calf’s legs together with a shorter separate rope in the shortest amount of time.

King said his best time has been 8.5 seconds, which he said he accomplished a little over a month ago.

To get that good, King said he said had to practice every day when he was just starting. Now the ninth-grader only practices a few times a week.

“Now I practice three or four times a week because I am focusing on my school work,” he said.

King said he competes in approximately 100 rodeos a year. He said after he finishes college he would like to join the professional ranks like his favorite professional roper, Fred Whitfield.

He said if he does not turn pro he wants to take up his father’s business of horse training. He said his father, Punchy, has been a big influence in his rodeo career.

“I also have to thank Charles Donaldson, Kenny Carlton and Otis Mazique for helping me along the way as well.”