Date:
10/27/2004
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
Reporter: Shelley Gilmore
PORTALES—Jason Ortega, a former cowboy for the Eastern New Mexico University rodeo team, has been hired to write columns for the United States Team Roping Championships (USTRC) magazine, the "Super Looper."
Ortega's first column will appear next month. The Grants High School graduate says, "Team roping is my passion; I want to be involved in the USTRC."
While taking a reporting class at ENMU in Portales, Ortega needed some guidance on a paper he was writing and called the editor of "Super Looper," Ben Clements. Clements then asked Ortega if he would like to write for the magazine. Ortega agreed, and now that he is enrolled in magazine writing this fall, he feels very confident about writing.
"I'm somewhat nervous, considering team ropers from all over the nation are going to be reading my columns, but very exited," says Ortega. The "Super Looper" contains team roping events, the latest rodeo news, results, photos and ads.
He is very familiar with rodeo, competing in high school and college. He also had the opportunity to announce some at the High Plains Junior rodeos, 4-H rodeos, and the USTRC in Gallup. He has judged a few rodeos and says, "If you can't beat them, judge them."
From his hometown of San Mateo, N.M., Ortega attended high school in Grants. Aside from rodeo, he was involved in the Spanish Club. He went to Mesa Tech in Tucumcari his first years of college and then transferred to ENMU. He is a senior majoring in public relations with a minor in Spanish, and a member of the AHORA and Public Relations Club.
As a student athlete at ENMU, Ortega says, "I used to put team roping first, but now I put school first; that's a lesson we all learn."
With the support of his parents, Lloyd and Chela, he was always encouraged to stay in school and graduate. After graduating from Eastern, Ortega plans to go to graduate school. He wants to be a part of the USTRC and hopes that someday he can work at the main headquarters in Stephenville, Texas.
Jason Ortega