Calf roper Draper Foster keeping his eyes on the prize

Courtesy Photo TIE-DOWN CALF ROPING -- During one of ten High School Region 4 rodeo competitions held last summer Draper Foster dismounts his 13-year-old quarter horse "Badger" to tie down a calf he roped.

The last time we heard from Draper Foster he was busy lassoing his dream of a full ride scholarship to college and making it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas some day.

That was two years ago and he hasn't given up.

Now a senior at Brownsboro High School Draper is getting ready for the second half of the High School and Four States rodeo season. Four States is comprised of competitors from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Having already qualified for the Four State Finals Draper is working hard to qualify for the Texas High School Finals and International Finals.

Last June Draper was one of ten competitors from Region IV, which covers the northeast portion of Texas, when he competed in the Texas High School Finals in Abilene. Al- though he qualified for the state finals he did not make the Nationals, making him all the more determined to win in 2007.

In July he spent a week in Shawnee, OK where he competed and qualified for the International High School finals

On November 18, Draper won the Tie-down Championship of Ought Roping during the Cross Brand Cowboy Church calf roping competition held at the Rusk County Expo Center. Later that day, he competed in the Four States High School Rodeo in Marshall and won after three rounds of roping. It was the third round when he scored a 9 that he was awarded a breast collar with "Champion Calf Roper" engraved in the leather, for the fastest time of the day. He also added another belt buckle to his collection for winning 1st place in the average.

"In one day he won nearly $1,200, a belt buckle, and a

breast collar for being the fastest time of the day," said his mom Cresha Foster.

The big news is Draper was recently selected a Region IV "What-A-Kid" making him one of ten candidates to qualify for the Whataburger scholarship and a year's worth of free Whataburgers.

"Whataburger has a big scholarship program through its rodeos," Cresha said. "It's pretty prestigious for a kid to be a What-A-Kid because they look at the academics and extracurricular activities and their rodeo accomplishments."

Following a plethora of paper work and a telephone interview Draper is excited to know he just might be the next recipient.

"That would be nice to win free Whataburgers for a year," he said. "Especially for college."

Draper plans to have an Ag business or animal science degree to fall back on when his rodeo days are behind him. He and his team roping partner,

Drew Elder, of Chapel Hill both hope to earn full ride scholarships.

But another goal just over the horizon for Draper is to compete in the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

"That would be something great to win," he said.

For Draper, rodeoing is more than riding out into the arena and roping a calf.

"It's a good way to make money," he said. "It's become as big a sport as football and basketball. It'll help you get through college, teaches work ethic, and it's kind of like a hobby."

Draper said he and his family have been looking at Tarleton and Sam Houston State Universities, and Northeast Texas Community College but haven't made any decisions yet.

For now, Draper is staying in shape playing high school basketball and practicing his roping in preparation for the upcoming year.