feature story by Bridget Andrews
The Chappel Legacy Lives On The sport of team roping is synonymous with the family name, Chappel. A family dedicated to rodeo, good horsemanship, and strong family values.
Larry Chappel always had a love for animals from a young age. This passion guided him towards the rodeo scene where he rode bareback in his early years and later switched to team roping.
Brenna, Brady, and Vanden Chappel (left) Heather Chappel and Kennedy Ward (Middle) Chasta and Rod Ward (Right) Harper and Briar Ward (Above) Larry Chappel Heather’s Lifelong Partner of 36 Years 1952-2011
1974 can be marked as the year the team roping Chappel legacy would begin. This was the year Larry and Heather Chappel were married. In the beginning, they lived and worked in Moose Jaw. Heather worked at Wray Agencies and Larry at the Moose Jaw Pork Plant. Their dream was to move back to the farm. That dream become a reality. They purchased land west of Boharm, SK., where they developed a farm site. Heather stated, ” There was nothing here. Together we built everything from scratch.” A house trailer came first, trees planted and a few cows purchased. It was a start. Then came the arrival of a beautiful, baby girl, Chasta. The trailer was sold and a house moved in to make room for a growing family. Days were long as they continued to work in town and work on the farm after work and on weekends. Changes were soon to come in 1980, with the arrival of their son, Brady. Their family was complete. Larry and Heather’s passion for horses and riding passed easily on to their children. Both Chasta and Brady were taught to ride and rope from a young age. Brady remembers growing up with a rope in his hand. He began team roping with his dad at the age of 11. They would enter a few rodeos and team roping jackpots as a father/son duo. During this time, the Chappel family would begin to expand. Chasta married Rod Ward, a rancher from Mortlach, SK. They eventually moved to Rod’s parent’s farm northwest of Mortlach. Rod and Chasta were blessed with three daughters, Kennedy (born in 2000), Harper (born in 2005) and Briar (born in 2009). It wasn’t until 2004 that Larry and Brady decided to take their team roping to the next level. They purchased Canadian Cowboy Association (CCA) cards committing themselves to the sport full time. 2008, they built an indoor arena known as Doubles Down Arena. The arena included an attached barn, stalls, runs and outdoor shelters. Having the arena would give them more opportunity to practice throughout the year in preparation for competitions. It also provided an additional source of income. They began custom boarding horses. The arena was a worthwhile investment.
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Saskatchewan
Horse
Federation