POST FALLS - Ever since Jake Paul was 3, he has enjoyed fast action on a horse.

One time, Jake, who will be a junior at Post Falls High this fall, begged his dad at a rodeo if he could ride on his own - when mom wasn't around and he was still way too young to even put his feet in the stirrups.

"As soon as I unhooked the lead rope, Jacob kicked the horse with both feet," Jake's father Dave said. "When the horse took off, he bounced around and hung onto the saddle horn. He took out his (toy) gun and shot at the crowd.

"When the horse stopped at the end of the arena, he waved his hands in the air and said, 'That was awesome.' I said, 'By God, don't tell your mom what I did.'"

Jake's need for speed hasn't changed.

He is the lone Kootenai County youth to qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo starting Sunday in Gillette, Wyo.

Jake and partner Dallas Day of Chehalis, Wash., will compete in team roping against roughly 200 other teams from across the country, Canada and Australia. The duo - with Jake as the header and Day the heeler - qualified by finishing second in the standings of the Washington State High School Rodeo Association. The top four teams and individuals in each event advance to the national finals.

"We should end up pretty good," Jake said confidently.

The team's best time is 5.3 seconds, and it regularly finishes in 8 or 9 seconds.

Jake's achievement has made his dad proud, especially since Dave was a professional bull rider who never made it to nationals in high school.

"Competing against the very best from all over the country is a neat opportunity that a lot of kids don't get to do," Dave said. "I'm proud of him. He has spent hours and hours practicing."

Jake also nearly qualified for nationals in calf roping, his favorite event, before getting bumped in the state finals.

"Team roping is so much easier for me and I'm better at it," said Jake, who practices at the family arena on the Rathdrum Prairie.

Serious rodeo injuries along the way haven't deterred Jake from pursuing his dreams of being a world champion. He used to ride bulls until he suffered a broken arm during the event at a rodeo two years ago.

"Within five weeks, he was back on a horse roping, acting like nothing happened," Dave said. "He's pretty driven."

Two weeks ago, he injured a knee, but participated at the Silver States Finals last week in Winnemucca, Nev.

"I like the competition and you get to meet some really good friends doing it," Jake said of his love for the sport.

When it came to choosing between rodeo or continuing Junior Tackle football a few years ago, Jake said rodeo was the obvious choice.

"I've always liked it," he said. "I never have thought about quitting. I've spent all my college money on horses, so I'm hoping to get a scholarship."

Besides from his father, Jake, who has won eight saddles for all-around titles, has been shown the ropes from local horse trainer Cliff Kellmer.

"Cliff has really taught Jake about horsemanship and how to rope right," Dave said, adding that Jake's team roping horse, Gray, was bought from Kellmer.

With two more years of eligibility for the national high school finals, Jake appears to have a bright future.

"He's always wanted to go fast and be aggressive," Dave said. "I'm tickled that he's going to Gillette and seeing how he stacks up against the best."