Rodeo athletes nfr 2016 issue3 by Rodeo Athletes

A P O R T F O L I O O F T O DAY A N D T O M O R R O W â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S B R I G H T E S T R O D E O S TA R S

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Ty Erickson | Ivy Conrado | CoBurn Bradshaw | Matt Sherwood 2016 NFR ISSUE

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

TABLE OF

Contents

7 10 15 19 20

Ric Anderson

Kolton Schmidt

Amberleigh Moore

Seventeen Flat

Tanner Aus

24 28 33 37 42 Tyler Waguespack

Hunter Herrin

Cody Rostockyj CoBurn Bradshaw

Wesley Thorp

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Photos provided by the athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; family members For information on advertising or other inquiries, visit our website at www.RodeoAthletes.com or call us at (435) 668-3285

The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in Rodeo Athletes Magazine. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material. Appropriate professional advice should be sought before making decisions. ÂŠ Copyright 2016 RAI, www.RodeoAthletes.com

4650 55 60 64 Ivy Conrado

Marcos Costa

Ty Erickson

Allen Boore

Matt Sherwood

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Ric Andersen

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I started showing interest in photography when I was 10 years old. I was always getting caught taking my grandfathers 35mm camera. Then one day it broke, so he bought me my own kit camera to play with when he replaced his.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 8X - Turquoise Circuit Finals Official Photographer 1X - California Circuit Finals Official Photographer 1X - RNCFR Official Arena Photographer 3X - Working the WNFR 2X - Working the CBR World Finals 2X - Working the PBR World Finals Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Kolton Schmidt Small-Town Cowboy, Big-Time Horse By Kolton Schmidt & RAI Staff 10

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

olton Schmidt is the son of Ronald and Elaine Schmidt. He was born into

roping with the help and inspiration of his grandpa and dad. Growing up in Barrhead, Alberta, Canada made for cold weather that would end their rodeo season a lot earlier than for most. Luckily, Kolton’s grandpa had an indoor arena they could always use for practice whenever the colder months approached. He was quite fortunate though, always having the opportunity to rope during the winter by going to Arizona ever since 2004.

Kolton’s Grandpa, age 75, is the role model of his life. Kolton says, “He’s the coolest man alive.” Kolton’s father runs a successful business that he started from the ground up. “It started from nothing,” he says. “My dad amazes me. He never stops, he’s the hardest working man I know.” Kolton also speaks very highly of his mom, “She is so brilliant, she’s always looking out for everybody, and she’s always making sure me and my siblings are moving in the right direction.” Kolton has a 17-year-old sister named Taylor. He says, “She’s so awesome and has so much talent! She is headed to Texas for school in about a year to continue rodeoing and I’m excited to see where she ends up.” His little brother who is 12 years old, named Levi also ropes and looks up to his big brother with admiration. Barrhead is a small farm town that’s known for having a lot of good athletes. Kolton says, “Everyone plays something. Between hockey, baseball, you name it; they play it.” According to Kolton it’s also the kind of town that everybody knows everybody and they’re like one big family, always there for each other.

His whole family is heavy into hockey, but him and his siblings mostly gave it up by age 15 to focus on rodeo. Kolton says, “My dad was great at hockey and played on a junior team, while my mom as extremely good and played on a travel team for western Canada. I didn’t last very long, although I absolutely loved it just like every other kid in Canada, but I chose to buckle down and keep furthering my career in rodeo.” Hockey taught him things that would help him with rodeo. He learned things like how to be a part of a team and understand how to look out for your friends. He says, “I was glad to learn to work with teammates because so much of rodeo is solo and you kind of

have to be selfish at times when your competing on your own against other opponents.” Kolton finds if funny for him to think about the things he has done. He doesn’t dwell on what he has accomplished, instead he is always looking for more challenges, more things to try, and always looking for something to keep him busy. He has accomplished some amazing things. He thanks his dad for allowing him take advantage of the opportunities that have been presented to him. Every time he thought about pursuing an opportunity, his dad would give him the support he needed. Kolton is fortunate enough to currently hold the title as the youngest to compete in team Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

roping at the Canadian Finals, a feat he accomplished at age 17. Kolton describes his time in college as a “roller coaster.” He remembers, “We always roped good, but never could rope great.” He qualified for the College Finals and won the first round. He said, “To be rewarded as a College National Champion was so fulfilling. You feel pretty honored to be able to say that.” Rodeo is an individual sport until you’re in college and have a team again. “It’s interesting to watch the rodeo and pay attention to your guys that are on your team,” he says, “It makes you watch!” In college rodeo, you’re cheering for your guys, even if you don’t know them personally. 2015 was the first year that Kolton went to several summer rodeos. He and a kid he knew from college went out to try their luck. Athletes learn to accept

the fact that they aren’t going to win as much as they want to, but they still get out there and get noticed. Kolton’s roping has reached a successful point and the people he grew up watching and looking up to, he now gets to rope against. “It’s pretty huge to be a part of it,” he says. As a team roper, Kolton is with his roping partner every day. They live in a tiny trailer together and eat cheeseburgers on-the-go. He says, “In all honesty when it comes down to it the roping part is probably the easiest part of it. It gets hard to keep motivated and stay focused, but if you’re lucky you’ll remember it’s what you love and what you chose.” He describes calling home after the rodeos as “so fulfilling.” Knowing his family is going to be so proud of him on the road, no matter what he placed makes it seem more worth it. That helps

I’M HONESTLY MORE PROUD OF MY HORSE GETTING ME TO THE NFR THAN I AM OF MYSELF.

IF IT WEREN’T FOR THIS HORSE I WOULDN’T BE WHERE I’M AT.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Kolton handle the challenge of being on the road and away for months at a time. Kolton is only in the beginning of his career and his horse has already won horse of the year. He is also excited to have qualified for his first NFR appearance. He says, “I’m honestly more proud of my horse getting me to the NFR than I am of myself. If it weren’t for this horse I wouldn’t be where I’m at.” He’s honored that his competitors recognize his horse. He says, “Its huge to me! I’m so excited about it. He’s a freak, and that’s why he’s so good. Everything is exaggerated, he’s so athletic and so fast. I don’t think I’ll ever have another horse like him. I’m so thankful.”

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Amberleigh

Moore One Run at a Time

By: Kelan Weiss/Barbara Whinney Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

mberleigh was raised in Junction City, Oregon where her life mainly consisted of two things: riding horses, and working. When asked what she liked to do after school Amberleigh said she spent all of her time on horseback. No shopping, no hanging out with friends, just riding. Although her parents, Bill and Sandy, did not let her ride their best horses, she enjoyed riding the ponies they had gotten for her. “They gave us ponies that we could play on and get into trouble on.” When asked what kind of trouble Amberleigh jokingly explained, “We would ride through trees and ditches and everything we wouldn’t be allowed to do the on good horses.” The need for being on a horse runs in the family, as Amberleigh’s parents still ride to this day. Aside from riding, Amberleigh spent time working in the family store. In 1955 her grandfather started his own business building swimming pools and spas. Amberleigh’s family has been running the business for four generations now, including her grandparents who started it, her and her husband Paul, and her daughter Keirstin. All of them have worked hard to build the business into what

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

it is today. Participating in the family business in addition to working with horses brought on a lot of responsibilities. Although it made her too busy to compete in high school or college rodeo, Amberleigh finds great value in those responsibilities. She feels that a “different perspective comes when you are raised with responsibilities.” That perspective she gained is a huge part of who she is today. When she wasn’t riding ponies or working in the family store, Amberleigh was competing in Gymkhana events throughout Oregon and Washington. She was very successful, and even set a few records that are still standing today. She has always been a fierce competitor, and never seems to be affected by the pressure of being in the arena. In addition to competing in Gymkhana events, Amberleigh has spent a great deal of time training and racing futurity horses. She described training futurity horses as a “humbling” experience. She explained, “It doesn’t matter how good of a rider you are, futurity horses make you humble. You can have the best horse in the practice pen and go to a futurity and have them fall apart because they’re

in public. Everyone in the futurity world will tell you it’s a humbling experience because you never know what a baby is going to do.” Despite how difficult it can be, Amberleigh finds great satisfaction in training a young horse. The part she most appreciates is, “seeing progress and accomplishment” as a young horse grows and matures. In addition to spending time training horses and running the family store, Amberleigh has been running a tack company for the past 12 years. When asked her

Amberleigh was raised in Junction City, Oregon where her life mainly consisted of two things: riding horses, and working.

reasoning for starting the company she explained it was “to fill a void of time during the winter months. When its dark at 5:00 what do you do? Gotta have something to fill your time!” Since she did not compete in high school or college rodeo, Amberleigh’s path to a rodeo career has been somewhat unconventional. When asked what made her decide to begin a rodeo career she explains that it happened “when the right horse (Paige) came along and could take me to where I wanted to go.” It did not take long for her to realize that Paige was the right horse. She knew, “When she went out there for her first barrel race and won it. She just kept getting stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and never looked back.” Amberleigh and Paige have a great relationship and it shows in the arena. She admires and appreciates the way her mare competes. “She wants to go out there and please me and give me 100% every single time.” Her countless hours spent horseback have been paying off in a big way. It has helped her to develop a super-star horse, and the two of them are doing big things in the arena. Although her husband Paul does not ride, Amberleigh is grateful

that he is so supportive of her career. “He gets up with me at 3:00 in the morning when the horse gets casted in the stall. When I’m gone on the road he takes care of everything.” When you combine a great rider like Amberleigh with a great horse like Paige and a family to offer strength and support, it creates a recipe for success. That is exactly what it has been for Amberleigh. The main piece of

advice Amberleigh would offer to a young athlete is to, “Focus on one ride at a time. Don’t focus on the bigger picture, focus on what you have at hand. There’s always another barrel race, so don’t dwell on what already happened.” Her favorite quote is, “Living the dream, one ride at a time.” This motto has helped her in her career, and more importantly her life.

Focus on

one ride at a time. Don’t Focus on the bigger picture,

Focus on what you have at hand. Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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session. Then, of course, we would have to drag them back. We couldn’t roll them because quite often they were full of trash so it wasn’t easy. I kept saying to myself,

THESE LAST FOREVER! “there must be an easier way”. I had the idea of popup barrels® in my head for over 15 years. I inherited an inventive mind from my dad and the idea just kept nagging me. I kept telling myself

that I would someday buckle down and invent them but at the time, I had too many commitments and just didn’t find the momentum to do it. Seventeenflat.com officially began in 2004. After several prototypes, the final design was finally decided on…three lightweight barrels that collapse flat and fit in a nice carrying bag. I designed them with weight in the bottom so they aren’t easily tipped over and I built them to last with forever in mind.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

By Tanner Aus & RAI Staff

Tanner Aus

A Winning Mentality

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

“She’s great. We’d dated for 4 years and not being from a rodeo family she has so much love and support for me and I’m so thankful for it.”

Tanner Aus was born in Granite Falls, Minnesota. His parents, John and RaeAnn, both come from rodeo/ equestrian backgrounds. He grew up in a big family with 8 siblings. They always had horses and ran a game farm when they were young. Because his family always had a lot of company around, it made them an extremely welcoming crew that loves being around their friends and family. Tanner’s grandpa, Carl Aus, is well known for being in the POA Hall of Fame. People that know horses well always ask Tanner about his grandpa. He says, “It’s very cool that he is remembered so well like that because he actually passed away a few years back.” Tanner attended a small high school in Granite Falls where he played football, ran track, and wrestled in the winter time. Being involved in track was more just to bridge the gap; something to keep him busy between wrestling and rodeo. He says, “To be honest I ran a couple of races, but my favorite thing was pole vaulting. I didn’t get much into the sprinting. I had a lot more fun being on the team with my friends then actually participating in the running aspect.” Competing in other sports has benefitted his rodeo career by helping him develop the mentality that you need, staying physically fit, and acknowledge what it takes to win. You need the mental

toughness for sports and rodeo alike. To be professional you need to be getting better constantly. When asked how he learned these things Tanner says, “Through my mentors in high school all the way up to my coaches in college.” Tanner talks about “latching onto the rodeo community very fast and fitting in.” He says that they are some of the best people that he’s been around in his life. Although his bareback riding career didn’t start out great, he’s always had amazing friends and support that made him better. On the weekends, they’d go to all the Little Britches Rodeos to compete. Tanner was fortunate enough to qualify for Little Britches National Finals a couple of times as a kid. He won the junior division, then won the senior division, and placed 3rd one year. In the fall of 2004 he was finally old enough to get his high school rodeo card and begin competing in high school rodeos. Soon after, got knocked out from bouncing off a backboard. It was a tough start, but by following the advice of his father he knew how to become a stronger rider. By the end of his freshman year he was sitting at 3rd in the state, only a couple hundred points from the lead. He progressed throughout his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons to

the point that he went on to winning the saddle and finishing in 5th place at High School National Finals his senior year in Farmington, New Mexico. In the meantime, he was being recruited by a few different schools for college rodeo. At the time a good friend of his, Andy Carter, was the coach at Iowa Central Community College, and was recruiting Tanner to ride bareback for his team. Tanner chose to attend school there, but Andy decided to resign that fall. Bridgette Lambrite and Terry Poleman came in as head and assistant coach and coached him for two years. Tanner qualified for College National Finals his freshman and sophomore seasons, and then transferred to Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri where he Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

would be under coach Ken Mason. In his time there, he placed 3rd his junior year and won the College National Championship in 2012, his senior year. Tanner says it hasn’t always been moving forward since his success in college. There are obviously some struggles along the way. He says, “I had a great rookie season traveling with Ty Brewer. Ty won rookie that year and I finished 3rd. That was one of the funnest seasons of my life for sure.” After that he dealt with multiple injuries and was to a point he didn’t think he would ever get on a bareback horse again. After surgery and a lot of rehab, he got back to where he could get on bucking horses. Last year Tanner went into his circuit finals, and from there experienced growth that isn’t seen in many athletes. At the beginning of last season as he was traveling, he had a cousin that was a great friend of his

pass away. With his family’s blessing, he went to a short round in Fort Worth the day of his cousin’s funeral. He then realized that if he was going to be missing these types of moments with his family that it was time to buckle down and take it serious. “If I’m going to rodeo I’m going to make it worth it and lucrative.” From that point on he did everything he could to make rodeo worth all

“I’m closer now to achieving a lifelong goal than I ever imagined I would be.”

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

it could be to him. “As long as you stick to your bullet points and do the things you’ve promised yourself that you’re going to do you’ll get there,” he says, “I’m closer now to achieving a lifelong goal than I ever imagined I would be. You put the work in and it pays off.” Tanner would like to thank his parents, his grandparents, and his wife for the support they have given him. He is newly-wed to Lonissa Aus. He says, “She’s great. We’d dated for 4 years and not being from a rodeo family she has so much love and support for me and I’m so thankful for it.”

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Tyler

OUTWORKING THE COMPETITION

Waguespack 24

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

yler grew up in Gonzales, Louisiana. Since he was little he knew all along that he wanted to be just like his dad, Mike, who was a PRCA steer wrestler. Growing up there was always a bunch of kids around the house to practice and play. In his youth the things he loved to do included; hunting and fishing. When Tyler was young, his father worked at a chemical plant along the Mississippi River. Later, in 2000, his dad and uncle bought a business and ran it out of Baton Rouge and have been working hard to build it ever since. Tyler’s mother, Vicki, was a hairdresser working out of their home. It made for a lot of women always being around the house. His parents would travel anywhere with him to rodeos and always supported him. Tyler has three sisters who are all much older than him. The closest to him in age is 10 years older than he is. They used to joke with him about him never knowing who his mom was. His mom calls him “the change

of life baby” because they hadn’t had a baby in 10 years, and he was their first boy. His sisters called him the little Prince because he was the baby, and according to them he was spoiled. However, when his older sisters moved out, he had the whole load of chores to take on. Tyler’s oldest sister, Tobie, lives in Mississippi with her husband and two kids. Tobie has always been like the second mother and would be there in an instant for any of her siblings. Joanie, Tyler’s second oldest sister is a school teacher and currently lives right down the road in Gonzalez with her two little girls. Tyler has a great relationship with Mandie, his closest sister in age, he likes to joke around with her a lot. Tyler likes that he is very close to all three of his sisters. They have always supported him in his rodeo career, and they have always gotten along well and could joke around with each other. Tyler mentions that his family plays a huge role in his life. He has always been very close to

not only his immediate family, but his extended family as well. His grandparents have stayed very involved in his rodeo career and are so proud of him. His grandpa is known for being quite the comedian. If grandpa was to tell a story of Tyler, he would probably mention something about hunting when they were little. He was a gunsmith a few years back and all the grandchildren have had their own great experience hunting with grandpa. Grandpa wanted all of them to grow up with a good outdoor lifestyle. Tyler keeps in touch with his grandparents two or three days a week, and grandma always knows exactly when he’ll be home from a rodeo so that she can prepare a big meal. That’s when grandpa likes to tease Tyler for being spoiled, joking that the only time grandma cooks a big meal anymore is whenever Tyler comes home. Tyler played baseball as a kid, but didn’t take it into high school because he already knew he wanted to focus on

TYLER AND HIS PARTNERS ARE KIND OF KNOWN AS THE “DREAM TEAM” IN THE RODEO WORLD....They’ve built up a lot of

confidence with their horses and know that no matter which horse they have at a rodeo, they can rely on that confidently. Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

rodeo. He said he never cared much for high school football games and school dances, he preferred to be home practicing. His experience traveling in high school was all about going to amateur rodeos and weekend rodeos. Tyler’s dad spent time practicing with him, and would let him take his rodeo career as far as he wanted to. Tyler decided not to go on to college because he wanted to be done with school and has been focused strictly on rodeo since then. Tyler and his partners are kind of known as the “dream team” in the rodeo world. Tyler, Ty Erickson, and Clayton Haus are just about as all-around cowboy as you can get. They plan to load up and do it all over again this upcoming year. Tyler loves that within the group nobody gets down on themselves, which has been a positive thing about their crew. Each of them are always pulling for each other whether they have personal success or not. That is what keeps their confidence levels up. Tyler feels that it is great for them to be able to participate and compete in that state of mind. He likes that as Steer Wrestlers it feels like they treat each other as a brotherhood. Everyone is out there cheering each other on. Everybody wants to win first, but if someone goes out there and has a more outstanding run than their own they deserve a bounce back. Tyler gives much of the credit for his success and his traveling partners successes to their horses, “With our group we were lucky to have a lot of horsepower. We had Cadillac who was horse of the year in 2014 and this year 2016 who is owned by Mr. Sterling 26

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Wallace and the Wallace Family, who they’ll be riding at the finals; as well as Shake’um owned by Ty Erickson who he’ll be riding at the finals, and a Palomino horse who has been working very well.” They’ve built up a lot of confidence with their horses and know that no matter which horse they have at a rodeo, they can rely on that confidently. Ever since Tyler was little his dad has encouraged him and preached the advice, “If we can outwork ‘em we can beat ‘em!” He believes that his consistency and accuracy comes through something he learned through his good friend and Steer Wrestling instructor Tom Carney. Whenever they started to do something right Tom would say, “Alright now we just gotta do that 1,000 times and then we’ve gotta do it 1,000 more.” Muscle memory and repetition is so important to Tyler that he would keep doing it until it got boring to him. He says, “It takes a lot of time to get that perfect balance each run. “ Tyler’s advice to aspiring athletes would be, “Whatever you set your mind to, you need to do it. You can’t just do it halfway! If you’re gonna do it, you need to commit to it. You have to focus and put forth the time and effort. Stick it out and put in the hard work, put in the man hours to get where you want to be. Whether you have a good run or a great run you have to stay positive.” He lives by the quote, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Hunter Herrin A Winning Mentality By Hunter Herrin and RAI Staff 28

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Hunter Herrin is a cowboy from Apache, Oklahoma, where he still resides today with his family. He grew up playing sports and continued throughout high school. It was in high school where he met his wife Ashley, who lived only a few miles away. She was 14 and he was 16 at the time when they began dating. He is now 32 and she’s about to turn 30. That right there is a dedicated relationship for a professional rodeo family! Hunter says, “She’s a good woman and I know it. I’m lucky to have her.” The two have a 10-year-old son named Houston. Houston enjoys playing sports like his dad did when he was young. He used to travel with his dad on the road up until he was about 5 years old and

“Winning mentality comes when you put the right horse with an athletic person.

Whether you’ve got a beast of a horse, or a beast of an athlete

you can find unity in thriving off of each other’s dedication.” started school. Ashley stays home to take care of him while working her full-time job. Luckily, Hunter placed early and often in the season and was able to travel less this fall. This allowed him to be home for Houston’s football games. Hunter and Ashley both come from a long line of athletes. It is important to them for their son to enjoy playing sports to stay busy. Hunter recognized his appreciation for rodeo as a young boy when he got into calf roping. He was intrigued by all of the athletic abilities you need to have to compete. Between the footwork, timing, and hand-eye coordination there’s a lot that goes into being

efficient in the sport. He began to work on those things, as well as learning sportsmanship and how to handle the pressure of competing professionally. Hunter’s horse has been a special icon this past year. He began dominating early and often with him this season. Hunter described his horse as, “not your typical calf horse—you wouldn’t recognize him in that way.” He doesn’t stand out much by his looks until you see Hunter riding him in the arena. They have an undeniable chemistry. He wasn’t always perfect and there was a time when he almost didn’t ride him. He wasn’t the so called “first string” horse. Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Hunter says, “It’s great to have so much experience on great horses.” He suggested that, “As long as you can click together you can have a good final.” That’s what he keeps saying with his horse now. This is coming from a 9-time NFR qualifier. He believes that all of their hard work that has paid off in the arena. Hunter didn’t come from a ranch but he has been around cattle for a long time. Training calf horses has also been a big part of his life. He knows what it takes to make a good calf horse, and has been able to use this to have the best horses himself. He explains, “You just got to work them and trust in them that they will work with you.” Having the right attitude of working well with a horse helps him win. “Winning mentality comes when you put the right horse with an athletic person. Whether you’ve got a beast of a horse, or a beast of an athlete you can find unity in thriving off of each other’s dedication.” Throughout high school, college, and his career after college he’s been on so many different horses that he

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

feels comfortable on almost anything. He doesn’t think you need a horse that is going to “ooh and ahh” the crowd, he thinks you need a horse that’s going to score and give you a chance every time. He says this because he’s hopped on some top-notch, studly horses that he hasn’t even placed on. If you keep relying on a horse to get the job done you won’t accomplish much. If you can find a smart horse, you have everything.

said it worked out to where everything was balanced and in his favor. Afterward he continued to produce quality runs for about 6-8 days. He says he still doesn’t think that’s the best he’s ever done, but he got lucky and it was the most consecutive winning he had ever done. He feels fortunate to have been in that situation. It’s like a few perfect storms have worked in his advantage and it’s made it to where he has been able to do things not many people accomplish in Hunter broke an arena record their rodeo career. in San Antonio, which had stood for a long time. Riding Hunter says the best advice the momentum of his recordhe can give to young athletes breaking performance, he was is, “Whatever you think your on fire and could not be beaten strong suit is—don’t give up for about a month straight. on fine tuning it. Perfect your He recalls, “The feeling was timing and get it down and kind of weird. It was the end have good execution with your of February and I had just sold horses. Don’t make too many my horse Rambo and went to mistakes. There are a lot of Jackson, Mississippi and won different things you can look at, a little bit. I was roping pretty but give yourself discipline. Do good, but nothing felt real easy. your own work and learn from I was coming into my third what you see, but never try to round and knew I had to win imitate because it doesn’t turn something big if I wanted to out the way you want in the make the finals.” He knew he end.” needed a semi-good run to advance to the finals and he

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Cody j y k c o t s o R AMILY F E H T R O F L AL

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

By Cody Rostockyj and RAI Staff

ody Rostockyj, the son of Lonnie and Jeanna Rostockyj, was born in Waco, Texas and raised in China Spring, Texas. While growing up he didn’t have much to do with rodeo. His dad rode bulls when he was younger, and that was the only time he had been around rodeo. Cody has two siblings; his brother Derek who is two years older, and his sister Carissa who is two years younger. Cody was the tag-along brother who loved to be like his older brother and follow him everywhere. Cody’s mother worked downtown, while his father had his own welding business and could take time off when he needed. He says, “Dad was good about letting us do what we wanted and would always try to give us any opportunities.” His favorite memory of his childhood would have been with his brother hunting and fishing. One time, specifically, when he was about 13 years old they set up trot lines and waded out until the water was about neck deep. They left the lines there all night. When they woke up the next morning they went out and found they had caught a 50-pound yellow catfish. Cody remembers his brother had the fish by the mouth while he had him by the body, and they had to wade from neck deep back out of the water carrying the fish without letting him loose. On their way home, they ended up burying the truck in the creek. Without even worrying about the truck, they quickly hopped out, grabbed the fish, and ran Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

it home to wake up their dad to show him their catch. Their dad eventually made it outside and asked where the truck was, only to and see it buried in the creek. Cody says, “We did get a little reckoning for that, but the memory was worth it.” By age 13 Cody got a wild hair for riding bulls and told his dad he wanted to join the high school rodeo team. His dad responded, “That’s fine but you need a year of practice first.” He accepted what his dad said and practiced hard for a full year so he could join as soon as possible. He says looking back, “I remember the first bull I got on was named Popcorn.” Then laughing said, “He could’ve tripped on a pebble had there been one in the arena that day. That’s how clumsy and uncoordinated this bull was.” In describing how easy his first run was, Cody says, “It was almost like he was walking in a circle and just hopping around.

I thought, man people make a lot of money doing this? I am the best there ever was. This is made for me!” His career obviously has progressed as he has gone from a hopper to being on some of the toughest bulls in the world. He says, “Back then I thought my dad was mean for making me wait a year, but now I understand why he made me take the practice I needed.” In high school, Cody won the Future Pro Bull Riders award. He also finished first in Region 10 his senior year. He went on to the PBR when he was 18, but didn’t do as well as expected. He thought he was going to go out there and win it. Cody then went on to Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas on a full ride rodeo scholarship. He says that his time there helped him get to where he is now and helped him progress into pro rodeoing. He tells us, “You just get confident in what you’re doing and that’s what makes all the difference.” His coach always gave him the most helpful pointers and is who Cody credits most for helping him further his career. Cody started dating his wife at age 18, during their freshman year of college. They’ve now been married 5 years and have two children. Cody says that his wife has always supported everything he has done. Having grown up rodeoing as well, she

is very understanding about his traveling. She’ll be the first one to joke around with Cody and tell him to stop sucking out there if he has had a bad run. He likes that about her because she can always find a way to lighten the mood. She is by his side with everything he does and is always rooting for him. They have a 4-year-old son named Collin Danger. Cody says that, “Collin takes after his mother and will get on my case if I don’t do good.” Collin is big into riding by himself now and isn’t scared of much. Their daughter, Zoey is one year old and has a cute personality. He says, “The hardest part of rodeo is leaving my family in the summer.” He’s thankful for technology allowing them to FaceTime when he’s on the road. He enjoys the little things about being a dad. Just to be around them and see their first steps, or take them to the zoo, etc. He says he now loves watching his son get giddy about going hunting and fishing like he did as a kid. Cody says, “It’s all for the family now, and accomplishing this much makes it all worth it.”

“It’s all for the family now, and accomplishing this much makes it all worth it.” Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Coburn Bradshaw By CoBurn Bradshaw and RAI Staff

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

The Wright Traveling Partners

CoBurn Bradshaw is a cowboy from Beaver, Utah. He and his siblings grew up riding and breaking in horses and ponies, while their dad would break the colts, the full-size horses. His dad and grandpa had long been involved with livestock, but had to sell their cows when CoBurn was 9 years old. CoBurn’s family includes his parents, Travis and Suzette Bradshaw and Jeri and Matt Orr, and his three siblings Shyanne, Staylee, and Traeger. CoBurn’s mother spent a lot of the time at the hospital working as a nurse, while his father was busy at the power plant. Because of his parent’s busy work schedules, CoBurn became very close to his Grandma and Grandpa Bradshaw. CoBurn played multiple sports including while growing up including baseball and football. This was all before he decided to commit to bronc riding. Bronc riding was something his dad always wanted to do, but could never afford to. He didn’t even know about bronc riding or watch it before he tried it for the first time. He was just about to be a freshman in high school when his dad went down to the pawn shop and picked up a saddle for CoBurn to try. He went from sports, to riding broke horses, to riding bronc horses. Bronc riding was a lot different, and it took a lot from him to be able to stay on one while he was first learning. His freshman year of high school rodeo was a little tough, but his dad was always behind him and kept giving him motivation and support. He would go to Bryce Canyon to a tourist rodeo that was free to enter almost every night. He says, “It gave me a lot of practice putting in that work. That’s where I got as good as I did, as fast as I did.” CoBurn won the year end bareback and 4th in bronc riding. He then found out the only other person who had done that at the time was Cody Wright, his biggest idol and later, brother-in-law. He also met Rusty Wright and ended up traveling a lot with him and his family and that’s when his bronc riding career finally took off. CoBurn attended Silver State High School and was a part of the school’s rodeo team. He took 4th in bull riding his freshman year and likewise took 2nd all-around at Silver State. His sophomore and junior years he placed 2nd at Nationals in bronc riding, and 4th his senior year. CoBurn went on to attend Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas. Greg, his coach, called him and offered him a scholarship. Anyone that wants to bronc ride or bull ride knows that Western Texas College has one of the best practice pens in the nation. CoBurn said, “I slumped a little my first semester and got a little rusty.” He thinks maybe he was getting out of shape, but after the next summer he came back and placed either 1st or 2nd in every rodeo in the region. When he went on to finals that year he bought his permit at age 18. He then bought it again at 19, and traveled with Jake and Jesse Wright so he could buy his rookie card at 20. He says he, “kind of just nickeled and dimed all year; and hadn’t ever heard of Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

a rookie making the finals, in bronc riding anyway. My year wasn’t going that great and just when I thought I was really out of it, I ended up drawing really good, which made me win like $20,000 and it jumped me right up.” From the second he found

CoBurn and his wife have two children. Their daughter, Vaida, is about one and a half and their son Lafe is only a few weeks old. His wife takes care of kids to keep herself sane while he’s out on the road. CoBurn says, “That’s what she enjoys. She’ll watch her nieces and nephews and her friends’ kids around town.” When he’s

is at an exciting time in his career. His goals for the future include winning at the national finals and hopefully the world. Winning a world title is his biggest goal. CoBurn’s advice to the next generation of athletes is, “If you want to do it for a career just make sure you find the time to practice. Another big part of being a finalist is your traveling partners. If you aren’t having any fun, you aren’t going to ride quite as good because you live with them every day so finding a good traveling partner is a big part of the process.” He gets

From the second he found his groove at his first NFR he was extremely well-loved by the crowd and the judges. his groove at his first NFR he was extremely well loved by the crowd and the judges. He was riding better than anyone else. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I was going to be.” He said jokingly, “I think I was more nervous about the grand entry than anything. I think the only thing that made me nervous is how worked up it is, but I just kept hoping that I’d do good and I ended up pleased with my performance.” He knew 2016 would be a great year from the start when he kept drawing all the best horses at the best times. 38

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at home he helps with a concrete business and rides horses every once in a while. “It keeps me in shape,” he says. It consists of a lot of heavy lifting and a lot of hard work. They live right by all of their family and they switch off eating dinner at each other’s finding houses often. He says, “I’m lucky to have an amazing family, as well as in laws.” CoBurn

to travel with his best friends, family, and idols all at once. He loves his brother in laws and says he thinks he has it better than anybody. “They are always there to help and I have a lot of people to thank for getting me here.”

a good traveling partner is a big part of the process

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Wesley Thorp Consistency is Key

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

By: Wesley Thorp and RAI Staff

Wesley Thorp grew up in a small town called Throckmorton, Texas. By small, we mean a population of about 900 people. Wesley describes it as a “Texas football town.” Young men were almost expected to play every sport since there was not much else to do. “Ever since I was young I’ve tried every sport there is,” he tells us. He said, “When you’re young it’s nice because you can play sports and go to practice during the week and then junior rodeo on the weekends. But once you get good at rodeo you have to focus and put more time into it. Otherwise, I’d still be playing sports.” The great thing about playing multiple sports when he was young is that it taught him how to work with a team, make friends, and learn to respect others. Describing his childhood, Wesley says, “We would play backyard football, mostly anything we could play and stay outside, and a little PlayStation.” Early in Wesley’s life his father, Jahew Thorp, ran cows. He later worked for Mormon feed company while continuing to run cattle. Wesley’s mother, Kathy, is a social worker. He also has a 14-year-old brother named Wyatt. Wesley says that Wyatt competes in many different sports just like he did. Wesley’s favorite childhood memory was when he was 12 years old, and had entered to win a truck. He recalls, “I knew I had a pretty good chance of winning, but didn’t think it

would actually happen.” Then when him and his family were driving home from his junior rodeo they got a call that they had won. He said, “I think my little brother was 6 at the time and he was so ecstatic. He was happier than I was.” Wesley had won his first truck at 12 years old, and has used it for the past 6 years. Wesley’s junior rodeo career started at age 9. He started small by roping calves, and didn’t team rope until age 10. He remembers roping breakaway, ribbon tie, etc.; but calf roping was his priority until he was about 13. Growing up and moving on into high school, he decided to play basketball his freshman year. It worked well with his schedule at the time because practices were in the winter when he had less rodeo opportunities. After only playing one season of basketball Wesley wanted to spend the rest of his time in High School focused on roping. During his freshman year, he roped with a friend that lived about 30 miles out of town. Wesley enjoyed a lot of success in high school rodeo. He won Region 3 of THSRA in his high school division, and competed well at finals his freshman year. He then followed up with a great junior year, and won a little his senior year as well. He was able to qualify for nationals once, as well as amateur finals. Wesley says he did, “okay, not great,” when he first moved out. He added, “I wasn’t where Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

f l e s r u o y e t “Associa e that want l p o e p d n u aro l e v e l e h t o t to get you o be at and you want the ones who stay with t ssful at it.” are succe

I needed to be.” He had a good rodeo partner and won college finals during that year. He then went on to Reno where the fire kept building. He says, “Just by staying consistent I knew we could make it if we continued doing what we were supposed to. We really came together and were fortunate enough to win it.” According to Wesley, his partner keeps “the best attitude ever,” which makes it easy for him to keep his own selfconfidence. Wesley says, “He’s a really good guy. He doesn’t let little things bother him, which has made traveling together the whole year a great experience. He’s as good of a partner that I could possibly wish for.” Another thing that has made a great impact on their achievement is having a 44

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horse that tries hard. In preparation of his first trip to the NFR Wesley plans to, “watch a lot of past videos and see other people’s style, and see how my horse can compare to the rest.” He also says he wants, “to know the dimensions of the NFR. We need to see if we can put a run together that is very consistent and make sure we win. We can’t get overworked before then and we must keep priorities in gear.” He adds, “We just need to win as much as we can, every chance we get.” Wesley’s future goals include, getting to the point of consistently qualifying for the NFR, becoming one of the best heelers in the world, and to never get complacent. He plans

to continue to work and grow because there is always room for improvement. His longterm goals outside of rodeo include growing his business background by continuing in a field he can invest in. The advice Wesley gives to future athletes is to, “Get around the very best people that you can associate yourself with. Attract anyone and everyone. Do not beat yourself up. Know what your limitations are. Everyone knows what they can and can’t do, so be adherent to that knowledge. It hurts you in the long run if you waste your time doing things you don’t want to do.” But most importantly he tells the next generation to remember to, “Associate yourself around people that want to get you to the level you want to be at and stay with the ones who are successful at it.”

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IVYCONRADO A Fairy Tale Built on Hard Work

By: Kelly Conrado 46

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

he way I see things on the rodeo road of 2016 with Ivy Conrado and her partner, Tibbie, may be a bit different than the average on-looker’s point of view. Different, because my view is blurred most of the time by tears of joy, gratitude and a hint of pure pride in my daughter and our home raised champion, Tibbie. Ivy is the 22-year-old daughter of myself, Kelly Conrado (her father) and mother, Cody Doig (of North Carolina). Ivy and I have been partners now for four years in Conrado Barrel Horses, LLC., located in Hudson, CO. She and I specialize in a team effort to raise, train, campaign, and sell quality barrel horses. Though this year has been so many things for Ivy and Tibbie, most of all, I have seen it be an amazing journey of hard work, dedication to the process, and the development of consistency for a genuine young lady. Her kindness is real. Her smile is warm. And these are things you can count on, but don’t misjudge any of these qualities for weakness; as she truly has the fierce heart of a lion to compete at her highest level and is never satisfied with a mediocre performance. Ivy’s character has been developed through many life experiences that have brought her to the place she is and the level she can maintain as a competitor. The divorce of her parents in 2001, allowed the 6-year-old to discover her ability to adapt to change, manage emotions, and thrive, regardless of the circumstance. Ivy continues to maintain these qualities to this day. As an 8-year-old, I would witness Ivy develop the ability to overcome and mange fear. Involved in a runaway horse accident in May of 2002, the young girl was left with a torn and broken arm (requiring surgery) and a shaken confidence. Her parents were filled with gratitude for enforcing the decision of a helmet that day, which ultimately saved her life. Ivy’s confidence would begin restoration in early 2003 with a special short, brickhouse built, brown mare by the name of Little Fancy Granny (aka “Racie”). This mare would ultimately play a major role in every aspect of this story. 2004 would bring a new passion and opportunity for Ivy to hone so many skills. Ivy fell in love with volleyball and it seemed volleyball fell for Ivy. She would continue to ride, but with each year her talents became more and more evident on the court. By 2009, after securing several youth titles and a reserve year end championship (behind her sister, Paige) in the amateur rodeo association (CPRA), all aboard Racie, I would see Ivy acquire self-independence and choose for herself, the path she wanted to follow. She would give up riding, in order to focus her undivided attention on pursuing her commitment to excellence in volleyball with the top club in the Rocky Mountain Region. This opportunity would allow Ivy to excel and cultivate a work ethic second to none. At the close of 2012 volleyball club season, I would again see Ivy exercise the inner strength to be herself and leave the volleyball on the court, walking away from a division one scholarship to play for the elite colleges. This decision would not be met with joyous open arms from many members of her family. But, holding close to her inner strength and unwavering judgment, she would return to her horses and passion for barrel racing. Upon returning to the barrel racing pen, Ivy would quickly learn that nothing came easy anymore. The girl I could put on any horse and watch Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

her win, would now find herself struggling at every turn. But, in her true to form character, she would push herself to redevelop her natural feel and timing. During this reintroduction, her confidence would begin to grow, as she picked up the reins of Kellies Chick (aka “Sky”) from Cody Hyde. Ivy campaigned this mare through a very successful spring derby year and introduction to professional rodeo. After a short rodeo run in the summer of 2013, aboard Skye, Ivy would return home and announce she had no desire to rodeo limitedly or for a living. She would promptly put “Skye” up for sale and the mare would be purchased by Jason Martin and Charlie Cole. The mare would immediately take Michele McCleod and the entire McCleod family to numerous championship titles. While Ivy was making her way back, I was developing the first daughter of Racie, CFour Tibbie Stinson (aka “Tibbie”), with a strong hope that Ivy would return to rodeo with an interest in running Tibbie. An almost unwilling interest would rise and a match less than “made in heaven” would result, after a highly successful 2013 futurity year, seeing seven champion

futurity titles and two reserve titles. Beginning in late May of 2014, I would turn the reins fully over to Ivy and she would learn how to master her own expectations and patience. Ivy and Tibbie would secure their first title together as the 2014 Old Fort Days Consolation Finals Champions and catch a glimpse of what was to come. But that glimpse would be short lived, as Ivy would continue to struggle, leaving $60k in downed barrels in the arena from mid-2014 to the late spring of their 2015 WPRA Rookie Year. There would be numerous struggles between Ivy and myself through that time frame. The turning point would be a simple pair of glasses and an ultimatum to get it done, or Tibbie would be sold. Glasses rubbers banded on and the fierce spirit of a winner would yield a strong third place finish at Mercedes, TX, 2015 PRCA Rodeo. With that, came a newly gained confidence followed by consistent performances. Gaining momentum each trip, the team of

she truly has the fierce heart of a lion

to compete at her highest level and is never satisfied with a mediocre performance. 48

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Ivy and Tibbie landed among the top 15 for the 2016 rodeo season, garnering them a first time appearance and qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Looking from the outside looking in, it has been a “Fairy Tale” year, for sure. With all fairy tales, there are many chapters; some “up” chapters and some ”down” chapters. For my daughter, I hope this is just the beginning chapter of a long successful story of hard work, passion and process.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Angels From God

By Marcos Costa & RAI Staff 50

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Marcos Costa is a cowboy from Brazil, which is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. When he was a child he would work on the ranch with his dad and friends laboring hard to make the means to provide for their families. His dad later moved into town where he found some men who roped calves. These men would watch Marcos rope and said he had a talent unlike anything they had ever seen. One man wanted him to come to his house to rope calves and train their horses immediately. Marcos, being just 14 years old at the time, was not sure how his mother would feel. He went home that day and told his mom it was something he was considering, that he wanted to go with him. His mother was in shock and in despair at the thought of losing her baby boy. She didn’t know what he was going to do about school. She was worried, just as any other guardian would be, about her son being over 1,000 miles away from home. His mother supported him and let him make the decision to leave. Marcos knew it would be a great opportunity for more work as well as a chance to learn more about calf roping and horse training. There are not a lot of 14-year-old kids that would step up to the plate and do what he did. The man he went with went by the name of Hamilton Bezerra. Hamilton raised Marcos like his own child. He taught Marcos many things, including how to train horses, and rope at a higher level. His experience and preparation came from working with several horses day in and day out. He would ride 17-18 horses a day and work on calf roping. “All kinds of horses,” he says, “one of every kind.” He also gained experience shoeing horses. “I used to say I’m a better horseshoer than a roper as a joke.” While he was there and working hard, his passion started to grow more and more for calf roping. As a kid, he had only roped for fun and never imagined roping 1,000 miles away from home. “I just roped because I loved it and then as a present, God gave me all of these people who saw something in me to be successful.” Practicing under men like Hamilton and later Stran helped Marcos build his passion for rodeo. He feels that he was very lucky for them to take him in like they did. As part of training Marcos, they taught him that you must have a challenge to get better. To be a good horse trainer you must know that it’s not going to be easy, you must get to know the horses. If it was easy everybody

“The actual victory comes from God.

It is what it is, if we win then we win; if not, we go home and practice harder and come back next time.” 51 Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

would be able do it. It takes talent to keep them in shape and refine their athleticism. Marcos learned that it also takes courage to work with them. He lived there with Hamilton until he was about 22 years old. He then met Stran at a roping school in Brazil. Stran spotted his skill and was wanting to bring him to America. At the time, Marcos just kept thinking, “I’m just a boy that doesn’t know any English, but so many people want me to come to America.” He knew it was hard for Americans to make a living and couldn’t imagine how hard it was going to be for himself. He took the leap anyway and moved to America. When Marcos got to America he didn’t even know how to ask for water. Stran took him in with the rest of his kids and raised him just like Hamilton had. Stran’s plan for him was to come up for 3 years and go to rookie rodeos. Marcos ended up winning $45,000 in his rookie year. He then broke his foot and had to take a little time off but still finished 2nd his next year. The third year made it to the finals. From putting in effort every morning ever since he was 14 years old, Marcos knew he could get right he wanted to be. He knows he’s put a lot of work into it and feels that everything he has gone through; leaving his family behind, moving to America, and 52

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learning a new language are all worth it because of what he can accomplish. Marcos had to undergo a surgery this last year as soon as the season was over. Upon recovering he went back to rodeoing and was out-ropin’ everyone down in Texas. He started training and working hard with a mare and she worked well with him. God is a very important aspect in his life. Marcos always sees the things he has been given as what God has placed in his life to help him fulfill his dreams. “To now be competing for a World Championship title,” he says, “I don’t have a word to describe how blessed I feel. If you give a chance to any human and bring them to the United States to make an NFR they had better take you up on it.” Marcos now likes to have

all the time on his hands to be with his horse and feels that it makes them better and better. His horse at only 9 years old is the Horse of the Year, as well as the Reserve Champion. Marcos feels like he won the title because of the way that he trained his

horse. This is her first year and she is number two in the world. His horse is just a baby but she’s already worth a ton of money because of her accomplishments. Marcos has high expectations for her, and knows she’s going to do well, but he will have to wait until the NFR to know how things will end up. He thinks he has her read, and they are remaining optimistic. He says, “The actual victory comes from God. It is what it is, if we win then we win; if not, we go home and practice harder and come back next time.” The advice Marcos give to young athletes is to, “Trust in the lord. Keep working hard no matter what. Always do the right thing. When you are humble, you can go anywhere in the world. Never think you are the best one in the world, stay humble and always work harder.” For Marcos, it means a lot to be living here and he wants to be able to do anything to stay in America long-term. He lives with his girlfriend and she goes with him to his rodeos. He wants to win the world championship and keep working hard to stay here in America. If everything works out he wants to be here forever. He says, “I will keep working and doing what I love to do, and try to be a better person every day.”

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Ty Erickson By: Ty Erickson & RAI Staff

A Top-Notch Crew Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Growing up in Helena, Montana was very cold at times, but it grew on Ty Erickson and he learned to like it that way. His mother, Jen Erickson, was a middle school gym teacher while his father, Chris Erickson, is a vet, working mostly with horses. Ty has one sibling, an older brother named Josh. Throughout his childhood, Ty enjoyed playing sports. No matter the season, there was something he wanted to play. Sports pretty much consumed his life up until about 8th grade when he chose to focus on rodeo. In his time playing sports, Ty learned how to work well with other kids. It molded him into a great team player and gave him his competitive edge. All sports teach different types of coordination that help an athlete. The skills he had developed through other sports helped Ty when he began steer wrestling. He mentions that being one of the biggest athletes helped him as well. He had to learn how to grow into his body and use it well. Because Helena is not very big, most kids played multiple sports just so that teams would have enough players. After 8th grade, Ty started getting more involved in youth rodeos. He would team rope, breakaway rope, and sign up for pretty much any other event he could. He began to have a height advantage after his freshman and sophomore year, as he kept growing past his friends. Sometimes it also created a disadvantage. When steers would ride tight to him it would be challenging because

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a lot of room to work with. The only other sport he continued to play in high school was basketball. He jokes about his mom getting on him when all the other kids were going to all the open gyms, conditioning, and practices and all he cared about was getting better at calf roping. Ty achieved little his freshman and sophomore seasons of high school rodeo. He was just beginning to learn how to win and level up to his competition. His junior year he won the team roping as well as the all around. Improving even more, his senior year he won the team roping, the calf roping,

Casey has experience in every aspect of rodeo.

and the all around. He grew up with some big-time competitors that he didn’t even know about until he got to the professional level. He’s developed an amazing traveling group that essentially is made up of guys from his high school. It all started by slowly getting to know each other, to always being together at nationals, to now rodeoing full time together. From all the time spent together their friendships have grown. Ty attended and rodeo’d all 4 years of college at Montana State. He said at first it was hard going from living with his mom and dad to being on his own. Rodeoing in college wasn’t much different, other than that the competition was much better. He transitioned well from high school to college as he made the college finals all four years in steer wrestling. He won the region in steer wrestling and all-around 3 times each. What made it special to him was that he got to root for everyone that was on his team. Montana State always placed well, so it was fun for him to be a part of a college team that was so successful. He says he’s still always rooting for the guys on his Wrangler Team.

The crew knew they would always have the best chance to win with his experience. Within their crew they’ve had the horse of the year the last three years, which helped them have even more success. The horses’ athletic ability is so far above anything else in the market. They were developed from having great trainers that kept them solid. Good horses can become a basket case just from the wrong person owning them. They do a great job in training their horses, so they are always prepared and have something good to work with. When they show up to a rodeo, they are there to win and make money. Ty’s advice for future athletes is, “You have to stay positive. This pertains to anything in life. The person I learned this from has always kept a good attitude and never been in a bind. That’s how it’s supposed to be, it needs to be fun and light spirited.”

To a certain degree, Ty had always planned to rodeo in or around Montana, and stay in the circuit until he got his degree. After he got his degree, he planned to go all in and put all his focus on rodeo. He did just that, and stayed in the state until he graduated. In 2013 he headed south and went rodeoing with Casey Jones. At the time, Casey was traveling with Ty’s best friend from Helena. Casey is a legend in the sport. Hauling with him set Ty up well, because Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Allen Boore

By Allen Boore and RAI Staff

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Dream Come True

or Allen Boore, a trip to the National Finals Rodeo was something he had dreamt about thousands of times as a kid, but never actually thought it would be a dream that would become a reality for him. Growing up on a farm in Axtell, Utah, rodeo was a game played by him and his brothers, not something the family had time to participate in. Time was spent on the family farm, which was started by his grandparents. Before he was old enough to drive tractors and do much work himself, he spent countless hours riding along with his dad, Danny, or playing in the old combine in the farmyard. He learned the value of hard work and a love for the outdoors.

“I’m just blessed to be here and plan on soaking in every minute of it.”

Allen started playing sports at a young age. He participated in wrestling, baseball, basketball, and football. Allen describes Axtell as, “A few houses, a church, and a post office. The same kids played every sport because we didn’t have anything else to do,” said Allen, “we weren’t very good but we all enjoyed it.” Allen comes from a big family of six children, he was the third child with three boys and three girls. He and his older brother, Ben were very close and had many of the same interests. When Ben left high school, he started getting on a few bareback horses, which is what pushed Allen to pursue rodeo. He wanted to become a bull rider but was having a hard time convincing his parents. That changed when a few of Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Growing up on a farm in Axtell, Utah, Allen learned the value of hard work, and developed a love for the outdoors. his friends started riding saddle bronc horses. His parents agreed to let him get on, knowing Allen was stubborn and going to do it anyway, and horses were much safer than bulls. Allen joined the high school rodeo team for the last half of his senior year. When he graduated, he moved to Cedar City, Utah to go to school at Southern Utah University where he was on the rodeo team. This was also where he met his wife, Katie. They dated for two years and the summer after graduating with their associate degrees decided to get married. As a young newlywed couple, Allen and Katie decided that if Allen was going to be serious about his rodeo career, he needed to go somewhere that would provide the help he needed. They

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

packed up everything they owned into a Toyota Corolla and drove thirteen hours across the country to Oklahoma Panhandle State University where he accepted a rodeo scholarship. He was under the direction of some of the best bronc riders in the world, Craig Lathem and Robert Etbauer. In the two years he spent at OPSU, he qualified both times for the College National Finals Rodeo. He also won the region championship in the saddle bronc riding. After joining the PRCA, Allen has advanced every year in the standings. He won the PRCA Permit Holder of the Year award in 2012 and since then has placed in many of the major rodeos around the country. Utah is known for its saddle bronc riders. Every year there are several athletes who

compete at the NFR but according to Allen, the competition only pushes him to be better. “When everyone is riding at the top of their game, you know if you don’t ride your very best there is no point in even going. It pushes your limits and makes you try harder.” This last December, Allen and Katie were blessed with a baby girl, Berkley. “Having a baby gives you one more reason to ride better. When it was just me and Katie, we could scrimp by on things, but with diapers and formula to buy, it gives you a little more incentive to stay on and win.” Allen finished 18th in the 2015 season, which was disappointing to say the least. The 2016 season he was determined it wouldn’t happen again. “When you’re on the road and traveling so much, there’s a lot of partying and it’s easy to screw off and stray from the good things. It’s important to stay busy and keep from getting distracted from why you are really there.” The dedication paid off this year, when he finished 9th in the world standings and sealed his spot to compete at the NFR. “I try not to think too far ahead and worry about what’s to come,” he said. One of his goals is to take it one horse at a time and enjoy the moment. “Some people wait a lifetime and never get the opportunity to see their dreams become a reality. I’m just blessed to be here and plan on soaking in every minute of it.”

Developing Future World Champions

Congratulations

Matt Sherwood on another NFR Qualification

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Matt Sherwood MAKING THE MOST OF IT

By Matt Sherwood & RAI Staff 64

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

fter graduating from the University of Florida, Matt Sherwood’s mother fulfilled her lifelong dream of moving out west where she would meet his father and start teaching school. Matt’s parents got married and had Matt about a year later. He grew up in Snowflake, Arizona. They had a little farm and ranch where he would rope every single day. Rain, snow, shine, or wind they were out practicing no matter the conditions. He played practically every sport through junior high, but gave them up after junior high to focus on roping. Matt was the middle child of five boys; Steve, Dale, Matt, Kip, and JC. Matt’s youngest brother, JC, passed away from a liver infection just months after returning home from an LDS Mission. JC was twelve years younger than his brother, Matt.

Matt graduated high school at 17 years old, and immediately went to college. After a year of college, he started preparing to serve an LDS church mission of his own. He worked in Snowflake for about 6-8 months before heading out on his mission at the age of 19. He was called to serve in the Australia, Melvin Mission. He first went to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah for two and a half weeks. He said that first he struggled with homesickness, but the longer he was there the more comfortable he felt and the more it grew on him. It ended up to be the best two years of his life. He describes that the structure of his mission is what helped him become a man and gain responsibility for himself. When he returned home, the lessons from his mission helped him moving forward and making the right directions for his life out in the real world. In August of 1991, Matt went to college on a rodeo scholarship. He met his wife in October of ’91 and they were married May 29th, 1992. He qualified for the college national finals in that same year. It was a great time in his life, and was full of big decisions. He continued to succeed the following summer when competing in amateur rodeos. Matt and his wife’s families both lived in Arizona,

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

and they kind of wanted to get away. They made a move to Florida, only about fifteen minutes from where his grandparents lived. He finished two more years of school there while continuing to amateur and circuit rodeo. They left Florida in 1994 after the birth of their first child in November of the previous year. Their second child was born in November of ’94, after their return back to Arizona. Matt had horses and was still rodeoing a little at the time, but it was becoming difficult to find the time as he was working full time and taking care of his young children. He came near the point of quitting rodeo completely. But then he bought 10 acres of property, which he split with his brother-in-law. They lived out in the middle of nowhere in a double-wide trailer where they had to have a water trader haul water out to their home. They finally got running water and could build their first home. Around that time, Matt was selling tile and carpet every day for a living as well as flipping houses and selling them. He and his family moved multiple times before settling closer into town and finally knowing it was where they wanted to stay. Talking about his children, Matt says they weren’t able to see him much in the summer due to his traveling. He said the summers that he

was away were the most difficult because the kids were involved in sports and couldn’t leave town when Matt had rodeos. They later made a move in 2006 to Pinal, Arizona. Matt describes Pinal as a good family town that keeps the kids super involved at all times. They went to school with the same kids every year and it made it easier for them to maintain friendships. Matt thinks it’s important for the kids to stay close to the friends they go to school with for many years, since it’s hard for children to have a social life when they constantly have to make new friends. Matt’s oldest daughter married into a family that Matt has known and been fond of since he was 15 years old. Speaking of his son-in-law he says, “He’s a great young man and we love him in the family.” They live a couple miles away from Matt right now and just recently had a baby. His oldest son went on an LDS Mission to Peru. He married just last March and is living in Utah with his new bride. His next child is 19 and preparing to serve a mission. He also has a 16-year-old daughter who is busy playing sports. Last but not least, his twins are in 7th grade and starting to enjoy sports as well.

didn’t feel he had a horse that was going to work day in and day out. He eventually had a better horse, an in January of 2015 is when he knew they wouldn’t miss it. He kept rodeoing hard to get where he wanted to be. Matt feels that the best mindset an athlete can have going into each NFR is, “You’re there for 10 days. Go out there and have fun. Make the most of it and rope as best you can!”

Matt feels that the best mindset an athlete can have going into each NFR is, “You’re there for 10 days.

Go out there and have fun. Make the most of it and rope as best you can!”

Matt had gone some time without having a highquality horse, because he didn’t have much time to maintain one. He missed the finals three straight years, and Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Hot Heels began almost 2 decades ago, when a team roper from Iowa decided he wanted to create a better more reliable practice dummy. Alan Copenhaver made himself a ground driven dummy. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have it long before someone was wanting to buy it. So he made another one with a few improvements and changes from the first one. That one was also purchased by a friend, and so began the journey to having a company known around the world for making One Tough Steer. Hot Heels received itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first patent in 2002 for Ground Driven Leg Motion. Other dummies at the time were running on motors and batteries to operate the legs. This single model was hand built one at a time with parts cut from a torch, and legs cut out of wood and stained. Alan and his son Keith worked full time in a two car garage building the dummies one at a time, creating a good and honest product. They had just enough room for a pipe rack, band saw, torch, homemade pipe bender, welder

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

and a phone in the corner with a notebook to take down orders. That phone started to ring more often and orders soon began to come in faster than they could keep up with. Hot Heels expanded to a 4 car garage with a small office space and room to paint 5 dummies at a time. The steel parts were now custom laser cut to save time and create more precision. Things were really starting to click. Hot Heels started getting

attention by some big names in the Team Roping World, Paul Tierney of Oral, SD was the first Professional Team Roper to join the Hot Heels Team. Shortly after that Leo Camarillo and Walt Woodward were calling the little shop in Iowa to see if they could try the original ground driven roping dummy. I was blessed to become a part of this outstanding company when I married Keith Copenhaver. I didn’t have to fill out a job application, I was instantly invited to answer the phone so that Alan and Keith wouldn’t have to stop welding or painting every time the phone rang. I would often be found cutting or grinding pipe while waiting for the phone to ring. It didn’t take long to outgrow the 4 car garage and we moved our location to a new shop with enough room to make and paint 10 at a time. Orders were coming in from all over the World and we were learning about all aspects of being a big business while still only employing a handful of part time people to help us take care of all the needs of this growing company. Over the course of the next decade we added new models and kept working on finding the best parts that were not only durable but also gave a streamline

look to the design. It was important to us to make sure our Roping Dummy didn’t look like it was made out of someone’s garage, even though in all reality that is where we had started out! Major Tack and Feed Stores started calling wanting to be dealers. Alan and Keith would personally deliver trailers full to major companies in Texas. Soon they were getting dealer request from all over the US and even around the World. We had to start shipping the orders on a freight trucks.

To this day Hot Heels remains a small family business. People are often surprised to find the humble setting of the modestly sized shop. I think people expect us to have a big factory and corporate office. We have several employees that help make Hot Heels a success. Each one of them is a huge value to our company. We know we couldn’t run this company without them. We

don’t have marketing and sales departments, or a new product design department, or even shipping and receiving departments. We have a 10x10 office with one phone line. When people ask my name I tell them “You don’t have to remember my name, I am the only one who answers the phone here.” I want them to know they won’t be forgotten the next time they call. In 2015 we came out with a whole new herd. We added several new dummies to our product line including

the Rope-O-Matic products. We now have a dummy for anyone’s need and price range. We are excited to see what is in store for us in the future! We are so grateful for this amazing opportunity we have been blessed with! Team Ropers are for the most part good honest people and it is a pleasure to do business with them daily! We’d like to say Thank You to everyone who has supported us along the way! Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Jones and Merle Haggard. Quicksilver’s “Air Remote Chute” was created by Marty, with the help of the late Butch Wolfe. It took years of designing and redesigning, but it finally paid off. The “One Button” chute was the first of its kind, and some of those first chutes built are still being used today.

any location. Quicksilver also offers a 12-Volt roping chute, equipped with a battery and solar panel. All of Quicksilver’s chutes are available as both steer, and calf chutes.

One thing Quicksilver enjoys is helping design you to design your own arena or horse barn. They will help with the layout Last year’s introduction design and even the of the “Nitro” serves as an installation. All Quicksilver example of how Quicksilver products are made with

Quicksilver is proud to be a part of the rodeo world, and is used and endorsed by some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the sport. is always striving to make roping easier for the Cowboy. The “Nitro” has the same “One Button” technology as the original “Air Remote Chute” but does not require electricity. This allows for a full remote roping chute, usable at 72

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

galvanized tubing and a powder coat finish, so you choose the color and they will make it happen. Quicksilver also manufactures completed roping and rodeo arenas, horse stalls, expo stalls, horse shelters, farm

different locations for goat roping on the go. You will see the “OK Kid Corral” in action this year on the Sportsman Channel’s show, The Habit.

gates, and a full line of pasture feeders. The Quicksilver “OK Kid Corral” is a goat roping arena that can easily be installed permanently, or moved to

Quicksilver is proud to be a part of the rodeo world, and is used and endorsed by some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the sport. This includes Tee and Jacque Woolman, Rod and Stephanie Lyman, Blaine Linaweaver, Frank Thompson, Cash Myers, Clayton Hass, and Leo Camarillo, just to name a few. Quicksilver also

sponsors several youth associations like the Fast Calf Series in Montana. For the past 20 years Quicksilver has been a vendor at the NFR in Las Vegas. Each year they look forward to meeting new friends and visiting with the friends made in years past. Rodeo may be challenging, but one thing remains the same; Quicksilver is “The Choice of Champions” past, present, and future.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

RC Landingham never give up on your dreams

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

By RC & RAI Staff Growing up in northern California, RC Landingham began riding sheep at the age of four; where he won his very first buckle. This gave RC a taste of rodeo that he would never quit craving. In 1996, RCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s step dad, Ty Skiver, introduced him to calf riding where he won many Jr. Rodeo buckles and titles; including the NorCal State Champion Calf Rider. At the age of ten, RC began riding steers and competed in several California junior rodeos. RC was the 2002 NorCal State Champion Steer Rider. Ty always pushed RC to succeed and be proud of his accomplishments. He taught RC to never find negativity in any of his rides, but to always point out what he did right. This father type love and coaching inspired RC to progress in rough stock competition.

RC played two years of high school baseball, but it seemed to interfere with RC’s rodeo practice, travel, and competition. RC also wrestled, which he feels was a great benefit to rodeo. Along with his dad, RC took a big liking to hunting and fishing. He and Robert have always shared that love.

At the young age of 13, and a whopping 82 pounds, RC began riding junior bulls, where he qualified for the Junior Bull Riding Association Finals in Oklahoma. RC also won the 2003 NorCal Junior Bull Riding Championship. Ty, along with RC’s mother Wendy, always made sure he had a practice pen and stock to get on. This gave RC the ability to ride to his very best potential. Along with practice, RC was able to compete at several junior rodeo’s to better himself for the preparation of High School Rodeo. Along with rodeo, RC played several years of baseball. As luck would have it, this is where RC would receive a broken bone, although it seems rodeo would have done much more damage. RC’s father, Robert Landingham, was more of a Baseball and Football athlete and encouraged him to participate in these sports in High School.

While riding bulls in high school, RC won the 2005 California Reserve Bull Riding Championship. There was a time in RC’s High School Rodeo career where he was competing in all three rough stock events; Bull Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bareback Riding. Saddle Bronc riding was short lived as three rough stock events for an 82 pound freshman was a bit much to handle. RC continued Bull Riding and Bareback Riding and won the 2006 California High School Rodeo State Champion Bareback Rider. RC was also the 2007 and 2008 Oregon High School Rodeo State Champion Bareback Rider. In 2009, not only RC, but Ty also, went on to Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon. Ty being the assistant rodeo coach, led RC into the 2009 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Bareback Riding Championship. Shortly after his success at the college national finals, RC bought his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association permit. With a turn in good happening, RC was in a bad Bull Riding accident at the Pro Rodeo in Houston in March of 2010. He spent eight days in the hospital with a punctured lung, lacerated liver, broken ribs, and several complications, which led to the end of RC’s Bull Riding career. This set forth much healing and dedication to start riding Bareback Riding horses again. RC finished third that year in the PRCA Rookie Standings. Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

After making a full recovery, RC was back on the road to success. Bareback riding was going smoothly and titles were being won, until May 26th, 2011 when an auto accident nearly took his life. A severely broken leg and riding hand would now give him another set back. After surgery, several pins and rods, RC was yet again on the road to recovery. After a year of healing and physical therapy he was riding bucking horses again, a dream come true for RC.

His mother Wendy is still fighting cancer, and will be there to cheer him on.

In 2013, RC’s mother Wendy was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. She vowed to not let this interfere with RC’s lifelong dream of making the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada. RC finished 16th in the world standings that year, only one position out of making the NFR. This was extremely devastating to RC, chuckle in his voice. Now the but his mom was still alive and there were more chances year of 2016 has came and he has made the NFR, sitting ahead. fifth in the world standings. 2014 brought more health His mother Wendy is still fighting cancer and will be issues and lead him to the there to cheer him on, along 16th place position once again, with another let down. with lifelong coach and stepdad Ty Skiver, father He began working his way Robert, and stepmother towards making the NFR Kristina Landingham. His again in 2015, but fell short siblings will also be cheering at 19th in the world. RC him on, including; sister’s said “I would much rather Sydney Skiver and Trinity be 19th than 16th” with a 78

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Landingham, brother Hunter Landingham, and stepbrothers James and Weston Wadell. RC says, as he is about to ride for the chance of winning a gold buckle, “Never give up on your dreams - always look at the positive.”

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Making the Right Moves By: Jeff Askey and RAI Staff 82

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

Jeff Askey was born 28 years ago in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania to Steve and Jeanne Askey. Jeff has one brother who is currently living in Beech Creek where he runs his own construction business. Beech Creek is up in the first frontier and isn’t far from Penn State University. He describes home as, “Beautiful wooded country known for its timber and ruralness, with a lot of Amish influence.” Beech Creek is a place where most people haven’t even heard of rodeo. Jeff says that because of its unfamiliarity, “People at school would actually make fun of it.” Growing up in the northeast where rodeo was not a prominent sport, neither Jeff or anyone in his family participated in it very much. Pennsylvania featured a few junior rodeos, but nothing like the western areas where it is a mainstream sport. Jeff’s dad bought and sold horses and he always enjoyed being around them. He had a friend down the road who rode horses and roped

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

“I just keep having fun and enjoying it without ever overthinking anything.”

as well, and his family hosted a junior rodeo at their house. He went over just to hang out and ended up entering the rodeo just for fun. From there he bought a rope and started finding nearby youth rodeo associations so he could work on what he needed to get better at. Jeff really hadn’t known the first thing about rodeo. All it took was meeting a boy down the street and finding a spark of interest. His curiosity for the sport drove his continue practicing at his friend’s house and entering rodeos when he had the chance. Starting at age 13 and being 28 now, Jeff says, “It has taken the full 15 years to hone my skills.” Jeff rodeo’d his junior and senior years of high school. He qualified for Nationals in bull riding and bareback riding, and won state in bareback. He was also the reserve champion in bull riding both years. Jeff then went on to compete in college. He first went to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on a rodeo scholarship, and later 84

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transferred to the University of Tennessee at Martin where he finished his 4-year degree and won a College National Championship in 2010. Jeff credits his college coach for being the one who helped set him up to finish his 4-year degree. He was grateful to be offered a scholarship, and did not pass up the opportunity. After his first year, Jeff was taken out of bareback riding and focused on bull riding because that’s where his coach knew he would excel. His coach was right, Jeff went on to win the region in 2010 and win the College National Finals. Jeff thrived with the help of the coaching staff, which he credits for propelling his college career. His coach while at UT Martin is still there, and was awarded national coach of the year 2 years ago. Jeff says, “He taught us to have a good attitude, how important it is to set goals and visualize, and how to always stay positive.” Most importantly, “He taught the moves you should and shouldn’t make in your career.” This gave his students a strong mindset.

Jeff later moved to Athens, Texas where he currently resides and is living the bachelor life. He has been in the PRCA knocking at their heels and staying consistent for many years now. The 2013 season was the first in which he started rodeoing with extreme competitive goals. Last year Jeff ended up 16th and missed the NFR by just $207. “I just knew that this year I had to start reinforcing some stuff and knew if I could get that close, I could do even better this year.” He kept working hard and started out in Denver by winning 2nd place, which put him in the top 5 right off the bat. He says, “I just keep having fun and enjoying it without ever overthinking anything.” Jeff’s advice to future athletes is to rely on, “Persistence and determination. Keep doing it, keep trying. If you want something keep working at it and keep looking at ways to make yourself better. Don’t be content and don’t give up.”

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

38 www.rodeoathletes.com

Stevi Hillman OLD-SCHOOL WORK ETHIC By Stevi Hillman & RAI Staff 86

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

tevi Hillman was born and raised in Ordway, Colorado on her grandparent’s farm. She describes Ordway as a “little tiny town that not many people know about.” Her parents were never involved in rodeo, so rodeo came later in her life. She just enjoyed riding the horses all over the ranch; she lived and breathed them. A little later in her life Stevi ended up moving to Oklahoma with her mom and stepdad. Her stepdad trained and showed HOHA horses, and that’s where she laid the foundation for her rodeo career. She spent all the hours she could with him in the round-pen. Back then she loved to train the baby horses. She says that’s where her passion began. Stevi grew up with two brothers, two sisters, and several cousins that lived nearby. She lived right across the street from her grandparents, aunts, and uncles. All of her cousins lived within the same acreage. She remembers, “Growing up we

did a lot of lake stuff. I grew up as a water bug. My dad was very much a lake guy and we would go out there almost every weekend.” Because they always had horses and cattle for the farm they were often able to ride for fun. None of her siblings were quite as involved with the horses as Stevi was. She says, “My mom loved the horses and always made sure we tried to keep them important in our lives.” Nobody else in the family ever got into rodeo like Stevi did. Her ‘’farm side’’ definitely came from the influence of her grandparents. When they moved to Oklahoma, she was even more involved. She started to realize her dream was to end up in Texas because that’s where all the horses, big rodeos, and attractive cowboys were! Stevi’s stepdad started training and showcasing horses at his facility in Colorado, but when they moved to Oklahoma it was something he did mostly on his own whenever he had

spare time. Training horses requires a routine, including pedaling the horses and putting them on the walker. A lot of the round-pen work is with the babies. During that time, Stevi also began to be involved in a little bit of team roping. She knew that it was going to take a lot of hard work and dedication to be successful in rodeo. The fact that she never got to finish training a barrel horse, but always had to train a new one, made things difficult. Looking back she says, “It’s made me who I am today. I truly believe that’s what has made me the trainer I am today. Getting on the horses and having to figure it out for myself.” In junior high Stevi was living in Oklahoma and barrel racing a lot in the NBHA. Throughout junior high she competed in the NBHA World Championships several times. She also competed in Rodeo Pageants, and won Miss Teen Oklahoma in 2001-2002, which led to a lot of traveling. She soon realized it wasn’t really

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

for her, but she was still glad she had won. It was a great experience and she learned to be able to talk in front of people, which helped her gain more confidence. From there she knew she wanted to stick to focusing on her barrel racing career. In high school, she did not compete in high school rodeo. She played volleyball, ran cross country, and played a little basketball. Aside from those sports, she found herself roping more in her free time than even barrel racing. She still loves volleyball to this day. It was her favorite sport and is where she learned how competitive she is. She also learned how to be a team player and to handle winning and losing. “I think it’s a great thing for younger kids to be involved and learn these things because it also betters you as a person, not just an athlete.” Since high school Stevi has made another journey, from Oklahoma to Texas. She graduated a year early knowing she wanted to

get to Texas. She had some friends there to contact about finding a job, and ended up working for some polo players in Weatherford, Texas named Charles and Marsha Smith. This job enabled her to ride a much larger variety of horses. She is very grateful for the opportunity to experience so many horses, and now feels like she truly knows horses.

she wanted to commit to. This meant that she was going to take some time off from barrel racing to work on her degree. After earning her degree, she got a job as a Radiology Technician which was flexible enough for to go back to doing what she loved.

Stevi’s husband Ty, who she met and married in Texas, is from Colorado as well. Their While in Texas, Stevi first date included roping a attempted to compete in donkey. They both worked, but college rodeo on a 4 year old he would rope quite a bit while horse. It was such a challenge she was finishing up school. but she kept trying to make it Recently the tables have turned work. She was able to see that and he has been working more it wasn’t going anywhere and while she has gotten back into eventually gave it up. Stevi tells consistently training. how she never did like school, she appreciated growing If Stevi could give advice to and gaining knowledge, but young athletes, she would say, didn’t like school itself. That “Hard work and dedication eventually changed when pays off. It’s something that we she got into the Radiology don’t see much anymore. Work Program. She became very hard and you’ll get out of it involved and knew it was what what you put into it. Persevere and stick with it. You have a goal that God’s given you, you push hard and keep going.”

Work hard and you’ll get out of it what you put into it.

Persevere and stick with it.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine / NFR 2016