Author: Siri Stevens

Ky Hamilton grew up in Mackay Queensland, Australia. “I actually grew up in town. My mom (Sharell) and dad (Micheal) had a house in town. My dad’s family lived three and a half hours south on a ranch – so I got to do cowboy stuff on the school holidays and stay with them. It was great.” Ky’s time in town was spent playing rugby and racing motocross with his brother, L’Koi. He also spent time watching PBR on TV. His dad drives a garbage truck, and his mom is a teacher’s aide. He rodeoed in America for the first time at the Junior High School Finals in Des Moines, Iowa, when he was 15.

“I was always interested in bull riding,” admits the 20-year-old sophomore at Sul Ross University. “I bugged my dad enough to let me do it. I started riding steers when I was 12.” Ky and his dad did a lot of traveling chasing down the rodeos – from one to three hours for one rodeo. “He drove me everywhere- it was always me and dad on the road.”

His determination to make it to the number one spot in the PRCA was instilled by his father. “This isn’t a sport that you can be half-hearted in – you’ve got to be 100% or it isn’t going to happen.” He learned the technique from his dad and Troy Dunn (1998 PRB Champion – only Australian). “He helped me out when I was 15 and he took me a lot further in it.” When Ky turned 18, he started doing the PBR in Australia. “I did that for about six months and then moved here.”

“I always wanted to ride bulls professionally from the states and win a world title. I thought college was a great way to get started. CJ got a hold of me and offered me a scholarship and it’s opened a lot of doors for me.” He compares the caliber of the bulls here to those in Australia. “The bulls are definitely a big difference. I’d say 6 out of 10 at home are good, here it’s 9 out of ten. Over here there are so many events to go to and the money is bigger. I didn’t get to ride as much in competition at home as over here.” He admits to missing his family and not much else. He hasn’t been home since he came over two years ago. “My parents have come over here.”

“He is probably one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached in 14 years,” said CJ Aragon, his coach at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. “He’s a really good student in the classroom and the arena. Everything he does is at a high level.” CJ shares Ky’s workout routine at the University. “He goes to CrossFit at 5:30, and then runs up the hill – the hill behind campus is a mile and a half up to the top – basically the equivalent of 50 flights of stairs. We’ve gotten to where we can do it in 9 minutes to the top.” After the hill, Ky goes to the gym with the steer wrestlers and then he goes to classes. “If he is heading out to rodeos, he turns his work in early and stays on top of it.” One of his classes is with CJ – Event management and Planning. “He’s one of those students that is coachable. He wants to be good and he’ll work really hard at it. On the dash of his truck is a book – Mind Gym – and he’s read it a few times.”

Whenever his travels take him close, he stays with Cody Lambert, who qualified for the National Finals Rodeo nine times between 1981 and 1993, consisting of seven trips in bull riding and three trips in saddle bronc riding. In 1992, he was one of 20 bull riders who helped establish the PBR; he’s been selecting bulls for the organization’s events ever since. “He’s a really good kid that’s worked hard and come a long ways in the year and a half that I’ve known him. I’ve gotten to know his parents and they are really good people that have instilled a work ethic and a level of respect for people – and appreciation – I can say he’s represented his country and his family and his sport really well.”

Ky has a few online only classes that he can do while heading to rodeos. He is in his second year at Sul Ross, majoring in Industrial Technology – learning everything from welding to woodworking, small engine repair and industrial drawing. His real love is riding bulls.

“I like it so much; when you love something that much, you do whatever you can to be better at it. There are a handful of guys out there that will go down as great – if I want to beat them; I’m going to have to work at it very hard.”

Malcom Heathershaw will spend the next few months healing up from breaking both bones (ulna and radius) in his left arm. “I drew a pretty wide stud and I was the first one out. I was three seconds and my stirrup on the left side snapped off – it sling-shotted me off the left side. My body weight folded my left arm. I tried getting up – it hit me like a bullet.” He had surgery where they inserted two plates and now is healing.

The Quinn, South Dakota, cowboy started riding steer saddle broncs in junior high and got on his first saddle bronc in eighth grade. He got his start by his dad (Mike) and other family members. “I have a lot of cousins that do it.” The biggest thing that helped me this year was a new practice that has been set up in New Underwood, SD. Louie Brunson started a weekly practice deal and everyone came down and provided us with a chance to get better. There have been a lot of rough stock coaches and pick-up men that have come to help. It was there that I really made a change for the better last spring. If you stick to it long enough you can always change the outcome of your goal.”

“I can relate that to my dad. His parents weren’t big on rodeo and he grew up learning from his older brother and mainly taught himself. He was very talented in his younger days – went to some pro rodeos – but as he got older he went to amateur rodeos and was in it for the sport of it instead of the world title.”

“These older guys are giving back to the younger boys,” said Mike, who ranches and raises commercial cattle and Quarter horses. Mike helps several of the boys in his community. “I just liked to ride and they kept paying me for a little while in my younger days. I got to know and helped a lot of the younger boys get started back in the day and now they are giving back to my son. You can’t teach them anything on their back, but once you get them staying on, it’s another level.” Mike hopes that Malcom will pursue college. “We are paying for his tuition on the installment plan. I can throw things at him and he learns. He’s about to go to the next step and take advice from his cousins, who have won many Saddle Bronc Titles themselves, Cash Wilson and Jeremy Meeks.

Along with a commercial cow herd the family owns Rockin T Quarter Horses. “We raise 15 to 20 baby colts a year,” explains Anita, a Title 1 teacher at Wall School in Wall, South Dakota. “In August, we take the colts up to the shed and spend three or four days halter breaking them. We do it slowly and then we sell them private treaty – we get a lot of repeat customers. My dad used to raise horses, his goal was to raise good looking buckskins.” They raise horses that can be used on the ranch or rodeo. “Our goal is to raise some nice bloodlines and good looking horses.” Malcom gets on the younger horses and gets them going good.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Malcom. “It’s a humbling experience doing that – it carries on to people – you’ve got to be able to read stuff to work with animals and it helps me deal with people.” Malcom is a junior and heads to school at 7:30. He used to drive in with his brother, Matthew, but since Mathew plays football, they take separate cars. They both drive older model Cadillacs. His classes include science, English, history, and math. “I’m a history buff, so I like that class.” Matthew and Malcom are a year apart, with their birthdays falling July 18 and 19.

Matthew is a calf roper. Both boys started in steer saddle bronc riding and roping calves. Once they got to high school, they each chose to focus on one event – Matthew stuck with tie down roping and Malcom went with saddle bronc. Riding broncs has become Malcom’s passion – growing up he excelled at football and basketball and is a very good student. “You’ve got to find your passion and he’s developed such a passion and a drive for saddle bronc riding – he thinks about it all the time,” said his mom, Anita. “When he started riding this spring he was really struggling, his dad, who is his main coach and who has mentored many young cowboys worked hard at trying to figure out the problem. He ended up getting a bigger saddle and that seemed to help a lot. His dad and he are so dedicated to get where he wants to be.”

Malcom ended his year fourth at state finals. His year started out rough – with the help of the practice pen and a new saddle, he got better each time he rode. At Nationals he ended up fourth as well. “I knew I was placing pretty good going into the short round and knew if I I just stayed on, I might get up there because the horses in the short go were tougher. I was ready to do good. My horse was probably one of the better horses I’ve gotten on; nice and smooth and even and I could show him off a little more.” It didn’t sink in that he ended up fourth in the nation for a few hours. “I was in awe that I got that far.” His goals for the future are to get better at rodeo, go to college, and keep performing at a higher level. “I know I want to continue to rodeo and work at the same time but I want a steady job to pay the bills.”

Quincy Sullivan is the second girl to ever win the National High School Finals in team roping..Brend Youtsey Reay was the first in 1986. The odds were totally against Quincy Sullivan and Luis Mendiaz, team ropers from New Mexico, that won the National High School Team Roping title for 2020. The last New Mexico high school rodeo was in October, 2019. 17 year old heeler, Luis Mendiaz, from Santa Fe, ended the fall season in 5th place. Header Quincy Sullivan, age 16, was in 6th place. The New Mexico first place team was unable to go to Nationals, and Luis was next in line. When his header couldn’t go Quincy was next in line. Quincy and Luis had only roped together once before making the trip to the National High School Finals in Guthrie, Oklahoma. “We each drove 80 miles to rope together before heading to the Finals,” explained Quincy.

“In the first round, we did pretty good,” she continued. “I didn’t rope the first one as good as I should and we ended up 8th in the round. The second round we drew a stronger steer – Luis pulled off an incredible heel shot!” In the short go, which eliminated all earlier scores, there were four teams ahead of Quincy and Luis, including another New Mexico team. Quincy continued: “I really didn’t think we were as fast as we were. But we did it in 9 seconds and took the lead.” After the first place team missed. —– We won it!”

Quincy grew up in rodeo, both parents competed. She began by competing in all events – barrels, poles, goat tying, team roping and breakaway. Finally settling on team roping and breakaway roping. She works every day on her events. “I have 15 horses now and I ride them all. My head horse, Hondo, is amazing. He tries his hardest every time and even if a steer is slow or fast, he’s solid. My dad’s team roping partner sold him to us, and he’s worth every penny we paid for him,” she proudly reported, adding: “I hang out with the boys more, because most of the girls don’t rope as much as I do. I’m not your average high school girl.” She will be team roping with Hadley Oder this year and Luis is team roping with her cousin, Weslynn Reno.
With two more years of high school, Quincy is setting her sights on Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. “I want to be a lawyer,” she explained. “I took mock trial last year in school and really enjoyed it. I’m pretty passionate about it!” She is also running for president of the student council at her school which has 100 students. She added, “I want to make some changes to our school and have a voice.”

When Quincy was in the 7th and 8th grades she qualified in both the team roping and breakaway roping for Junior High National Finals. She has made the National High School Finals both her freshman year and this past year in both events again. She also qualified for the Junior World finals last year in both the ’15 and under’ as well as the ‘19 and under’ breakaway roping. She won the ’15 and under breakaway roping’.

Quincy’s mother, Shacey, grew up in rodeo, competing in speed and roping events in high school. She said of daughter, Quincy, “She works hard at her rodeo events and I’m glad she’s getting recognition for it.” Quincy’s dad, Russell, competed in calf roping and team roping in high school and won 2nd in team roping as a heeler. He went to the college finals in both events from 1996 through 1999.

Heeler, Luis Mendiaz, rode a quarter horse, Sus Beetle, his dad’s friend sold him. He’s a head and heel horse. “I won a truck on him heeling. He’s a good horse,” said Luis. He let’s his dad drive the Dodge Ram truck he won because it is standard shift. Luis admits he’s not good driving a standard shift vehicle. “My dad works construction, and didn’t rodeo until he came to New Mexico in 1999 and started watching roping. He began roping in 2005. He taught me to rope.” In 2010 his dad roped in the USTRC Finals at Guthrie and Luis watched him win 10th place in the #8 Division. “I like to rope the dummy during the day, before I practice on my horse,” Luis explained. His parents don’t speak English but we asked him to ask his mother how she felt about her son winning the world. He said, “She feels really happy for me and for her – that she had a son that won the world and how far I’ve gone in roping.” Luis will be a senior and when he finished he plans to go to college and learn to shoe horses. He said, “I want to thank my parents for supporting me and Quincy and her family.”

Quincy, with the support and rodeo experience from her parents, and the fact that Luis has his dad’s roping history to aid him, and with their hard work and determination we are sure tol continue to hear about their successes in the arena for years to come.

Gauge McBride has found success in the rodeo arena as well as the wrestling floor. He finished his senior year at Kearney High School as the Class A 152 pound state wrestling champion for Nebraska. He also finished his four years of high school rodeo as state champion in the bareback and bull riding, third in saddle bronc riding as well as the All Around title. He headed to the National High School Finals in Guthrie in all three events. Gauge was born without his 7th cranial facial nerve. The congenital defect affects the muscles that control facial expression and eye movement. “Just one side works – my left eye’s not great either. I can’t see out of it very well. I’ll wear my contacts for wrestling and sometimes for riding too.” He admits getting made fun of growing up. “I got in a couple fights about it, other than that, I try to find a good come back … it’s never been something that’s impacted me that much with friends or rodeo; it hasn’t stopped me from doing what I want.”

“From the second that Gauge was involved in high school wrestling it was apparent that he was a tough kid,” said his wrestling coach, Ty Swarm. “He brought a level of toughness and grit to him that helped our wrestling room and program for the four years he was at Kearney High School. He’s super coachable and driven, so if you tell him why and what he exceeds expectations. I’m not surprised he made a state champion. He is just a good competitor and has the mind-set of how to win and find success. If he knows something is going to benefit him, he’s into it full on. He’s a kid that has flourished under everything he’s done. He’s lighthearted and fun to be around.”

Gauge has had plenty of coaching on the rodeo side from his dad, Cooper, a 7x NSRA saddle bronc champion, as well as his Uncle Justin McBride, 2x PBR champion. “I was pretty little when he was winning, so I never went to Vegas. But I learned a bunch from him. I used to go down there every summer for a week.”

Justin made the finals ten times, winning the world twice (2005, 2007). “From the time I was 19 until I was 29,” said Justin, who went from riding to the analyzing side of bull riding for CBS sports and regular CBS. The 40-year-old got his permit when he was 18 and made the finals the next year. “Gauge is a really tough kid; in fact I think that’s his best attribute. A lot of that toughness comes from his dad. Wrestling really translates in rough stock and that gives him an advantage.” Justin is ready to help again and sees ways to help him improve in the bull riding. “They’ve got to believe what they are saying. Even taking away that he’s my nephew, Gauge never looks for a shortcut, and he’s willing to do the work to get there.”

There are others that have given Gauge guidance and advice. “A bunch of us have,” said his dad. “Steven Dent has helped us a lot too – it’s a group effort.” Cooper thinks his son is “doing real good; he’s got a lot of good things ahead of him if he just takes care of business,” and gives him this advice: “Don’t be scared, scared gets you hurt.” Cooper started riding broncs after high school and went on to win the NSRA in the saddle bronc riding from 1998-2004. He quit riding in 2007 after breaking his leg. “I was going to the circuit finals and amateur finals one more year, but I broke my leg and hung it up.”

Cooper and Gauge ride to work together every day. Gauge works on gas lines for the Natural Gas Company. “I’m out there with dad; it’s not a bad gig. I’m a welding helper – when they make a well, I use the grinder and clean it off, or I’ll hand them a welding rod when they are finished with their last one. I run the shovel a lot, when they dig up the holes, I have to go in there and clean it up and find the pipe. Eventually I want to be welding for the pipeline. It’s fun and I’m learning a lot right now. It helps me stay in shape running the shovel.” Gauge is going to pursue a welding degree at Panola College in Carthage, Texas. “I really like the coach, Jeff Collins; his attitude and how he goes about business – he was really adamant that you stay in shape, on the right path, doing your schoolwork and things that a guy needs to do to be good at what he wants to be good at. They’ve got a good team; it’s the perfect spot for me … and it’s warmer than Nebraska.”

“I’m going to agree with Gauge – he’s going to be a blessing for our team,” said Jeff Collins, rodeo coach for six years at Panola. Panola College, known for its vocational degrees, is home to 2,500 students, with 35 on the rodeo team. “I’ve had really good luck with wrestling athletes; they are disciplined, in shape, and willing to give and do a lot of things other guys aren’t. Gauge told me he wants to ride all three like Ty Murray, and there hasn’t been a guy as talented in all three in a long time. When I say Ty Murray – at 51 he’s still one of my heroes to this day. I’ve got great expectations of Gauge.”Gauge will take 14 years of training, and success with him to college. He started muttin’ busting and wrestling when he was four. “When I was little I tried every sport and I really liked wrestling. I played soccer, football, and baseball but they were during rodeo season.” He moved from sheep to calves, to steers, and then mini bulls. “In junior high, I did goat tying, and breakaway roped, team roped, and rode all the rough stock.” Gauge admits he wasn’t that great at the timed event end. “I could have been, but getting on three every day and then to the timed event it was getting to where I wasn’t prepared for each event, and it cost me in the long run.”

Preparing for each rough stock event is different, but they all include stretching and praying. He can’t choose one event he likes better. “Somedays the bareback goes good, sometimes the bull riding; I’ve been riding bulls the longest, but I think I’m better at the bareback; the bronc riding is a rough story.” He’s having a hard time getting the hang of it. “For some people it clicks, but there’s a lot of moving parts. In the bareback and bulls, you grit your teeth and hold on … in the bronc riding you’ve got to move your feet and when you’re in all three, it’s a different way of lifting with your body and it’s hard to get it. I end up lifting like I’m in the bareback and it ends up getting me out of there or getting me drilled.” The combination of wrestling and rough stock has worked well for Gauge. “Wrestling helps with roughstock a lot; being in shape and helping me in the way I land and flexibility.” It has also helped his mental game. “It’s helped me be mentally tough – never show you’re tired, never give up – it gets tiring getting on three every day, but having a tough mind keeps you from weakening.”

He prepared for the National High School finals by working out every day and riding the spur board. “Along with bench squat and curls, I run around the track at the YMCA and I’ve got intervals, sprint for 30, jog for a minute, then sprint for a minute and jog for a minute.” His experience last year at the NHSFR wasn’t the best. “I got bucked off in the first round of the bareback and both runs in the bull riding. Second round I was 72. This year I’m better mentality, last year I got worked up on wanting to win win win … it’s hasn’t changed, I still want to win, but I was so focused on winning I wasn’t thinking about how I was riding.”

His family, along with grandparents, and younger sister, Carsyn, 12 were in Guthrie to cheer him on. “He is extremely humble,” said his mom, Jacque, who competed in all the events in high school except cutting and team roping. “He can light up any room.” Gauge put on dances for all the high school rodeos. “He’s got Party Rockers; and he puts a party on at all the rodeos. He loves to dance.”

Along with Party Rockers, both Gauge and Cooper are guitar players. He’s been playing for about three years and plays any songs he can figure out. “I play a little country and a lot of rock and roll as long as I can crank the volume and not annoy mom and dad. Dad plays too, playing a lot longer than I have.”

Gauge finished seventh at the high school finals and he’ll be home one night and he’s off to his first PRCA rodeo in Deadwood, SD. After that it’s Phillipsburg on the 30th.

“Finals was a lot of fun,” he said. “I got bucked off my saddle bronc. I rode my second one for a 64 and I opted for a reride. I ended up getting three rerides and bucking off.” In the bull riding, he bucked off both of them.
“I have a short memory – I keep going and get ready for the next one.”

“I’ll make a shot for Resistol Rookie maybe next year. I’m just going to a couple this year and dip my feet in the water and hopefully not end up with my head in the ground. Next year when I have a little more time, I’ll get to a few more. I think college will be a big step up and I’m excited to see where that goes.”