story by Siri Stevens
Beritt Watterson got her name from a mutual decision made by her parents. “My mom wanted to name Bellamy, and my dad thought that was way too girlie so he said no, and they compromised on Beritt.” She has one sister, Anndie, and one brother, Chad – and since their last name begins with a W, they were trying to get the first names to start with A, B, or C.
Berritt competes in breakaway and team roping. “I’m just a roper,” said the 16-year-old from Cedar Fort, Utah. “It’s in the middle of nowhere, west of Lehi.” She likes to stick to roping because it involves both her skills and the horse’s to get the job done. And she likes the mannerism of rope horses better than barrel horses. She started competing when she was four or five. “I started riding when I was two, but didn’t compete until I was a little older. I was running barrels and poles back then, but when my horse was done, I quit.” She has changed horses and it has taken some adjustment, but the team made it back to the high school finals in breakaway and team roping. “It’s hard roping here, there are a lot of great ropers in Utah.” She competed at Silver State last year. “I made it back to the short go, and that felt great.”
She is going to be a senior at Westlake High School. “I like how it has a bunch of options for classes. There are 3,000 kids in three classes in school, so they offer classes for different careers.” Her favorite class so far is floral design. “You get to do what you want to do and I like that.” Her least favorite is math, not because of the teacher, but because it comes harder to her.
Her mom, Tandie, is the secretary of her dad’s concrete company. “My dad (Josh) is a footing guy and owns his own company. He pours footings for houses and my mom moves his trailers around and does his books.” She also helps wherever she can for the girls to practice and compete. “She hauls cattle, runs the chute, cools the horses down and will even get them saddled if we are running late. She is a trooper.”
Berritt is looking at going into the animal science program at Southern Utah University, but she is open to going somewhere else. “My first option is in state, but I’m open to going out of state.” She is looking for the best options on rodeo scholarships. Anndie is heading to college in the fall and Berritt is excited about the opportunity to rule the house. “I’m the baby of the family and we’re at the end of the trail for kids and I get to be here by myself. I’m excited to be by myself. I think it’s going to be quiet and I’ll get to rope all the time. I’m nervous about one thing – I’m afraid of the dark and I’ll have the whole floor to myself.”
Berritt is going to spend the summer roping and working with her dad. “Its hard work and its hot, but I get paid pretty good, depending on my attitude. What I get paid is dependent on my attitude, so I try to keep a good attitude.” She is very appreciative for the opportunities her dad has given her to ride some great horses and for her mom and all the help she has been for practicing and getting to rodeos.
