story by Lily Weinacht
More than two generations of the Good family have turned their rigs down the rodeo trail, and Carson Good of Long Valley, S.D., is following suit, competing in the SDHSRA in steer wrestling, team roping, and tie-down roping. From the time he was three, Carson watched his dad, Allen Good, and uncle Darin Good team rope in the PRCA. Within five years, he was backing into the box himself, starting his career with the NLBRA. “The drive and the will to be the best I can be is what motivates me, and competing with other people of my capability,” explains the 18 year old. “Steer wrestling is for sure my favorite. My dad was the South Dakota state high school champ in that event, and so was my uncle, and that’s pretty much what we do at my place, along with roping. My goal is to be a state steer wrestling champion like my dad. He’s been a PRCA member for more than 30 years – he joined in high school and still competes today.”
Much of Carson’s inspiration to rodeo comes from his dad and uncles, as well as the late Brian Fulton. Practice is a family affair, and Carson is joined in his family’s indoor arena by his parents, Allen and Beth, brother, Denton (12), and grandpa, Gordon Good. Both Denton and Carson compete in 4-H rodeo, and the NLBRA, where Carson also competes in ribbon roping. Denton won the World title in team roping with Jace Thorstenson at the NLBFR last year and started junior high rodeoing. He was recently crowned the 2016 SDJHRA Boy’s Breakaway Roping Champion. “Most of the time my parents are able to go to my rodeos, but when they go with my brother, my grandpa travels with me,” Carson explains.
The Good family lives on their ranch in Long Valley, S.D., 30 miles south of Kadoka, S.D., where they raise beef cattle and raise and train horses. Carson rides Mario, Allen’s ten-year-old steer wrestling horse that he trained last year. “Ever since then, he’s been better and better every day,” says Carson. “I’ve won two high school rodeos on him this season. Sage is my calf horse. He’s 18, and he came from Todd Cowan in Highmore, South Dakota. I’ve had success on him ever since I got him as a freshman. I head off my dad’s stud, or at Little Britches I’ll rope off Crackers. Denton won his title on Crackers last year.” Many of the horses Carson and his brother ride are out of their family’s stud, Joe. They send their colts to a local horse trainer, and sell the ones they don’t keep for their rodeo or ranch work. “We raise beef cattle, so we’re out there checking cows often, especially now that we’re out of school,” says Carson. “We ride as much as we can, and our Border Collie pup, Wrangler, helps us herd, along with my grandpa’s Border Collie, Willie.”
Carson recently finished his junior year at Kadoka Area High School, and though he played basketball in eighth grade, he decided to focus on rodeo as his main sport. “I’m definitely working to qualify for Nationals – I didn’t make it my freshman or sophomore year, but the season has been going good, and I feel like I’ve improved a lot in the last year,” Carson says. “I want to be involved in the ranch as much as I can, and be a state champion and Little Britches champion steer wrestler like my dad and uncle – and have success in my other events everywhere I go. I want to thank everybody who’s helped me throughout the years, especially my family, as well as the late Brian Fulton, Todd, Clay, and Travis Cowan, Linn Churchill, Ryan Richardson, and Bobby Harris. I don’t know where I’d be without them!”
