story by Ruth Nicolaus
Ever since he saw his first rodeo, Hyrum Morley has wanted to be a cowboy.
The fourteen year old, a resident of Salem, Utah, was three when he went to the Spanish Fork pro rodeo. His dad remembers him seeing world champion tie-down roper Fred Whitfield, and saying, “I want to be like him.”
Hyrum, a member of the Utah Junior High School Rodeo Association, competes in the breakaway roping, team roping (as a heeler for Beretta Bradford), and ribbon roping (as a roper for his sister Eliza.)
For his twelfth birthday, his parents gave him a weekend at the Walt Woodard Team Roping Clinic, He loved it, and learned a lot.
For the heeling, he rides a twelve year old sorrel named Supreme, whose registered name is Rich J Lee Supreme and who was a stud in Hyrum’s grandpa’s breeding program. For the breakaway and ribbon roping, he rides a ten year old sorrel named Doc. Supreme is his favorite horse, because he’s more experienced and calmer than Doc.
Hyrum is an eighth grade student at American Leadership Academy. He is in the ninth grade honors math class, his favorite, but is not enthused about guitar class (not his favorite.) He is parliamentarian in the National Junior Honor Society.
He loves to shoot targets with his .22 and play with his little brothers.
If he could choose any food in a buffet, he’d go straight to the meat: steaks and fried chicken are his favorite. Then he’d head over to the scones.
When he grows up, he’d like to be a welder and a PRCA team roper. His team roping favorite is Junior Nogueira.
This is his first year of junior high rodeo, and it’s everything he thought it would be. His favorite memory, so far, is winning the breakaway roping at the Nephi rodeo, and the buckle he got. His least favorite part is all the driving.
Hyrum has three older sisters: Camilla, AudriLyn, and Clara, four younger sisters: Eliza, Marjorie, Ellie and Rubee, and two brothers: Hinckley and Heber.
He is the son of Rich and Audra
Morley.
