story by Lily Weinacht
The 2016/2017 rodeo season was Kasen York’s rookie year in the WHSRA, and he finished the summer the WHSRA All-Around Cowboy and Reined Cow Horse Champion, and NHSRA All-Around Rookie Cowboy. “I like high school rodeo, and it was fun all year,” says the 16-year-old from Saratoga, Wyoming. “I’m glad I made it as far as I did.” Kasen went into state finals leading the reined cow horse and won it, and he finished fourth in the cutting. He advanced to the short-go in the reined cow horse at the NHSFR, while he also competes in team roping as a heeler with Will Newman. “The reined cow horse is probably my favorite,” says Kasen. “I’ve been showing cow horses the last few years in the NRCHA, and I think it’s cool. Doing all that with a horse is pretty neat.”
Kasen has been riding most of his life thus far. His dad, Thad York, competed in rodeo, and his mom, Kristen York, showed cutting horses. Ranching goes back in their family several generations, and they manage a ranch outside of Saratoga, where Kasen has grown up riding and working cattle. “I think ranching helps a lot with reading the cattle, especially in the reined cow horse,” says Kasen. “It can be tough to know where you should be. I ride with a cow horse trainer, Kyle Trahern, and he’s helped me out a bunch. He’s from Walsh, Colorado, and he’s taught me how to show horses better and train them.”
Kasen trained his heel horse, Matilda, and he competes in the cutting and reined cow horse on Hal and Spike. “I showed each of them back and forth all year long, and both of them are pretty solid horses. We get along pretty good wherever I show.” Kasen continues to show his horses in the NRCHA while high school rodeoing, and he travels with his parents and Kyle Trahern to many of his events. His dad is the general manager of the Silver Spur Ranch in Wyoming, while there are Silver Spur Ranches also located in Colorado, New Mexico, and Nebraska, altogether ranking the ninth largest commercial cattle operation in the United States. The ranch, which is an AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder, received the 2017 Zoetis AQHA Best Remuda Award. The award recognizes ranches raising AQHA horses that also have five or more mares used to produce working ranch horses. Kasen helps with many aspects of the ranch, but working in the barn and riding the performance and cow horses is his favorite place to be.
He’s a junior this year, and Kasen has been homeschooled the last four years. “I like social studies pretty well, and I try to get most of my school done at home and get ahead so I don’t have so much to do when I’m gone,” Kasen explains. “I like to hunt and fish and hang out with my friends. I like the area where we live. The winters are hard, but the summers are good, and we can ride horses all day without worrying about the heat.”
Kasen’s next goal is to qualify for the NHSFR next year in the team roping. “I rope because I have the opportunity to right now, but my goal is to be a cow horse trainer,” he finishes. “I’m taking my first snaffle bit horse, Raton, to the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, and hopefully we’ll make the finals.”
