story by Lindsay King
Everything in rodeo is about the kids for Tyler Hutchins from Siloam Springs, Arkansas. “There are not enough people who pay attention to little kids anymore. I was fortunate that my family rodeoed full time when I was growing up, not everyone has that.” The son of JR Hutchins and a slew of uncles who rodeoed for a living, Tyler was born and raised in it. “My dad rodeoed most of his life and still goes to some of the Indian rodeos today, he is semi-retired.” Tyler attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on a rodeo scholarship for heeling studying animal science and finished his business management degree at Rogers State. “I made the college finals every year except for when I was a junior. Ever since then I have been going to professional and amateur rodeos.” Rather than compete in junior or high school rodeo, Tyler learned at an early age to basically go big or go home.
“I went to a lot of open rodeos growing up and I practiced at home with my dad. When I started winning at the open rodeos I started going to amateur rodeos.” In 2006, as a senior in high school, he was the ACRA Rookie of the Year, the same year he bought his PRCA permit. Filled in 2010, Tyler started hitting professional rodeos alongside his full-time welding job in Pryor, Oklahoma. “My full-time job makes it tough to try to rodeo. I rodeo just about as much as I work as far as hours per week. It is tough to juggle everything.” Tyler met Kari, his wife, at a rodeo and they now have a two-year-old son named Randon. “My family goes to just about every rodeo unless there are conflicts with our local ‘Play Nights.’”
Every Tuesday night at 7 p.m.in Siloam Springs, Tyler and Kari put on a rodeo for anyone who wants to compete in the speed events. “It is mostly for kids to come out and practice, get better and learn more about the sport of rodeo. We keep track of all their points and have a final rodeo where we give away buckles, saddles and prizes.” Tyler was fortunate to be raised by his role model in rodeo and life, his dad. “Everything I know he taught me. Growing up, it [roping] was second nature, it was what he did and what I wanted to do.” His trip to the IFR in 2013 is one of his career highlights. “My main goal for the year is to finish in the top fifteen in the IPRA and win the year-end awards in the CRRA and ACRA.” His long-term goal is to make a run for the NFR, something he foresees as two or more years down the road. “I want to make all the professional team roping jackpots in one year, George Strait, BFI, all of those. That is next year’s goal.”
Tyler is the ACRA alternate team roping director. “The ACRA was, and still is, designed to be the working man’s association. These rodeos are set up for people who do not rodeo for a living. I do not want to call it a hobby because I know it is more of a life style for me and other people in the ACRA.” Tyler works hard to promote the sport of rodeo and keep the western tradition alive through his position as a professional rodeo athlete. “I try to introduce everyone that I can to the world of rodeo. I always tell people that I have two families: my immediate family and my rodeo family. My rodeo family includes everyone that goes to the rodeos as much as they can just like us. I would not trade either of my families for anything or anybody in the world.”